Lossless comparison: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:26, 10 April 2005

Given the enormous amount of lossless audio compressor choices available, it is a very difficult task to choose the one most suited for each person's needs.

Several people only take into consideration compression performance when choosing a codec. But as the following table and post shows, there are several other features worth taking into consideration when making that choice.

For example, users wanting good multiplatform compatibility and robustness (E.G, people sharing live recordings) would favour WavPack or FLAC. Another user, looking for the very highest compression available, would go with OptimFrog. Someone wanting portable support would use FLAC or ALAC, and so on.

En fin, this is not a matter worth getting too worked up about. If you later find out the codec you chose isn't the best for your needs, you can just transcompress to another format, without risk of losing quality.

http://www.rarewares.org/images/lossless.png

Encoding speed, Decoding speed and Compression ratio are based on each encoder's default settings.
Flexibility refers to the amount of encoding choices offered to the users (Fast/low compression, Slow/high compression and everything inbetween)

These are the most popular lossless codecs, in alphabetical order:

==ALAC - Apple Lossless Audio Codec== http://www.apple.com/itunes/import.html

ALAC is a codec developed by Apple for usage in iPod and AirPort Express.

PROS

Very fast decoding
Open source (decoding only)
Hardware support (iPod, AirPort Express)
Streaming support
Tagging support (QT tags)
Excellent hardware-software-lossy format integration with iTunes/iPod.

CONS

Closed source (encoding)
Few software support (iTunes)
Doesn't support multichannel audio and high resolutions
Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
No hybrid/lossy mode

Other features

Fits in the MP4 container
Can be used with the AirPort Express gadget

==FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec== http://flac.sourceforge.net/

FLAC is a lossless codec developed by Josh Coalson. It's part of the Xiph multimedia portfolio, along with Ogg Vorbis and Theora.

PROS

Open source
Very fast decoding
Hardware support (Karma, Phatbox, etc.)
Very good software support
Error robustness
Streaming support
Supports multichannel audio and high resolutions
Tagging support (FLAC tags)
Pipe support

CONS

Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
No hybrid/lossy mode
Doesn't support RIFF chunks

Other features

Supports embedded CUE sheets (with [url=http://flac.sourceforge.net/faq.html#general__no_cuesheet_tags]limitations[/url])
Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
Fits the OGG and Matroska containers
ReplayGain compatible

==LosslessAudio - LA== http://www.lossless-audio.com/

LA is a lossless codec developed by Michael Bevin.

PROS

Very high compression
Tagging support (APE tags)
Supports RIFF chunks
Pipe support

CONS

Closed source
Very slow encoding and decoding
No hardware support
No hybrid/lossy mode
Bad software support

==='It's important to mention that the LA foobar plugin is buggy and doesn't produce lossless streams!==='

==LPAC== http://www.nue.tu-berlin.de/wer/liebchen/lpac.html

Lossless Predictive Audio Coder (LPAC) is a lossless codec developed by Tilman Liebchen. Development of it has been halted in favour of development of MPEG4 ALS.

PROS

Reasonable compression ratios
High resolution audio support
Tagging
Supports RIFF chunks

CONS

Closed source
No error robustness
Slow seeking
No multichannel support
No hybrid/lossy mode
No hardware support

==Monkey's Audio== http://www.monkeysaudio.com/

Monkey's Audio is a very efficient lossless compressor developed my Matt Ashland.

PROS

Open source
High efficiency
Good software support
Error robustness
Java version (multiplatform)
Tagging support (ID3v1, APE)
High resolution audio support
Supports RIFF chunks (only in the GUI encoder)
Pipe support (only in a [url=http://www.etree.org/shnutils/shntool/]special[/url] version)

CONS

No multichannel support
No hybrid/lossy mode
No hardware support

Other features

Supports embedded APL sheets (similar to CUE sheets)

==OptimFROG== http://losslessaudiocompression.com/

OptimFROG is a lossless format developed by Florin Ghido to become the champion in audio compression.

PROS

Very high compression
Good software support
Error robustness
Streaming support
Supports high resolutions
Hybrid/lossy mode
Tagging support (ID3, APE)
Supports RIFF chunks

CONS

Closed source
No multichannel audio support
No hardware support
Quite slow decoding

Other features

Supports 32bit float streams
Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
ReplayGain compatible

==RealAudio Lossless== http://www.realnetworks.com/products/codecs/realaudio.html

RealAudio lossless is the lossless codec developed by Real Networks for their multimedia portfolio

PROS

Very fast decoding
Streaming support

CONS

Closed source
No multichannel and high resolution audio support
Few software support (Real Player)
No hardware support
Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
No hybrid/lossy mode
No pipe support

==Shorten== http://www.etree.org/shnutils/shorten/

Shorten is a very old and featureless lossless codec developed by Tony Robinson at SoftSound.

