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View Poll Results: Which download format do you prefer for DMB store downloads?
FLAC 39 50.65%
MP3 38 49.35%
Voters: 77. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 04-21-2016, 06:27 AM   #1
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DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

This came up on the recent podcast, so I did a search and couldn't find any results.

Basically the question is this, if you do digital downloads for DMB music (from the DMB store), which format do you usually download - MP3 or FLAC?
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  • Old 04-21-2016, 06:40 AM   #2
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    FLAC easily for the times I do downloads.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 06:42 AM   #3
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    You should have just searched for threads started by dobyblue.

    These should help with some insight, and hopefully given the timeframe since these polls, the results will be even more in favor of lossless:

    http://antsmarching.org/forum/showthread.php?t=228790
    Would you pay a $5 premium for 24-bit Live Trax .flacs?
    59 responses
    66% favor flac, 45% of that would prefer 24-bit

    http://antsmarching.org/forum/showthread.php?t=235297
    Would you prefer Live Trax 2008 be offered with lossless audio?
    107 responses
    71% wanted LT 2008 in a lossless format

    http://antsmarching.org/forum/showthread.php?t=144524
    Digital Downloads/Live Trax MP3 or FLAC?
    16 responses
    75% favor flac

    Of course I voted for flacs, with storage space so cheap it costs very little to dedicate a few TB of storage in RAID1 to DMB audio.

    Last edited by dobyblue; 04-21-2016 at 06:43 AM.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 06:51 AM   #4
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    I do most of my listening in the car so I play them via my phone. MP3's are cheaper and easier to use in that situation. So I choose MP3
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    Old 04-21-2016, 07:02 AM   #5
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Flac every time. If I need an mp3, I can convert it.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 07:02 AM   #6
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dontdrink36 View Post
    I do most of my listening in the car so I play them via my phone. MP3's are cheaper and easier to use in that situation. So I choose MP3
    They might be cheaper, but not easier. There are dozens of ways of listening to FLAC on the go.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 07:04 AM   #7
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TurboPGT View Post
    They might be cheaper, but not easier. There are dozens of ways of listening to FLAC on the go.
    From android phones?
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    Old 04-21-2016, 07:13 AM   #8
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by flutterby View Post
    Flac every time. If I need an mp3, I can convert it.
    Same, I'll convert to .mp3 and throw on a USB stick for the car when we are driving somewhere for a week-end, but I want my archive to be the highest quality possible for when I'm listening on my main system.

    dbPowerAmp is still my fave conversion tool, so easy to use and works with .shn too.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 07:36 AM   #9
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dontdrink36 View Post
    From android phones?
    My samsung plays flac files like theyre MP3s without converting.

    Buy the poweramp music player. Its amazing.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 08:29 AM   #10
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by flutterby View Post
    Flac every time. If I need an mp3, I can convert it.


    FLAC for life, vatos.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 08:45 AM   #11
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Mp3 for ease.
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    Old 04-21-2016, 09:10 AM   #12
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheLastPig View Post
    My samsung plays flac files like theyre MP3s without converting.

    Buy the poweramp music player. Its amazing.
    Will do! Thanks!
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    Old 04-21-2016, 09:25 AM   #13
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Not sure why anyone would prefer mp3 unless the price difference is a big concern. If you need an mp3 for any reason you can always convert from your FLAC files, and then you still have the higher res version available.
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    Old 03-22-2021, 01:35 AM   #14
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    I prefer good old mp3 format
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    Old 03-22-2021, 03:47 AM   #15
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    I think both formats serve their purpose for me. When I am in the car listening to stuff on my iPhone via Apple CarPlay, it is a lot easier to store more music on my phone using mp3 format. However, I do make sure to convert everything to 320 kbps. I am a firm believer that there is a much more discernable difference in quality between 128 kbps and 320 kbps, then there is between 320 kbps and FLAC.

