Play FLAC file on Windows computer with Blu-ray Player. 1 Download, install and run Free Media Player on your computer. 2 Click 'Open File' to import FLAC file to play FLAC file. In this software, you are able to set audio track, audio channel and audio device to playback the FLAC file as you like. Play FLAC file on Mac with Free Media Player. Fully utilizing a Mac’s potential, we have developed VOX's Audio Engine in our FLAC Music Player for Mac. In addition to common formats, including: FLAC, MP3, CUE, APE & M4A – you can also playback Hi-Res Audio (HD Audio) with up to 24bit/192kHz, at 4 times higher than the.
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- Best Flac Player For Mac
If you own a Mac, you already have a high-resolution media file server at your disposal, with very little tweaking required to pass high-quality audio to your audio gear. I recently decided to set up my Mac in this way, to deliver hi-res throughout the signal chain--from my music library, to the player, to the DAC, to my preamp, amp, and loudspeakers (or preamp to headphones). Here is how I did it.
Building Your Hi-Res Music Library
The process starts with ripping or downloading music files directly to either your Mac's internal hard drive or an external drive, or designating a cloud site for your file storage (more on this in a minute). I store my music library on a 3TB Seagate external drive. Many people prefer to use an external drive because loading up your main hard drive with music files can potentially slow your computer's overall performance, especially when you get to the end of your drive's storage limits.
Opinions will vary on what constitutes hi-res audio, but I set my sights on resolutions equal to or better than 24-bit/96-kHz. We all know that your system is only as good as its weakest link, so I started with either 24/192 or 24/96 FLAC files. Hi-res files may be offered in the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) or AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) format, as well as DSD (Direct Stream Digital) and MQA (Master Quality Authenticated). DSD is the Philips/Sony system used to create the SACD (Super Audio Compact Disk) format, while MQA is a very clever codec that compresses the relatively little energy in the higher frequency bands to make the files smaller while retaining a hi-res result (it's also a good format for streaming services). To get the highest quality, you will want to avoid lossy formats like MP3 (Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3), AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), and OGG (Ogg Vorbis, the name Ogg derives from the jargon word ogging) that sacrifice audio quality for file size. This was important when storage was expensive, but now storage is plentiful and cheap.
Hi-res music files are available for download from a number of websites, including: HDTracks.com,
primephonic, HiRes Download, iTrax.com, B&W's Society of Sound, Acoustic Sounds, Chandos, and�Blue Coast Records. If you're looking for suggestions on high-quality audio recordings, check out the reviews on our sister site, AudiophileReview.com. Here are a few great-sounding albums (all available as hi-res downloads) that I'd put on my list of desert island discs:
Santana: Abraxas
Mozart: Great Mass in C minor
Thelonious Monk Orchestra: At Town Hall
The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
Bob Marley: Legend (you are on a desert island, after all)
Steely Dan: Aja
Jethro Tull: Aqualung
Cloud Backup
About a year ago, I grew concerned that my entire life's savings of music--some of which is irreplaceable original music from the various bands I've been in--was all in one place, so I looked to the cloud for a backup/disaster recovery solution. My current total storage need is approximately 2.4 TB. Apple's iCloud offers five gigabytes of free storage, which isn't nearly enough for my music files, so I opted for the 2TB plan that costs $20 per month. I had to leave some of my more esoteric albums off the iCloud drive to fit under the 2TB size limit.
Another cloud option is Google Drive, which offers 15 GB for free or one terabyte for $9.99/month; then it jumps to 10 TB for $99.99 monthly. Microsoft looks at storage a bit differently, tying its One Drive storage to the MS Office suite. When you purchase MS Office 365, you get 1 TB of storage. All your Excel spreadsheets, Word docs, and PowerPoint presentations are automatically stored there and are available for collaboration between users. There isn't anything preventing you from storing your music library there, but access is via Microsoft's Groove Music Pass, which is $9.99 per month in addition to the $99 annual cost of MS Office 365.
