What sounds better: FLAC, WAV, CD, LP...?

I get these questions all the time, and I just don’t have what it takes to figure it out. I’m hung up on the sound of the recording itself, that’s what matters to me.

[benjaminnelson]

This is absolutely spot on. The recording and mastering process is by far and away more important than the encoding format.

[scotchwhisky]

I don't think anyone can tell apart CD from FLAC quality tbh.

My friend claimed to be an audiophile and said he only likes CD quality. I did a little test, burned some FLAC files onto a CD then gave it to him. He said it was a really good album without complaining about quality. I later told him I burned FLAC's onto the disc and it wasn't an original CD. He then admitted he couldn't tell them apart.

[mrpositronia]

Poor quality recordings will still be poor quality on a high resolution lossless file format. You'll just hear more of the poor quality recording.

[tweakerman]

I totally agree, its all about how well the original recording has been recorded.👍

[djclass]

two extra things,
for vinyl, the mastering cannot be that heavily compressed as digital, so it tends to sound better (more dynamic) than digital,
and as for digital, mp3 and Flac are encoded files, so to play they have to be decoded, so more calculations have to be done, so red book cd (16 bit 44', 1 kHz) should theoretically sound better?

[SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Recording to analog tape is one thing, but VERY few post mid 1980s albums are recorded, mixed, and mastered in the analog domain. All analog LPs post mid 1980s are rare.

[periurban]

Currently, the absolute best listening experience in my book is a CD taken directly from the original master tape and then properly mastered for the CD format. It doesn't matter whether the source is analogue or digital, and those who prefer to listen to an analogue copy of an analogue original are not hearing the original or anywhere near it. The music on a vinyl LP has been through the wringer!

The original two track master tape was copied and that was sent for mastering using the RIAA curve. Then it was cut on a lathe, then a negative was made, then a positive, then another negative. If you are lucky that was what pressed the vinyl you are listening to, but it was quite common for popular albums to have even more generations of copies between you and the original.

The best sound I have heard in recent years is the remixed version of Sgt Pepper, where Giles Martin went back into the layers of generational copies at the mixing stage to retrieve and re-synchronise the original 4-track takes that were mixed down onto one or two tracks. The bass is fully restored from the original analogue sources and the integrity of the copy retained ALL THE WAY TO YOUR EARS! You literally cannot get any better than a brilliantly recorded album delivered along an uncompressed digital pathway.

It's called progress, and thank goodness for it.

[donovanb]

But Random Access Memory is already recorded and mastered, how do I hear it the best I can?

[Fulano.de.Tal.]

Yup, mostly the processing of the audio is the main tell of its sound quality (for digital).

[jamesallen]

Yes, a lot of gray areas. After recently getting (back) into vinyl I find myself seeking out records from up to, say, the mid-80s on vinyl. Anything newer than that and I'm looking for the CD to rip into lossless format.

[magischehochzeit]

Very helpful.. good start for my research. Thx

[peter_aka_hamamass]

They can ALL sound good, but only depending on what is done to them and with them!

[qwertmom]

So what are some examples of good recordings?

[davide.s.]

I would like to buy vinyl but I'm limited to one small room. I still want a physical copy so I'm firmly in the CD camp.

[nickhaley]

CD for the win nothing beats a CD when it comes to sound quality

[morganghetti]

I think this makes a lot of sense. I enjoy LPs and digital recording. I tend to buy LPs because I enjoy the entire ritual of looking through the records, and playing them from front to back. I tend to pay more attention when listening to an LP. That's why I like them. I'd never try to argue what should sound best to you or how you should enjoy music.

[lindastevens]

I was reading about this topic earlier because I don't think I can get my music to sound better except for Tidal's buffering time. But I have the setting to master and my dac to 24/196 and an equalizer. I really don't know what all this means other than it sounds good

[Duds]

to me, there is a pretty big diff in 128kbs mp3 and 160kbs mp3 run though a 24bit 48KHz dac as compared to them run though a 16bit 48KHz dac where they sound the same

[matthewkelleher]

What about DSD & MQA Steve? Any comments.

[jimjay]

I would say everyone of those formats has the potential to sound like shit