    With that being said, when I am home and want to listen to music with a good pair of headphones, or crank something with my nice speakers in the basement, it is FLAC all the way. I have the VOX music app, which is extremely convenient for storing high end audio files. I have a John Coltrane album on there in 24 bit, 192 khz format, and you'd swear that he and his band are playing right in your living room! So yeah, mp3 for car rides and jogs, FLAC for headphones and basement listening experiences. I suppose this doesn't really answer the actual question of the poll, but for me at least, both formats serve equally important funcitons...
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    Old 03-22-2021, 07:22 AM   #16
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by flutterby View Post
    Flac every time. If I need an mp3, I can convert it.
    This is the answer...
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    Old 03-22-2021, 09:53 AM   #17
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    I guess I don't understand FLAC. If you are required to convert it to mp3 or wav so you can listen what's the point?
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    Old 03-22-2021, 11:39 AM   #18
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    I download FLAC for listening on the computer and convert to 320 for my phone.
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    Old 03-22-2021, 12:19 PM   #19
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HonestDenver1 View Post
    I guess I don't understand FLAC. If you are required to convert it to mp3 or wav so you can listen what's the point?
    Most of the DMB FLAC downloads are equivalent to CD quality, which is better than MP3 quality. Some of the FLACs are even better than CD quality. Plenty of devices support FLAC playback, you don't need to convert it to mp3 to listen to it.

    I always buy FLAC, and most of the time listen to FLAC. But sometimes I convert to mp3 for listening on a USB stick in the car, because I generally can't tell the difference between FLAC and MP3 with all the road noise. And using MP3 takes up much less space on my flash drive.
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    Old 03-22-2021, 12:22 PM   #20
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    I haven't downloaded concerts in a while. Is there a way I can store them on google drive and then listen to them on my phone?

    What is the best way to store concerts and then listen on your phone?

    When I was younger I used an external HD and then listened to them on my computer or would burn a CD. That's not really an option anymore
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    Old 03-22-2021, 01:05 PM   #21
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kmb40oz View Post
    I haven't downloaded concerts in a while. Is there a way I can store them on google drive and then listen to them on my phone?

    What is the best way to store concerts and then listen on your phone?

    When I was younger I used an external HD and then listened to them on my computer or would burn a CD. That's not really an option anymore
    If you have an iphone, add the concert to itunes and then sync it to your phone.

    If you have an android phone, just copy the files right to the phone's storage.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 05:43 AM   #22
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by blumathu View Post
    Most of the DMB FLAC downloads are equivalent to CD quality, which is better than MP3 quality. Some of the FLACs are even better than CD quality. Plenty of devices support FLAC playback, you don't need to convert it to mp3 to listen to it.

    I always buy FLAC, and most of the time listen to FLAC. But sometimes I convert to mp3 for listening on a USB stick in the car, because I generally can't tell the difference between FLAC and MP3 with all the road noise. And using MP3 takes up much less space on my flash drive.
    Yes, that is a great point about road noise when in a car. That is one of the reasons I put 320 kbps mp3s onto the iPhone and then sync with CarPlay. I can still fit plenty of music on my 128 GiB iPhone, and even though I have the Vox App on Apple CarPlay, you are right that it is hard to discern a difference when you are driving, between ambient noise and concentrating on the task at hand.

    I can really only appreciate high-res audio when I am sitting down with a good pair of headphones, or otherwise hanging in my basement where my hi-fi equipment is set up. It is in those situations when I am happy to pull up Vox on my laptop or phone, and enjoy the quality of the music without any distractions!

    Pro-tip: I picked up a iFi audio hip dac portable USB DAC, and it really makes a HUGE difference when listening to FLAC files on my iPhone through a nice set of ear buds.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 07:13 AM   #23
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by scottbtdmb View Post
    Yes, that is a great point about road noise when in a car. That is one of the reasons I put 320 kbps mp3s onto the iPhone and then sync with CarPlay. I can still fit plenty of music on my 128 GiB iPhone, and even though I have the Vox App on Apple CarPlay, you are right that it is hard to discern a difference when you are driving, between ambient noise and concentrating on the task at hand.

    I can really only appreciate high-res audio when I am sitting down with a good pair of headphones, or otherwise hanging in my basement where my hi-fi equipment is set up. It is in those situations when I am happy to pull up Vox on my laptop or phone, and enjoy the quality of the music without any distractions!