Amazon's Drive allows you to upload up to 250 songs for free. Subscribe to Amazon Prime ($99 annually) and get 5 GB of storage; for another $59.99 per year, you get unlimited storage. I currently use Apple's iCloud because I've been deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem from the first-generation iPod, but Amazon's value proposition is compelling. I am strongly considering making the switch. (If anyone out there has made the switch, I'd love to hear about your experience in the Comments section.)
Playback Software
Once you have begun to build your hi-res audio library, how do you play the files in a way that maintains their high bit and sample rate? I chose to download the VLC media player to my Mac (it's free) because it's capable of 24/96 and 24/192 native hi-res output. The VLC player can be downloaded here.
As an alternative to VLC, you might consider the VOX Music player, which is also free and can be downloaded here.
Best Flac Player For Mac
Why not just use iTunes? The iTunes Store only sells music in the compressed AAC format, and the iTunes player doesn't support the most widely sold lossless format: FLAC. Some hi-res file formats like AIFF may be played by iTunes but will not be at their native hi-res rates. Beware: If you convert a 24/96 FLAC file to ALAC, for example, you will not get the original file's full resolution.
Connections
There are three ways to get hi-res audio out of your Mac: 1) through an optical Toslink cable connected to the headphone output; 2) through a USB cable; and 3) through a standard stereo eighth-inch mini-jack connected to the headphone out--which will use the Mac's excellent internal DAC that supports up to 24-bit/192-kHz.
I suppose you could also count Bluetooth as the fourth way, but I'm not convinced that, even with A2DP negotiating between the transmitter and receiver the best CODEC available, you aren't losing audible quality in the wireless transmission.
Any of the above three connections ensures output of your audio files at the full resolution. Options one and two are still in the digital domain, so you will need to convert the signal to analog before sending it along its path that ultimately leads to your analog ears. The HTR archive is full of reviews that will steer you to a great digital-to-analog converter (DAC) at any price point. Just remember to make certain that the DAC supports the highest quality files in your catalog.
The next component in line is either your preamp or integrated amp. My setup includes a tube preamp that has both a headphone output and individual right and left line-level RCA outputs, which then feed either my tube or solid-state amplifier (I have one of each). Either amp then leads to my loudspeakers. If I'm listening through headphones, they are fed directly from my preamp.
My Results
I am enjoying incredible results using my Mac as a hi-res server. When comparing hi-res FLAC files via VLC to music coming from my iTunes library at 16/44.1, the difference is truly amazing in terms of imaging, dynamic range, extended high and low frequencies, clear and detailed mids, and the all-important warmth, air, and intimacy. When listening to the same song, switching only the file resolution, the iTunes files sounded flat and one-dimensional. Don't believe me? I recently read an excellent open-access paper on our ability to hear differences with high-resolution audio that can be found here.
You Can Take It With You
Want to enjoy your higher-quality audio on the go? That's become a lot easier, too--thank to players like Astell & Kern's AK240, Sony's NW-ZX2, Onkyo's DP-X1, Questyle's QP1R, and HiFiMAN's HM802s and HM901s. Do these players offer an improvement over a basic standard-res player? Yes, but remember that your environment and choice of headphones will impact your ability to hear all the differences.
Final Thoughts
Of course, there are a lot of excellent hi-res digital audio players on the market that would make a great addition to your gear rack, if you prefer a dedicated component. But if you're looking for high quality on a budget and you already own a Mac, then why not work with what you already have right in front of you? My results were outstanding.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the importance of how the music came to exist in the first place. The composition, the quality of the musicianship, the groove (or the tempo in classical pieces), the production, the mix, and the mastering process ... all of these have great impact and ultimately contribute to what resonates with you. I've heard amazing music that was recorded in the 50s and really poor-sounding music that was recorded mere months ago ... so technology is one thing, passion another.
