Apple Lossless - Really Lossless?

#1 subs team

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Posted 21 August 2009 - 04:42 PM

Is it really lossless? To me apple lossless files sound worse than a 320 VBR mp3. FLAC files sound true to the original. Am I wrong? What are your thoughts?

Thanks

Robbie

#2 Guest_coaten_*

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Posted 21 August 2009 - 07:46 PM

An interesting question, Robbie, and seeing how I know you have well-trained ears, I wouldn't doubt your opinion. I did make an Apple Lossless, a 320kbps MP3 and an AIFF version of a reference track to hear for myself over my Koss cans.

I didn't find either of the compressed versions objectionable. The Lossless, however, sounded like it had the "Hall" setting from my Home Theatre system. A bit more reverb than the AIFF, though I don't understand why that would be the case, and as a consequence the mid-tones lost some definition. But overall, not much better or worse. I wouldn't choose Lossless as a preference. Never have. And I don't think I'm alone. Apple, perhaps, should stick to selling music, not compressing it,eh?

#3 mickdevlin

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Posted 21 August 2009 - 08:27 PM

I no longer bother with compressed settings when I rip a CD, I just use AIFF. RAM and HDDs are cheap and large these days.

Mick

#4 subs team

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Posted 25 August 2009 - 04:29 PM

Interesting, it kinda annoys me that apple would use a term like 'lossless' it sure implies like it would be the same as a AIFF. I wish iTunes would support FLAC a truly lossless but still smaller files.

#5 Molecule

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Posted 30 August 2009 - 11:52 PM

I haven't heard Apple Lossless so I don't know, but I what I do know is that FLAC sounds phenomenal - The only reason I don't use it much is because iTunes doesn't support it (loading up every file individually in VLC can be somewhat tedious).

If only Apple would get behind Free formats...
Molecule

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” - Terry Pratchett

#6 4bears

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Posted 11 September 2009 - 12:11 AM

I have a couple of iTunes Librarys. One is just of my own CDs ripped as ALAC 'Apple Lossless'. And other as either MP3 or AAC. To me, ALAC is superior in sound when compared to MP3/ AAC. If you have high quality equipment, you will hear the difference. I wish iTunes would sell music in lossless form, then I would pay for it. To me, why pay for something that just aint all there? ie AAC 256kb lossy.