Tír Na HiFi

I downloaded an audio file converter and CD ripper called FRE:AC the other day which allows the user to convert from virtually any file format to any other file format: https://www.freac.org/ - an upgrade to the software was introduced a few weeks back.

"fre:ac is a free audio converter and CD ripper with support for various popular formats and encoders. It currently converts between MP3, MP4/M4A, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, WAV and Bonk formats.

With fre:ac you easily rip your audio CDs to MP3 or WMA files for use with your hardware player or convert files that do not play with other audio software. You can even convert whole music libraries retaining the folder and filename structure."

I was able to convert from Lossless FLAC to Windows Media Audio Lossless 9.1 and back again and able to convert Windows Media Audio Lossless to MP3 - presumably you can do the same with FLAC. Converting Windows Media Audio Lossless to FLAC resulted in a slight increase in file size. Converting back resulted occasionally in a very tiny increase in the data rate (1 bps) and a very slight reduction in file size (several hundred bytes typically) but perhaps not sufficiently smaller to seriously suspect that the lossless aspect had been compromised. It also transfers the metadata which avoids time consuming information input. The processor also allows VBR LAME MP3 encoding which appears to be the best sounding MP3 process available so a nice bit of freeware overall.

I wonder has anyone tried converting Windows Media Audio Lossless to FLAC for more universal usage in streamers, especially through FRE:AC, and whether this resulted in any appreciable loss in fidelity?

Hi - I have used Fre:ac to convert WMA Lossless to WAV format and it did that very well, with no issues.

I've used Xrecode quite often and like it.

jrling wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:39 pm Hi - I have used Fre:ac to convert WMA Lossless to WAV format and it did that very well, with no issues.

Thanks jrling - do you use WAV for editing or some sort of pro audio purpose?

No. Just use WAV for best quality and my player WTFPlay does not support WMA Lossless.

Fran wrote: ↑Wed Mar 28, 2018 4:10 pm I've used Xrecode quite often and like it.

Would you know if it is better to burn albums to a single file for home-based digital players or create discrete track files with a playlist - .cue or M3U which a player can recognise?