    Pro-tip: I picked up a iFi audio hip dac portable USB DAC, and it really makes a HUGE difference when listening to FLAC files on my iPhone through a nice set of ear buds.
    I still have and use my Dave Matthews edition Pono music player. That thing sounds incredible. I hope it lasts for a long time. I will be very sad when it eventually dies.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 08:36 AM   #24
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by blumathu View Post
    If you have an iphone, add the concert to itunes and then sync it to your phone.

    If you have an android phone, just copy the files right to the phone's storage.
    But you can't sync FLAC files to your itunes. Only MP3s.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 08:39 AM   #25
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by scottbtdmb View Post
    Yes, that is a great point about road noise when in a car. That is one of the reasons I put 320 kbps mp3s onto the iPhone and then sync with CarPlay. I can still fit plenty of music on my 128 GiB iPhone, and even though I have the Vox App on Apple CarPlay, you are right that it is hard to discern a difference when you are driving, between ambient noise and concentrating on the task at hand.

    I can really only appreciate high-res audio when I am sitting down with a good pair of headphones, or otherwise hanging in my basement where my hi-fi equipment is set up. It is in those situations when I am happy to pull up Vox on my laptop or phone, and enjoy the quality of the music without any distractions!

    Pro-tip: I picked up a iFi audio hip dac portable USB DAC, and it really makes a HUGE difference when listening to FLAC files on my iPhone through a nice set of ear buds.
    I'm a musician and love excellent quality music. I honestly cannot tell the difference between 320 kbps and CD quality...I'm not arguing that there isn't any difference but I can't hear it. And if we're talking about concerts and not studio recordings I truly don't think the difference between 320 kbps and CD quality is a thing.


    If I'm at home, I'm typically listening to vinyl anyways. Car and exercise I listen to digital.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 10:38 AM   #26
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    FLAC all day. I only listen to mp3s if I can't find the FLACs.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 11:14 AM   #27
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HonestDenver1 View Post
    I'm a musician and love excellent quality music. I honestly cannot tell the difference between 320 kbps and CD quality...I'm not arguing that there isn't any difference but I can't hear it. And if we're talking about concerts and not studio recordings I truly don't think the difference between 320 kbps and CD quality is a thing.


    If I'm at home, I'm typically listening to vinyl anyways. Car and exercise I listen to digital.
    Musician here as well! I agree that 320 kbps and FLAC 16/44 really doesn't sound different to most people, myself included. I have found though that when you get up to FLAC 24/96, you start to hear a difference, particularly with jazz. With live recordings too, I have some Pink Floyd bootlegs that were ripped from vinyl in 24/96, and you can certainly notice a difference in the dynamic range between the 24/96 and the mp3 rip if you listen to both back-to-back with some good headphones.

    As for your setup with the vinyl, that is the way to go! I am working on getting an old record player working again so that I can add it to my media shelving unit downstairs that is connected to my Denon. Happy listening!

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    Old 03-23-2021, 11:45 AM   #28
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    The main reason I always opt for FLAC is that you can easily convert to Mp3 but can't go the other way. Why not pay a couple extra for better quality if you plan to own the files for a long time. Tech advances may make it easier to handle FLAC in the future so why not just start with the better quality? Most of my listening is done over my laptop while working with good headphones so I always play FLAC and then upload the Mp3s to my streaming service so I can listen from my phone on the go if I want.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 12:26 PM   #29
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HonestDenver1 View Post
    But you can't sync FLAC files to your itunes. Only MP3s.
    You can convert to Apple Lossless (ALAC) files. Still full resolution and iDevice compatible.
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    Old 03-23-2021, 05:16 PM   #30
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    Re: DMB Downloads - do you prefer FLAC or MP3?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HonestDenver1 View Post
    I guess I don't understand FLAC. If you are required to convert it to mp3 or wav so you can listen what's the point?
    among other reasons, some listed in other posts, flac/shn is like a zip file, makes it smaller to download vs full size
    You are not required to convert to mp3, in fact the benefit is convert8 g to wav/aiff as uncompressed highest quality files

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by HonestDenver1 View Post
    But you can't sync FLAC files to your itunes. Only MP3s.
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by snake911 View Post
    You can convert to Apple Lossless (ALAC) files. Still full resolution and iDevice compatible.
    Or wav/aiff
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