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[rhkrhk]

what's the latest recommendation on choice of format for LPs=  wav or flac?
My understanding is that wav may be slightly better because the flac file is expanded on the fly, requiring more computer power. (project: digitizing large vinyl collection, mostly classical, folk, broadway, some jazz, rare rock).

I don't need many tags:  album, artist, bit depth, bitrate, composer, date, genre, track name. I understand WAV has limited capability to store metadata, and that the problem arises on copying the files (such as backing up & restoring from the backed up wav files)

any of these limitations currently correct?  Any downside (other than file size) to wav or flac?
thanks
rhk

[MrC]

Go with FLAC.  There are a few folks on the fringe who will swear by WAV, but their justification seems to come down to nothing more than belief and faith.

[Dawgincontrol]

You basically covered it.  FLAC is superior in terms of space and metadata.  WAV is completely untouched and full blown, but has metadata limitations.  Personally, I use FLAC as both are lossless formats.

I don't think you will have any problems with the FLAC format.  I use FLAC for the advantages in space and metadata.  Many audiophiles use FLAC, probably more than any other format.

[jmone]

3rd vote for FLAC

[MarSies]

I would do WAV since I hear more and more often that there is a sound difference despite the fact that they are both lossless. I haven't done any test (yet). It also sounds crazy to me but I've experienced more crazy things in audioworld.

I started using ape with MC. It is small and my Blackberry's know the format.

[jmone]

The "Official" response from JR is that all lossless formats are the same.  I agree.  That said, there are plenty that claim they can hear a difference.  The arguments tend to become a religious debate.  Pick what ever lossless format makes you feel the best.

[MarSies]

I agree that it can become a debate with no end concerning sound differences 

Besides space I don't see any other reason why not to use WAV. And what is the reason that people tend to use FLAC more often then APE. APE is even smaller. No clue for me here.

If you don't have any experience yet with (lossless) compressed audio formats why choose one and not the other .....

[Vincent Kars]

I favor FLAC
-   Excellent tagging support including cover art. The WAV tagging standard is limited and support often poor.
-   FLAC has a checksum stored in a tag. This allows you to verify if the audio is corrupted (should be a feature in JRiver)

The decoding of FLAC requires slightly more CPU than WAV.
If this affects your system (must be very jitter prone if it does), use the memory playback option.
This option eliminates all differences in processing during playback.

[jmone]

To me disk is cheap so the argument on WAV vs FLAC vs APE is mute.  WAV has poor tagging support.  APE and FLAC (and other lossless) decodes to WAV during playback and while it takes more CPU cycles it is so minimal it is irrelevant.  APE vs FLAC.... FLAC is just natively supported by more devices but ... MC will transcode them if needed.  Pick what makes you feel good.

[csimon]

FLAC!

My reasons are as others have said, it's widely supported and with unrivalled metadata provision.

I don't believe that the time it takes to uncompress a lossless file has any effect whatsoever on sound quality in that period of time nor on the whole length of the track.

[astromo]

what's the latest recommendation on choice of format for LPs=  wav or flac?
My understanding is that wav may be slightly better because the flac file is expanded on the fly, requiring more computer power. (project: digitizing large vinyl collection, mostly classical, folk, broadway, some jazz, rare rock).

I don't need many tags:  album, artist, bit depth, bitrate, composer, date, genre, track name. I understand WAV has limited capability to store metadata, and that the problem arises on copying the files (such as backing up & restoring from the backed up wav files)

any of these limitations currently correct?  Any downside (other than file size) to wav or flac?
thanks
rhk

This one comes up so regularly that you could sticky this entry of mine that's a repeat of stuff that I've offered previously but couldn't find the threads:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=86547.msg592148#msg592148
The thing that I like about the technical comparison between FLAC and WAV in the CA blog by mitchco is that it puts the matter into the quantitative domain. The ultimate test is in the ears of the beholder. Feel free to debate ad infinitum/nauseum to your heart's content.

Regarding decompression of a compressed format (regardless of whether it's FLAC, APE, ALAC, Wavpack, ...) doesn't the functionality that's been on board with MC since 2009:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=52928.0
effectively shut down that performance concern?
Bear in mind that playback from memory has had over 4 years of development:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=81982.0

I may be oversimplifying matters but I suspect I'm close enough to what counts that it's splitting hairs from then on.

In short - go compressed lossless with good metadata functionality with playback from memory checked on. Job done..  

[EDIT: and if your chosen lossless format loses its appeal, then convert it to another lossles format. It's lossles, so there's nothing to lose.]

[kstuart]

The whole point of the Memory Playback in MC19 is that there is now no advantage to WAV over FLAC, so definitely use FLAC.

Double blind test evidence for "religious beliefs" is at:

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/7/70925.html

[AndrewFG]

^

WAV or FLAC -- it doesn't really make any difference.

Although -- just to add a spanner in your thought processes -- if you have an iPod, iPad, etc. you should also consider ALAC or AIF because they can be played on iThingies too.
But essentially AIF is WAV backwards, and ALAC is FLAC by Apple...
And all these formats WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIF are all lossless, all of equal quality, and all playable equally well by MC.