Topmusicanswers
I think the only real for-sure way to tell is to use your ears. If it sounds crisp and clean, it's probably lossless. If you can hear any kind of artifacts, then the source was probably lossy. With some older recordings, it may be too hard to tell either with ears or measuring equipment/software.
Is FLAC 100% lossless?
FLAC is lossless and more like a ZIP file -- it comes out sounding the same when it is unzipped. Previously the only way to get "lossless" files was via the uncompressed CD formats CDA or WAV, but neither is as space-efficient as FLAC. The Naim mu-so is a high-end wireless speaker that supports FLAC.
Can you tell the difference FLAC?
Yes and no. The thing is that, yes, there is a very clear difference in the sound when one listens to FLAC files. ... That's why many people claim to hear no difference between FLAC and MP3 and it is obvious that they choose MP3 over FLAC – in addition to same quality the size is smaller! But they are so deeply mistaken.
Does FLAC have metadata?
FLAC is an open format with royalty-free licensing and a reference implementation which is free software. FLAC has support for metadata tagging, album cover art, and fast seeking.
