lossless

[admin_exported]

does anyone know if you get true lossless from any other source than the cd i put into the computer. i have had files then right clicked and converted them to lossless. after converting them the folder is larger, i.e 120 mb instead 0f 50 mb, which tells me they have but unsure of quality dont seem as good as the physical cds that ive already converted! thanks

 

[idc]

Hi hufc. My understanding is that apple lossless and other lossless files such as AIFF files, even though both are lossless, end up being different sizes. So you can import a CD, the result is a lossless copy, but file sizes are different.

When you say you have right clicked a file and converted it to lossless, I assume you mean it is a lower bit rate file such as AAC? If so, you do not have a true lossless file. You have a lossy file in a lossless package. It will not be the same as a CD imported as a lossless file.

 

[chebby]

You can only get lossless files from a lossless source.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for reply. does this mean all the files that i had at a bit rate of 320khb wer better than converting to what i thought was true lossless, if the sound quality no better i have ended up wasting space on hard drive. would it be worth my while deleting lossless files and doing them again @320?.. thanks

 

[The_Lhc]

hufc:thanks for reply. does this mean all the files that i had at a bit rate of 320khb wer better than converting to what i thought was true lossless, if the sound quality no better i have ended up wasting space on hard drive. would it be worth my while deleting lossless files and doing them again @320?.. thanks

No, it's worth deleting all the files and doing them all again. At lossless! If you want lossless quality you have to rip losslessly, end of story, you can't get the info back that lossy compression throws away, no matter what iTunes might tell you.

 

[idc]

Sorry hufc, but yes you have wasted space and time. But if you have the space and you are happy with the sound of 320kbps there is no point in re doing them again. The_lhc is right, if you are going to redo them do so at lossless.

Going back to an original point you made, are CDs the only way of getting a perfect import? There are limited downloads at very high bit rates from the likes of Linn and Bowers & Wilkins Music Club. But main streem lossless downloads from the likes of itunes, Amazon etc are not expected for some time, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Anonymous]

i should have said, the files i have coverted to lossless from 320k were shared files, make any difference, would they be true lossless, folder shows 3 times mb used, so i assume better quality?

 

[idc]

No. Converting any lower bit rate file to a higher bit rate file just increases the size of the file. The bit rate may have gone up, but the actual information is still the lossy file made bigger. To get true lossless you need a lossless source, basically a CD or another lossless file. If that lossless file is compressed information is removed and dumped. It is not retrieved if you convert back to lossless.

As for quality, you should google bit rate comparisons and try the various sound quality tests that are available on the internet to see if you can reliably tell the difference between bit rates. I can't, so I dont bother to ensure all my music is at a lossless bit rate. I really like the sound of Spotify Premium, which is streamed at 320kbps quality.

 

[The_Lhc]

hufc:i should have said, the files i have coverted to lossless from 320k were shared files,

What does that mean?

make any difference,

No.

would they be true lossless,

No. You can't put back what's been lost. Think about it, as soon as a lossy coversion is performed, even 320kbps, information has been thrown away. It's gone, vanished. How do you think converting to lossless is going to recover that information? It isn't, it can't, there's no way for that information to be recovered.

folder shows 3 times mb used, so i assume better quality?

You can assume whatever you want, but it isn't, the extra file size is just padding, there's no additional information there and it won't sound any different to the original 320kbps files.