Converting Flac to Wav & Upconversion

The first system I noticed the difference between AIFF and ALAC (compressed lossless) was with an iPhone 3GS docked to my car's Alpine Head Unit. Not even a very expensive set up. I used the Alpine's integrated amps and a set of Rainbow component speakers.

I had done that experiment after how I noticed a CD played on an Ayon CD5S sounded a lot more dynamic and punchy vs the same CD played on my iPhone docked to a Wadia iTransport and my friend asked to change it to WAV or AIFF. I thought he was pulling my leg but did it just as a test.

After the experience with the car system, I brought the phone back to the showroom where I had tested the ALAC vs CD earlier and this time, the gap was much smaller.

Hi,
I would like to illuminate my "subtle" reference between Flac and WAV files. I have heard some systems where the differences were not subtle between the files. WAV was much better no contest. In fact when I first started with PC Audio, using USB and then moving to the Bridge and PWD II the differences were not subtle. It is only now with CAT 7 Ethernet wiring the system, a faster computer to transcode, better power supplies for routers and switches, and several other small changes have the differences between the two formats become less discernible. But I've spent a lot of time and money to do this. I did not set out to do this, it was not a goal, it just happened as a result of my system getting better.
I would love to close the gap, and believe upgrading to an i7 processor, a solid state drive and a few other changes might make the point mute.
There is definitely an advantage in setting your Flac compression to the least amount possible.

Sgr - there have been quite a few anocdotal reports that say that networked audio is less likely to exhibit these format differences in SQ. I believe is is a funciton of the audio stack, which is bypassed when using most networked audio streaming. It is mostly audible when using PCI cards, USB or Firewire.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

i have not heard difference between wav and flac. If there is a subtle difference, if you convert the flac back to wav via sotware do you get benefit? Or did the wav have to come from original rip. thanks

The greatest and most consistent difference between FLAC and WAV when you rip your CD in both formats and then compare.

When you convert FLAC (ripped or downloaded) then "new" WAV file sound not worse then FLAC, practically 100% in my experience. In addition, many new "WAV" files sounds better (ranging from slight to huge difference) then original FLAC files. I do this conversion now automatically as I know SQ will not worsen but may (may) improve