New Itunes/Airport Express user - what file format to use?

[admin_exported]

Hi all

Got Itunes streaming to Airport Express linked to my AVI 9.1s and MJ Acoustics Sub. Itunes controlled by Itouch. What more could a music lover want - eh? Airport Express is on ethernet link to Netgear router.

Not got much on Itunes yet - about to start getting all my CDs imported. Question is what format is best?

I would like the best sound quality of course so format should be WAV - am I correct? I understand that this takes up a lot of memory so is there a format of a similar quality that uses less memory?

Also I've read that WAV can use up quite a bit of processing. Does Airport Express have any probs with these files? Are other more suitable?

Has any using Airport Express or any other streaming devices experimented with different file formats?

Best regards, Andrew

 

[mattjax05]

I'd say use Apple Lossless format, it's a lossless compressed codec which uses between 40-60% the size of the original file. Have a read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless

 

[Dave_]

Yep Apple Lossless is the way to go...

 

[Dan Turner]

I've been fine with MP3 320kbps, WAV, Apple Lossless and AIFF (equivalent uncompressed format to WAV but supports album artwork in itunes) streaming over my airport express. I'm intending to rip everything in AIFF when I get a new computer with a big hard-drive for optimum quality, and create a second library with everything at mp3 128kbps to fit it on my iPhone.

That said, I bought a CA DAC-magic yesterday and in my comparisons of music replayed from my laptop via the DAC vs my cd player, i found that On An Island by David Gilmour sounded better as an apple lossless file being replayed via the DAC than the CD did on my Arcam CD37. So if space is an issue, apple lossless will be plenty good enough.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Lossless. Done.

 

[Anonymous]

seems unanimous that lossless is the way to go

many thanks, andrew