Dane, you're right with all you say about flac files. I'm a fan myself, but I'll stick to mp3 for my portable players because the Plextalk Pocket doesn't support Flac and the IPhone storage space is so unbelievably expensive! An Apple policy that I'll never be able to understand.
Take care, Alexandra > -----Original Message----- > From: Pc-audio [mailto:pc-audio-boun...@pc-audio.org] On Behalf Of Dane > Trethowan > Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2014 4:29 AM > To: PC Audio Discussion List > Subject: Re: FLAC Files was Time To Purchase FLAC? > > You're making things terribly and unecssarely complex and complicated. > > Yes that's right, just replace Windows Media Player on your Windows > Machine with something that plays FLAC files and the same applies to your > iPhone, Mac etc. In the case of iPhone and Mac no one says you have to use > iTunes at all! I don't for playing audio files. > > If you do need to or want to use iTunes then no, you can't play FLAC files > with iTunes however you can play Lossless AAC Audio with iTunes thus you > could convert your FLAC collection, Monkeys Audio Collection or whatever, > even rip your CD'S to a Lossless format for playback. though that's a step that > I don't think most most will want to take, its just far easier getting a Third > party player and playing the FLAC or whatever the audio is on your iPhone > and enjoying. > > On 7 Oct 2014, at 1:21 pm, Kelly Pierce <kellyt...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Dane, > > > > The difference is the tight integration of the Apple ecosystem in the > > companys mobile platform. Windows is designed to be an agnostic > > multipurpose device. The included Windows Media Player can easily be > > substituted with another media player, like Winamp, that supports > > FLAC. By contrast, it is very difficult to load music files on the > > iPhone without using iTunes. Further, Apples headphones are > > integrated with the music app and the phone or tablet itself so audio > > input and output can be managed without touching the device. Third > > party apps have limited access to the controls on Apple headphones and > > cannot access the built-in equalizer in the music app. The equalizer > > on iOS allows iTunes Radio to sound so much better than Spotify, > > Pandora and the others, as they cannot access it. > > > > I fully support the notion that FLAC represents a significant > > improvement in sound quality and that increased memory and bandwidth > > diminish its limitations. Unfortunately, the time for universal > > adoption of FLAC is not now. Many have predicted for years the > > widespread adoption of mobile payments through sell phones using near > > Field Communications. The predictions never seem to materialize until > > now. With the iPhone 6 series, Apple finally added NFC and is rolling > > out a payment system. We will soon see if this technology is embraced > > or ignored. > > > > The quality of audio streaming is getting better without a doubt. > > Streaming cannot fully replace music loaded onto a mobile device > > though for the reasons listed earlier. > > > > Kelly > > > > > > > > > > On 10/6/14, Dane Trethowan <grtd...@internode.on.net> wrote: > >> Okay I accept that without question but you forgot to mention that a > >> Windows nor a Mac computer can play FLAC files without third party > >> software so what's the difference? > >> > >> Third Party software or Apps are available for IOS etc that will > >> allow the playing of FLAC content as third party software is > >> available for Windows and Mac to allow the playing of FLAC content. > >> > >> The point you raised is taken and a fair point indeed! this all means > >> that > >> MP3 and so on will be around for a great deal longer and I don't > >> dispute that at all because its the truth. > >> > >> All I say is that MP3 and alike formats have their quality > >> limitations and FLAC - along with other Lossless formats - is now a > >> viable alternative given that storage is cheaper,, portable and > >> mobile devices are coming with larger memory capacities and so on. > >> > >> Regarding streaming? Mp3 is being replaced by AAC and AAC+ which has > >> a far better compression ratio, I have actually seen some FLAC > >> streams and test a couple the BBC had experimented with quite some > >> time ago, they worked well though quite a bit of band width is > >> required but I'm sure that will come in time too just as the quality > >> of streaming itself has improved out of sight over the last 20 years or so. > >> Before I close, I did get one mobile device that could play FLAC > >> right out of the box apart from those I've already mentioned and that > >> was my Samsung Galaxy phone, the Playback of FLAC it seems is > >> built-in to Android as it should be. > >> > >> On 7 Oct 2014, at 11:48 am, Kelly Pierce <kellyt...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> > >>> Dane, > >>> > >>> Your analysis of the FLAC format omits the lack of support on Apple > >>> mobile devices. The iPhone and iPad and their iOS operating system > >>> stands as the most coveted and popular consumer technology in the > >>> world. Yet, FLAC files cannot be played on these devices or Apples > >>> media player, iTunes. With each passing year and no FLAC support, > >>> Apple incrementally loses its cool ratio. Some suggest streaming > >>> music, such as Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Slacker Radio, and iTunes > >>> Radio along with Apples Music Match, as alternatives to loading > >>> music files to the phone. Unfortunately, streaming music is not > >>> available on subways, planes and in big buildings as well in lightly > >>> populated areas with no cellular service. I want music on my device > >>> for the times when I want music, which includes the times with no > >>> data service. > >>> > >>> Currently, the MP3 format still represents the means to provide > >>> relatively high quality audio content for the widest range of > >>> devices, particularly mobile ones. I recently ripped all my CDs to > >>> 256k MP3 so they could play on my iPhone. I love FLAC files and have > >>> many jazz recordings carefully ripped to FLAC for listening on a > >>> high fidelity audio system at home. Most of my album listening is > >>> away from home though so MP3 is the format of choice until Apple > >>> supports FLAC. I fear this may be a long time, as only audiophiles > >>> seem to care about it. > >>> > >>> Kelly > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> On 10/6/14, Dane Trethowan <grtd...@internode.on.net> wrote: > >>>> Speaking of MP3, I had great pleasure in deleting 80,000+ MP3 files > >>>> from my network just now, as I have everything I owned in MP3 > >>>> format in FLAC - and much more besides - there was very little > >>>> point in keeping the collection. > >>>> > >>>> My new Wireless Hard Drive hasn't arrived yet though it will be a > >>>> truly welcome addition to the network and storage. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> On 7 Oct 2014, at 12:23 am, Anders Holmberg <and...@pipkrokodil.se> > >>>> wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Hi! > >>>>> I am happy with my mp3 sound. > >>>>> I can use the aac sound format to and for me thats great. > >>>>> /A > >>>> > >>>> ********** > >>>> > >>>> Dane Trethowan > >>>> grtd...@internode.on.net > >>>> Skype: grtdane12 > >>>> Phone US (213) 438-9741 > >>>> Phone U.K. 01245 79 0598 > >>>> Phone Australia (03) 9005 8589 > >>>> Mobile: +61400494862 > >>>> faceTime +61400494862 > >>>> Fax +61397437954 > >>>> Twitter: @grtdane > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >> > >> ********** > >> > >> Dane Trethowan > >> grtd...@internode.on.net > >> Skype: grtdane12 > >> Phone US (213) 438-9741 > >> Phone U.K. 01245 79 0598 > >> Phone Australia (03) 9005 8589 > >> Mobile: +61400494862 > >> faceTime +61400494862 > >> Fax +61397437954 > >> Twitter: @grtdane > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > ********** > > Dane Trethowan > grtd...@internode.on.net > Skype: grtdane12 > Phone US (213) 438-9741 > Phone U.K. 01245 79 0598 > Phone Australia (03) 9005 8589 > Mobile: +61400494862 > faceTime +61400494862 > Fax +61397437954 > Twitter: @grtdane > > >
