ND5: FLAC and ALAC sound different

Posted by: jmtennapel on 29 March 2015

I mentioned this in another post, but when I take a high resolution file and concert them to ALAC 24 bit/96khz or FLAC 24bit/96Khz, and play them, they sound distinctly different.

To rule out the potential influence of the converter, I downloaded the originals from Qobuz in ALAC and FLAC format. Same sounding diffence.

The best way to describe it: FLAC files sound a bit flatter in term of depth, a bit dryer, but with more separation of the instruments. ALAC files are a bit warmer, far more depth and soundstage, and as a result a little less clinical in the separation of instruments.

I find this puzzling. It is the same file, but just another format. Same player, same DAC.

Posted on: 30 March 2015 by DWO-Naim

Really weird. Assuming you are talking about Symphony 9 - I have that album and I cannot get it to play using transcode on but it does play with transcode off, similar issue with LSO Holst Planets.

Will chat to synology

Many thanks

Dave

Posted on: 30 March 2015 by Nick Lees

The only thing I can think of is that I'm using an NDX (fw 4.1)

Posted on: 30 March 2015 by DWO-Naim

Gary, Thanks for the suggestion, although I am using a UL I am also on fw 4.1 so hopefully my UL can consume the same WAV streams as your NDX, but you never know. I'll give the people at Naim a call as well to see if they can throw some light on the subject.

Regards

Dave