2. digital
  3. 156968-116029

has anybody else noticed this about flac audio?

o.k are you ready for some truth friends ? flac has compression levels from 0 to 8 with the official flac default level being 5. now flac is lossless compression so there should be no sound loss from the original source no matter what compression level you use however if you encode the same song using every different flac compression level even though they will all be lossless there absolutely is a difference in the overall sound including tone and sound stage from level to level and doing your own test will only prove me right. now here’s where it gets strange? vintage vinyl has stereo + stereo depth perception (3d sound stage).digital audio has stereo + mono depth perception (2d sound stage) and this includes all new remastered vinyl cut from the digital master. this is why digital audio does not sound like vintage vinyl along with brick wall compression.i find it odd that the only flac compression level not recommended as a default no matter what software you use is flac compression level 4 ? it just so happens that re-encoding digital audio to flac with compression level 4 converts digital mono depth perception back into digital stereo depth perception (3d sound stage) just like vintage vinyl! and i don’t think this is by mistake friends ? do your own test and get ready to have your mind blown. here is an audio sample: level 5 http://pc.cd/pCcrtalK level 4 http://pc.cd/iVWrtalK
guitarsam

Showing 2 responses by danvignau

danvignau's avatar
danvignau
935 posts
 
For my ears, all streamed audio sounds compressed.  Calling it "Lossless" means that it is streamed with all the compression put into the server where it is stored.   "Lossless" means that after the recording was mixed to save space through compression, what is left is broadcast, even if the stream loses no info.  This reminds me of food labels that proclaim, "Made with 100%" whatever.  Sure,  it might have a tenth of a percent of 100 percent something, but that tenth of a percent was made with 100% whatever.
danvignau's avatar
danvignau
935 posts
 
Maybe I was not clear enough.  I agree that their may be streaming formats that play back exactly what is sent, but it is still compressed before sending.  That is why I favor D to D LP's, and even it is mixed down in the console before the cutting head, even if it is mainly for the the RIAA curve.  I would love to be proven wrong, then I would buy a streamer, but so far, people who have streamers I have heard do not have systems that show these flaws.  Garbage into the internet; garbage out.  I would love to hear streamed music that is beyond excellent, but even the stereo stores have not demonstrated it sufficiently for me.   Close is certainly not better, and if it isn't better, what good is it?  We don't all just want the algorithms used to suggest music for the masses to  define our listening experience.
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