Audio Basis - articles about audio
Audio converter is software to convert one audio format to another one, alter music resolution, or process sound another way. It is used for hardware/software compatibility or sound quality optimization/improvement. See below the audio converter list for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, etc., online converters, supported file types, sound quality differences, and others. Here you'll find converters for WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, OGG, WMA [lossy and lossless], mp3, m4a, DSD, DSF, DFF, SACD ISO, WavePack, and more. What is the best audio converter software? Keep reading...
Disclaimer: incomplete, wrong, obsolete software descriptions may be here. To get exact information, contact the software developers and/or vendors. If an antivirus software reports issues with a utility, you can try other programs from the table. We produce AuI ConverteR. If you found a wrong information, contact us, please.
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Audio converters for YouTube are video to audio converters rather. And we don't consider it here.
In the list, you can find audio converters without watermarks.
Audio converters can convert musical content:
It is a lossless format repacking without audio processing (altering resolution audio, in instance). It is called a lossless audio converter.
In case #1, it does not matter that converter is used. There is functionality difference is possible. If we get real sound difference, another reason is there, probably.
When CUE with compressed file is splitted, the splitting may be provided without re-encoding. As rule, the compressed files are divided by frames. And track border may be moved into a frame. It causes re-placement of part of one track's content to neighbor song. CUE-splitting with re-encoding can solve this issue.
When lossless files (FLAC, WAV, etc.) are splitted, re-encoding doesn't cause quality losses. But re-encoding of lossy files adds losses in the splitting.
In case #2 (resampling, lossy compressing, bit depth altering, etc.) a converter defines sound quality. Processing distortions may be audible or visible after analysis.
As rule, speed of conversion defines sound quality. And, lesser speed is higher sound quality.
Dithering is recommended for:
Optionally, for 24-bit and more output, a converter can allow applying of differing to 16-bit input.
Some albums are uninterrupted (operas, live concerts). They have non-zero levels at track borders. It can cause artifacts at borders after resampling and other processing. To fix the issue True Gapless technology is used.
How to an audio player works
We can imagine a music player as a conveyor belt between a kitchen (audio file) and a dinning room (DAC and speakers).
case 1: If the belt just delivers a soup (digital music from the audio file) from the kitchen to the dining room, it means "no processing" or "bit-perfect" playback.
case 2: If, on the belt (player), the soup (digital music) gets additional cooking,
and we have other soup (other audio resolution) in the dinning room (DAC and speakers).
When we talk about digital music, case 2 requires many computing resources.
A proper converter can do it offline with high quality. And a powerful computer doesn't need when playback in the bit-perfect mode of an audio player (case 1).
Which music converter is the best? It depends on what you want primarily.
If you look for sound quality, you need a converter that provides minimal distortions.
In audio, a character of distortions can impact sound. Psychoacoustics accounts it.
So there are no exact figures, that define the best audio converter.
As rule, a proper blind hearing test can give a more exact answer to the question.
In simple words:
We can imagine an audio file as glass with water.
We should come to a room (an audio converter) and pour from the glass to another glass (output file).
If the room is clean (lesser distortions of the converter), "output" glass almost will not contain dust from the room.
If the room is unclean (higher distortions), "output" glass will contain more dust.
Also, dust may color the water differently (different distortion types).
A better converter should provide a few "dust".
Practically, you can try different audio converters and choose one according to your personal preferences.
The author recommends to read the article. It may be useful for testing of audio converters.
Also, you can read these articles:
Audio converters can export album art and text metadata from source to target file.
Metadata editor can alter text metadata and insert/replace/delete album cover.
Some metadata formats (mp3, flac, dsf and some others) allow assigning several artworks into a single file.
If you need to convert files on Android mobile device, you can choose either online (web converter) or an offline converter (app).
Unfortunately, the author has no safe public link with Android audio converter comparison. However, remember, that high qualitative music file conversion with changing sound resolution is a tough process. It requires many computing resources. Intensive conversion work reduces the battery life. So, in general case, a computer or laptop is more recommended to convert HD audio files.
The best audio converter should provide high sound quality. If you need faster conversion, lesser sound quality of conversion may be allowable. So, different personal requirements are satisfied in various ways.
Read more about sound quality...
If you look for the best sound quality, you need to compare sound of several audio converters directly. Your ears are most important there.
See the list of audio converters Windows compatible...
See tutorials on how to convert different types of audio files...
There is no theoretical difference between online and local audio-converter implementations.
Web data-transfer channels keep data integrity good enough. For better sureness, it's recommended to control checksum of transferred file on the receiving end. The checksum is calculated at the transmitting end.
In general case, audio-processing precision (in instance, resolution conversion) depends on available computing resources. I.e. more accurate conversion algorithm requires more service time.
A web server has limited computing power. To expand the number of simultaneously processed files or remote users at the power, we can simplify conversion algorithm or/and increase CPU cores. It reduces processing time for each user.
Actual algorithm accuracy (sound quality) depends on implementation of an online audio converter.
Yes. FLAC to WAV and back may be converted without losses for same sampling rate and bit depth. It's so-called "bit-perfect" mode.
In instance, in AuI ConverteR software, set Settings > General > Don't make DSP... checked.
If you convert FLAC to WAV with resampling choose an audio converter with minimum distortions.
If you want to convert audio files for free see video guide:
Also, you can choose a free auido converter for your operating system here...
Read how to convert mp3 to DSD...
You can convert PCM to DSD...
You can convert DSD to FLAC...
Read how you can convert DSF files to FLAC...
You can convert audio to DSD according to the guide...
To provide a standard way of audio data transfer from audio software to DSD DAC, DoP (DSD over PCM) data format is used.
Read more...
DSD audio files are sound files that contain Direct Stream Digital format. Read more...
DSF file (.dsf extension) is DSD audio file. Read more...
DSD (Direct Stream Digital) is a hi-res audio format. Read its description...
DSF (file with .dsf extension) is an audio file containing audio in DSD.
Read more...
DSD and FLAC are both audiophile music formats.
Read about their difference...
You can download DSD music files by links:
To play .dsf files, you can use audio player software and devices.
Read more...
