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+---- Thread: DIGITAL RESOLUTION (/Thread-DIGITAL-RESOLUTION)
DIGITAL RESOLUTION - Chello - 04-30-2026
DIGITAL RESOLUTION
Key Digital Audio Formats
* MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3): The most common lossy format, reducing file size by 90% by removing inaudible audio, ideal for portable storage but lower quality than others.
* AAC (Advanced Audio Coding): Lossy, superior to MP3 at similar bitrates. It is the standard for YouTube, Android, and Apple Music.
* WAV (Waveform Audio File Format): Uncompressed, high-fidelity format developed by Microsoft/IBM. Ideal for production but produces large file sizes.
* FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec): Compressed without data loss (lossless), often considered the best for high-quality audio storage.
* ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec): Lossless format developed by Apple, offering identical quality to the source but smaller than uncompressed files.
* OGG (Ogg Vorbis): Open-source, lossy format used by Spotify for streaming, considered more efficient than MP3.
* AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format): Uncompressed audio developed by Apple, offering similar high quality to WAV but better metadata support.
There are many subformats of these that are likely to cause confusion.
I only use 24 bit or higher, and these can be either Wave, FLAC, DSD, DSF or DFF (SACD).
The difference between CD and SACD is that CD is only 16 bit, while SACD is 24 bit.
I don't use Mp3 and similar, because these reduce the quality to my ears and equipment, while others with worse ears and equipment find Mp3 and similar to be perfectly OK.
16 bit Wave and similar can work fine, but if you compare the same audio file with one in 24 bit or higher, there is a clear difference.
There are many examples of how 16 bit can be better than both 24 and 32 bit, when the recording is very well made with near-field techniques, e.g.
If the recording itself is done badly; it doesn't help if the audio file is 32 bit.
My future demos for Pa5X and Kronos will in a while only be made as 24 bit.