Wav to Flac

Streaming Audio
1

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has successfully converted wav music files to flac?

I have the Core server with about 1200 Music files ripped in wav which was stated by Naim to give better sound quality over flac.

I’d like a copy of the music in flac so when it’s presented to a non Naim device such as a laptop or music player (for the car), the artwork would show up.

Does anyone know of such a program?

Thanks much.

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All WAV to FLAC converters are based on the same open source converter so it won’t make any difference. E.g. fre:ac - free audio converter download | SourceForge.net
I also use mp3tag when it comes to tagging.

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I did it on my NS01, which offers the facility to transcode from one to the other. It took a LONG time. I had then set it up to transcode on the fly back to WAV. However, I found it sounded better if I fed FLAC to the ND555, so I switched off the on the fly transcoding. To be honest I think FLAC sounds just as good, if not better than, WAV!

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Naim bizarrely chose to remove the format conversion option when the Core replaced the Unitiserve. So you would need to take a copy out of the Music/MQ folder, convert it using one of the very few converters that are able to handle the metadata in Naim CD rips, and then put them in the Downloads folder.
Most converters will lose the metadata altogether when you do this, so tread carefully. I’m told that Songkong is the one to use.

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Thanks spile for this information.

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Thanks Clive. I don’t remember the NS01, but nice to know it has this flexibility.

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Thanks ChrisSU. I would probably feel more comfortable using an extra backup drive with the files if I did something like this. Then if anything went wrong my originals and other backups would still be intact.

1 Like
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You would not be converting the original file in the Music folder in any case, just a copy that you make using a computer, so you don’t have to worry about messing up the original.
If you do this successfully you could put the converted copy in the Downloads folder. Once you are happy with it you would then delete the original from the Music folder to avoid duplicates.
Alternatively just use the converted copy elsewhere and carry on using the original WAVs on the Core.

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If you do this the music files will convert, but the metadata will be gone forever. See my posts above.

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Thanks ChriSU for this additional information much appreciated.

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