FLAC On A Mac


Forgive me if this subject has been discussed on this forum before, but I don't do much PC Audio and I get very confused.
I have downloaded some High Res content from HDTracks to my Macbook. These are all FLAC files. I tried transferring them to a flash drive to be played in two devices that are supposed to be FLAC compatible (most recently, the Marantz NA 7004 Network Music Player). These files won't play on either device.
They also won't play using the MacBook as the source, although I anticipated that.
Do I need some sort of a music management player to play these files? When I surf the net looking for conversion programs, most of them aim to change flac to mp3, which would defeat the purpose of trying to get a High Res file.
richardfinegold
Audioengr: Are you suggesting that it works just as well to use Pure Music and forget downloading XLD (unless you want to rip)? I am looking at the exact same issue as the OP. A friend is coming to visit with some FLAC music but my iMac, iTunes library with Pure Music is AIFF all the way. If the OP wanted to incorporate FLAC files into his Mac based library the conversion is still necessary correct? Would he (I) convert the FLAC music into AIFF, place it in the iTunes library and then move it to an external HD if so desired? I am fuzzy on the exact way to do this.
HD Tracks specifically addresses the FLAC to MAC issue...
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/How-Convert-HDtracks-FLAC-High-Resolution-Downloads-and-Add-iTunes-Video-Commentary
If you have a DAC, you can play your FLAC audio using VLC Media Player. a fairly good quality player that pretty much plays anything you throw at it. and did i mention it's free?
Puerto,
If you want to play FLAC files using a USB or Firewire converter or DAC, or directly from the MAC, I would highly recommend using XLD to convert these files first to .wav. You will find that the sound quality of the .wav is superior, not because the FLAC decoding is flawed, but because these decoders simply cannot keep-up in real time with the datastream. Same for AIFF.

I know saying this that I will get a lot if flac from the posters here, yet I know it to be true. I recently was in my room ar RMAF playing a 44.1 track of Steven Stills "treetop flyer". Great track, but it was given to us in FLAC format. one of my roommates said it would souind better as .wav,a and I said no way. Anyway , I converted it from .wav to FLAC and played both tracks.

The FLAC track was like listening through a tunnel. The .wave file was open, airy and natural. I am a believer now. One show attendee in the room said "shit, my entire library is FLAC, I dont want to hear this"

To hear these differences, you will need a truly resolving system. Ours was.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio