MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC: all the audio file formats explained

[What Hi-Fi?]

What's an audio file format? Which music file formats are hi-res? And which is the best file format for audio? Read on.

MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC: all the audio file formats explained : Read more

 

[HappySounds]

You describe AAC in your article as:

"AAC (not hi-res): Apple's alternative to MP3".

This is a significant distortion (sorry...).

Apple had no part whatsoever in the development of the standard. The standard was established in 1997 and was part of the standards for MPEG-2 and subsequently MPEG-4, but was not adopted as an audio-only format until Apple used it as the default standard for iTunes and the iPod. They definitely popularised it, but they did not invent it or even contribute to its development.

 

[SeaBee]

You forgot an interesting audio format: Opus.
- completely free to use (not patent encumbered, royalty-free).
- better than MP3 or OGG in most cases, best quality at high compression levels.
- supported by Android (since v6 I think) and many softwares (VLC, FFMPEG. foobar2000, web browsers, ...)
Opus Wikipedia entry
Opus codec official site

 

[purjo]

You forgot an interesting audio format: Opus.

Also is used by Youtube nowadays.

 

[chichaz]

FLAC is great... except that it will not play on Macs or iPhones without specific software (like VLC aka Videolan). Otherwise it's pretty much the perfect format. Apple strikes again

 

[botrytis]

Sorry, MQA IS NOT LOSSLESS - it uses a lossy compression system. Please fix your erroneous error.

If the initial file is 96/24 and you put it through the MQA system it will come out 48/16 or 17. The bit depth of the file has been changed and removes and you will never get it back. MQA actually removes part of the file like MP3 does. Putting the same 96/24 file through a FLAC compressor the file will be smaller but will still have the 24 bit depth.

 

[JoJoBot420]

Sorry, MQA IS NOT LOSSLESS - it uses a lossy compression system. Please fix your erroneous error.

If the initial file is 96/24 and you put it through the MQA system it will come out 48/16. The bit depth of the file has been changed and removes and you will never get it back. MQA actually removes part of the file like MP3 does. Putting the same 96/24 file through a FLAC compressor the file will be smaller but will still have the 24 bit depth.

You're kinda correct but mqa files can be 24bit and 16bit (files that becomes 24bits) files (i tried to rip from tidal files that i legally own and do quality comparison and they were 24bits) (and in an and 16bit mqa file it takes 3 bits of data for it's lossy compression so it is 13bit file)

 

[JoJoBot420]

You're kinda correct but mqa files can be 24bit and 16bit (files that becomes 24bits) files (i tried to rip from tidal files that i legally own and do quality comparison and they were 24bits) (and in an and 16bit mqa file it takes 3 bits of data for it's lossy compression so it is 13bit file)

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/mqa-explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-high-res-audio/ you can read more here

 

[user name is already take]

MQA is lossy, What HiFi is a joke.

 

[nazar6]

You forgot an interesting audio format: Opus.
- completely free to use (not patent encumbered, royalty-free).
- better than MP3 or OGG in most cases, best quality at high compression levels.
- supported by Android (since v6 I think) and many softwares (VLC, FFMPEG. foobar2000, web browsers, ...)
Opus Wikipedia entry
Opus codec official site

Yes you are right I am also using OPUS its better (loud & clear) than flac, wav etc and even take less space

 

[chichaz]

Yes you are right I am also using OPUS its better (loud & clear) than flac, wav etc and even take less space

Loud and clear are not generally terms I associate with SQ. If you like the sound of a lossy codec (OPUS is), well, enjoy. If you want what was originally intended, then stick to WAV, FLAC, or ALAC.