PROS

Open source
Fast decoding
Very good software support
Supports RIFF chunks
Pipe support

CONS

Quite inefficient
No multichannel or high resolution audio support
No hybrid/lossy mode
No error robustness
Not streamable
No hardware support
No native tagging

==True Audio (TTA)== http://tta.corecodec.org/

TTA is a new lossless codec developed by a team of russian programmers.

PROS

Open source
Good efficiency (not as good as Monkey's or OptimFrog, but not as bad as SHN or ALAC)
Hardware support (obscure DVD player)
Supports multichannel audio and high resolutions
Tagging support (ID3v2)

CONS

No streaming support
No hybrid/lossy mode
Doesn't support RIFF chunks
No pipe support

Other features

Fits the Matroska container
ReplayGain compatible

==WavPack== http://www.wavpack.com/

WavPack is a fast and featureful lossless codec developed by David Bryant.

PROS

Open source
Very fast decoding
Good efficiency (not as good as Monkey's or OptimFrog, but not as bad as SHN or ALAC)
Error robustness
Streaming support
Supports multichannel audio and high resolutions
Hybrid/lossy mode
Tagging support (ID3v1, APE)
Supports RIFF chunks
Hability to create self extracting files for Win32 platform
Pipe support
Good software support

CONS

No hardware support

Other features

Supports embedded CUE sheets
Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
Can encode in both symmetrical and assymmetrical modes.
ReplayGain compatible

==Windows Media Audio Lossless== http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/codecs/audio.aspx

WMA Lossless is the lossless codec developed by Microsoft to be featured in their Windows Media codec portfolio.

PROS

Streaming support
Very good software support
Supports multichannel audio and high resolutions.
Tagging support (proprietary)

CONS

Closed source
No hybrid/lossy mode
No hardware support (but it's likely to appear sooner or later)
Doesn't support RIFF chunks

Other features

Fits the ASF container

Some links to lossless format compression comparisions: Hans Heijden's Speek's Guruboolez's - comparing only classical music.

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 ==ALAC - Apple Lossless Audio Codec== http://www.apple.com/itunes/import.html
-ALAC is a codec developed by Apple for usage in iPod and AirPort Express.
+[[ALAC]] is a codec developed by Apple for usage in iPod and AirPort Express.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 ==FLAC - Free Lossless Audio Codec== http://flac.sourceforge.net/
-FLAC is a lossless codec developed by Josh Coalson. It's part of the Xiph multimedia portfolio, along with Vorbis and Theora.
+[[FLAC]] is a lossless codec developed by Josh Coalson. It's part of the Xiph multimedia portfolio, along with [[Ogg Vorbis]] and [[Theora]].
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 ==LosslessAudio - LA== http://www.lossless-audio.com/
-LA is a lossless codec developed by Michael Bevin.
+[[LA]] is a lossless codec developed by Michael Bevin.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 ==LPAC== http://www.nue.tu-berlin.de/wer/liebchen/lpac.html
-Lossless Predictive Audio Coder (LPAC) is a lossless codec developed by Tilman Liebchen. Development of it has been halted in favour of development of MPEG4 ALS.
+Lossless Predictive Audio Coder ([[LPAC]]) is a lossless codec developed by Tilman Liebchen. Development of it has been halted in favour of development of MPEG4 ALS.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 110: / Line 110: @@
 ==Monkey's Audio== http://www.monkeysaudio.com/
-Monkey's Audio is a very efficient lossless compressor developed my Matt Ashland.
+[[Monkey's Audio]] is a very efficient lossless compressor developed my Matt Ashland.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 134: / Line 134: @@
 ==OptimFROG== http://losslessaudiocompression.com/
-OptimFROG is a lossless format developed by Florin Ghido to become the champion in audio compression.
+[[OptimFROG]] is a lossless format developed by Florin Ghido to become the champion in audio compression.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 178: / Line 178: @@
 ==Shorten== http://www.etree.org/shnutils/shorten/
-Shorten is a very old and featureless lossless codec developed by Tony Robinson at SoftSound.
+[[Shorten]] is a very old and featureless lossless codec developed by Tony Robinson at SoftSound.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 199: / Line 199: @@
 ==True Audio (TTA)== http://tta.corecodec.org/
-TTA is a new lossless codec developed by a team of russian programmers.
+[[TTA]] is a new lossless codec developed by a team of russian programmers.
 ===PROS===
@@ Line 221: / Line 221: @@
 ==WavPack== http://www.wavpack.com/
-WavPack is a fast and featureful lossless codec developed by David Bryant.
+[[WavPack]] is a fast and featureful lossless codec developed by David Bryant.
 ===PROS===