2. pc-audio
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FLAC On A Mac

Forgive me if this subject has been discussed on this forum before, but I don't do much PC Audio and I get very confused.
I have downloaded some High Res content from HDTracks to my Macbook. These are all FLAC files. I tried transferring them to a flash drive to be played in two devices that are supposed to be FLAC compatible (most recently, the Marantz NA 7004 Network Music Player). These files won't play on either device.
They also won't play using the MacBook as the source, although I anticipated that.
Do I need some sort of a music management player to play these files? When I surf the net looking for conversion programs, most of them aim to change flac to mp3, which would defeat the purpose of trying to get a High Res file.
richardfinegold

Showing 4 responses by audioengr

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
If I am using the same computer and software and the only thing I am changing is the same track, only FLAC versus .wav, how does is the OS at fault?

If the FLAC CODEC does not play nice with the OS, this is not the fault of the OS. It's the fault of the FLAC software.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Pure Music has the best integrated FLAC support. You can still control things from an iPad or Ipod Touch and use iTunes with Pure Music.

XLD ripper can be downloaded here:

http://tmkk.pv.land.to/xld/index_e.html

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Puerto,
If you want to play FLAC files using a USB or Firewire converter or DAC, or directly from the MAC, I would highly recommend using XLD to convert these files first to .wav. You will find that the sound quality of the .wav is superior, not because the FLAC decoding is flawed, but because these decoders simply cannot keep-up in real time with the datastream. Same for AIFF.

I know saying this that I will get a lot if flac from the posters here, yet I know it to be true. I recently was in my room ar RMAF playing a 44.1 track of Steven Stills "treetop flyer". Great track, but it was given to us in FLAC format. one of my roommates said it would souind better as .wav,a and I said no way. Anyway , I converted it from .wav to FLAC and played both tracks.

The FLAC track was like listening through a tunnel. The .wave file was open, airy and natural. I am a believer now. One show attendee in the room said "shit, my entire library is FLAC, I dont want to hear this"

To hear these differences, you will need a truly resolving system. Ours was.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Ranperry - depends on your system. Everyone thinks they have a truly resolving system. If you are using an active preamp, you probably will not hear the difference. I have heard it and I have enough customers that have reported this that I believe it. YMMV.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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