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Why We Should Buy Music In FLAC

Posted by Soulskill on from the audio-files-for-audiophiles dept.

soodoo writes "We have plenty of HDD space and broadband internet. Why don't we demand full CD quality audio in an accessible format from online music stores? The advantage of lossless compression is not only the small audio quality improvement, but better future-proofing and converting capabilities. FLAC is a good, free and open format, well suited for this job."

6 of 550 comments (clear)

  1. If you want CD-quality audio, buy CDs by kevinmenzel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously, I'm not sure what's so complicated about this. It's not like CDs are that much more expensive than buying stuff electronically. Plus, you have a backup copy that's going to outlast whatever media you rip it onto anyway as long as you keep it physically safe. Plus you have the booklet that goes with it.

  2. Re:Portable players by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 5, Insightful

    FLAC wouldn't be for your Sansa; it'd be for your media library. You keep it on your PC and your backup media, and transcode that to Vorbis or MP3 or whatever for your portable device.
    Which is why they'd probably never go for it. A business model that is incompatible with DRM? Are you mad!?!?!?

  3. Re:Seems fairly obvious why not by Required+Snark · · Score: 5, Informative
    Online sources want to sell the same info to you as many times as they can. Obsolescence is part of their business plan.

    For example, Harper-Collens has put a limit on how many times a library can use a copy of an ebook http://ebooks.dreamwidth.org/32051.html The book can only be circulated 26 times before the DRM license runs out.

    This is outrageous and stupid. If possible, boycott all their products.

    --
    Why is Snark Required?
  4. FLAC is bullshit by ZankerH · · Score: 5, Funny

    I tried converting my entire mp3 library to FLAC and couldn't hear any difference. It's just audiophiles circlejerking. I bet you all use golden audio cables and $500 cable stands, too.

    1. Re:FLAC is bullshit by greg1104 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Wait, did you connect your computer to the network using a regular cable when you did the conversion? There's your problem. You need to use a good network cable or the bits aren't polished properly when you convert from MP3 to FLAC. You might think "but I didn't even use the network when I was converting". Doesn't matter--the audio bits leak out of there if you're not using the right cable.

  5. Re:Compatibility by walter_f · · Score: 5, Informative

    As to portable media players supporting FLAC:

    Sandisk (Sansa Fuze, Fuze+, Clip, Clip+)
    iRiver (B30, E100, E150, E200, Lplayer, P7, Spinn, S100)
    Archos (Vision 3, 24, 28, 32)
    Samsung (Yepp M1, YP-Q1, YP-Q2, YP-Q3, YP-R0, YP-R1)
    Philips (GoGear Muse)
    Sweex (MP470, MP480)
    Transcend (MP860, Tsonic 870)

    and last but not least,
    Cowon/iAudio (all of them)

    Prices:
    The most affordable player capable of FLAC (and Ogg Vorbis), the Sweex MP480 Vidi 8GB, from GBP 22 (ca USD 35) in the U.K.