Additional Resources
� Chasing the Holy Grail of Audio at HomeTheaterReview.com.
� Examining My Love/Hate Relationship with Video Discs at HomeTheaterReview.com.
� What's the Ideal Speaker Driver Configuration? at HometheaterReview.com.
FLAC actually means Free Lossless Audio Codec. It is an auditory format just like MP3 but the only difference is that it’s lossless which means that the audio can be compressed in the FLAC format with no loss of its quality. The compressed audio file can be reduced up to 60 percent from its real size and forms a perfect replica of the original auditory which makes it a lot easier to store and play.
Related:
Free FLAC Player
Free FLAC Player is a very simple application used as an audio player for playing the FLAC audio. The performance of the free player is absolutely incredible which makes it very popular on the web. The app’s UI is stylish and user-friendly. The shuffle feature is also offered on the randomize play list.
Flac Audio Codec
Flac Audio Codec is one of the fastest and most popular portable FLAC player on which you can enjoy FLAC music, smoothly. You can listen to them while driving, cooking, etc. the player is very efficient no matter how you may want to use it whether as a home stereo or as a car music player, it is suitable for all purposes.
Cloud FLAC, MP3, AAC Player
Flac Player For Mac Os
Enjoy high-quality music on Google Drive and on the browser, with Cloud FLAC, MP3, and AAC Player. You get to access files from your desktops, as this player supports FLAC as well as other audio formats. It’s simple and can be controlled easily, as it has all common control keys like an ordinary player.
Other Platforms
There are a lot of platforms that have come up with FLAC players. Each platform has its own range of features. Some software works efficiently on windows while others are great with android. Hence, while choosing the right platform to install the best Flac player, it is extremely important to understand your needs and features. Some players offer modern features like open and save standard playlist files with m3u extension, which enhances the overall user experience.
FLAC Player for Mac
It is an efficient player designed for iPhone and iPad users to help them enjoy high-quality FLAC music. It is optimized for advanced iOS. It offers ReplayGain feature along with bookmarking your songs. You can create and edit your FLAC music playlist and this app utilizes very limited power-usage. It is growing popular among the users.
Flac Player for Windows
As the name suggests, the app is truly designed to deliver the window device users with great user experience while listening to Flac music files. It offers the users with a taste of high-quality audio music even on the ordinary devices. The application is very easy to install and use; that is one reason why it is growing popular among its users.
n7player Music Player for Android
The Android users now don’t have to avoid playing the FLAC music, as here comes an application that is designed to offer great quality music playing services on Flac format to its users. This app has a very stylish yet simple to use interface which allows you to create and play your favorite files on your android devices.
Foobar2000 – Most Popular Software
Foobar2000 is the best FLAC player that supports a variety of audio formats and offers great gapless playback system which delivers the users with an unusual music playing experience. It also offers replay support and modern tagging features along with personalized keyboard shortcut facility. It has a user-friendly UI layout and allows ripping CDs by using converters.
What is FLAC Player?
Flac File Player For Mac
FLAC player is just another format of audio files just like WavPack, WAV, CD audio, MP4, MP3, SND, AU, etc. Free Lossless Audio Codec has audio files in a more compressed manner, as it contains only 40 to 50 percent of its original size but the copy is absolutely identical. It is growing popular and more brands have developed a range of players which helps the music listeners in enjoying high-quality audio data stored in the Flac audio files. Nowadays, these players are designed to function on all kinds of devices and are very easy to operate. You can also see SWF Player
Flac Player For Mac 2018
Hence, if you have a collection of FLAC audio files or you want to listen to high-quality music in the FLAC format, then quickly install one of the software to experience something new and interesting. Go for a software that offers advance and smart features like Smart drag and drop function makes it easy to open files and operate the player. No matter you are an android user or an iOS one, there is software for every device. So, go ahead and start your Flac player download now.
Best Flac Player For Mac
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