Digital Drive

RE: Help for a Dinosaur...

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AIFF - Apple version of non-compressed WAV. I think the "endian" of the data (bit order) is also reversed from WAV. I prefer it to Microsoft WAV, but not to broadcast WAV (BWF).
FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec. A popular lossless compression format, but I think the best use is for storage efficiency. I think it sounds awful played back in real time. It imparts a "jitter" in playback that I liken to having your head in a vise applying varied pressure. (It sounds fine when converted back to WAV.)
MP3 - The most-popular compression format. It's lossy, but it doesn't whack the music when played back in real time. The vast number of MP3 variants have created compatibility problems in which not all MP3 files will play properly on a given MP3 player. The files I submit for "web" consumption are LAME MP3 based.
AAC - Apple's alternative to MP3. Some say it's more-efficient and better-sounding than MP3. And like MP3, it's both lossy and doesn't have the strange playback effects of lossless formats. A popular audio format for playing compressed video.
WAV - Generally uncompressed, but can vary in bit/sample rate depending on originated source. I personally use broadcast WAV for all localized playback. It has the least degradation on the music.
Apple Lossless - Similar to FLAC, but its effects are a little more-benign, from a "fatigue" standpoint. Its jitter characteristic in RT playback seems to "counter" vibrato and inflections by the performers. Great for playing back tracks from media that had flutter problems (like analog cassette), but its effect on vibrato can be "spooky" at times.

Edits: 05/11/08

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