Lossless comparison

2005-08-04T15:17:04Z

Phwip: corrected typo

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 article 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.

==Comparison Table==



{| border="0" cellspacing="0"
| '''Features''' || {{Turquoise}} ALAC || {{Turquoise}} FLAC || {{Turquoise}} Monkey's || {{Turquoise}} OptimFROG || {{Turquoise}} Real Lossless || {{Turquoise}} Shorten
|-
| {{yellow}} Encoding speed || {{white}} average || {{light-green}} fast || {{light-green}} fast || {{orange}} slow || {{white}} average || {{green}} very fast
|-|
| {{yellow}} Decoding speed || {{green}} very fast || {{green}} very fast || {{light-green}} fast || {{orange}} slow || {{light-green}} fast || {{green}} very fast
|-|
| {{yellow}} Compression* || {{light-green}} 58,50% || {{light-green}} 58,70% || {{green}} 55,50% || {{green}} 54,70% || {{white}}   || {{orange}} 63,50%
|-|
| {{yellow}} Flexibility** || {{orange}} bad || {{green}} very good || {{green}} very good || {{green}} very good || {{orange}} bad || {{orange}} bad
|-
| {{white}}  
|-
| {{yellow}} Error handling || {{white}}   || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{white}}   || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Seeking || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes
|-|
| {{yellow}} Tagging || {{green}} QT tags || {{green}} FLAC tags || {{green}} ID3/APE || {{green}} ID3/APE || {{light-green}} Proprietary || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Hardware support || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Software support || {{orange}} bad || {{green}} very good || {{light-green}} good || {{white}} average || {{orange}} bad || {{green}} very good
|-|
| {{yellow}} Hybrid/lossy || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} ReplayGain || {{white}} sort of || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} RIFF chunks || {{white}}   || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{white}}   || {{green}} yes
|-|
| {{yellow}} Streaming || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Pipe support || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes
|-|
| {{yellow}} Open source || {{light-green}} Yes (decoding) || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes
|-|
| {{yellow}} Multichannel || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} High resolution || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} OS support || {{light-green}} Win/Mac || {{green}} All || {{green}} All || {{light-green}} Win/Linux || {{green}} Win/Mac/Linux || {{green}} All
|-|
| {{gray}}   || {{gray}}   || {{gray}}   || {{gray}}   || {{gray}}   || {{gray}}   || {{gray}}  
|-|
| '''Features''' || {{Turquoise}} WavPack || {{Turquoise}} WMA || {{Turquoise}} LA || {{Turquoise}} TTA || {{Turquoise}} LPAC
|-|
| {{yellow}} Encoding speed || {{green}} very fast || {{white}} average || {{orange}} slow || {{green}} very fast || {{white}} average
|-|
| {{yellow}} Decoding speed || {{green}} very fast || {{white}} average || {{orange}} slow || {{green}} very fast || {{green}} very fast
|-|
| {{yellow}} Compression* || {{light-green}} 58% || {{green}} 56,30% || {{green}} 53,50% || {{light-green}} 57,10% || {{light-green}} 57,20%
|-|
| {{yellow}} Flexibility** || {{green}} very good || {{orange}} bad || {{white}} average || {{orange}} bad || {{orange}} bad
|-
| {{white}}  
|-
| {{yellow}} Error handling || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Seeking || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} slow
|-|
| {{yellow}} Tagging || {{green}} ID3/APE || {{light-green}} Proprietary || {{light-green}} ID3v1 || {{light-green}} ID3 || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Hardware support || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Software support || {{light-green}} good || {{light-green}} good || {{orange}} bad || {{white}} average || {{white}} average
|-|
| {{yellow}} Hybrid/lossy || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} ReplayGain || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} RIFF chunks || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes
|-|
| {{yellow}} Streaming || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{white}}   || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Pipe support || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{white}}  
|-|
| {{yellow}} Open source || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} Multichannel || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no
|-|
| {{yellow}} High resolution || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes || {{orange}} no || {{green}} yes || {{green}} yes
|-|
| {{yellow}} OS support || {{green}} All || {{light-green}} Win/Mac || {{light-green}} Win/Linux || {{green}} All || {{light-green}} Win/Linux/Sol
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Encoding speed, Decoding speed and Compression ratio are based on each encoder's default settings.

<nowiki>**</nowiki> 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 [[Apple iPod|iPod]] and AirPort Express.

===ALAC PROS===
* Very fast decoding
* [[Open source]] ([http://craz.net/programs/itunes/alac.html decoding only])
* Hardware support ([[Apple iPod|iPod]], AirPort Express)
* Streaming support
* Tagging support (QT tags)
* Excellent hardware-software-lossy format integration with [[iTunes]]/iPod.
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s

===ALAC CONS===
* Closed source (encoding)
* Limited software support
* Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
* No hybrid/lossy mode

===ALAC 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]].

===FLAC PROS===
* [[Open source]]
* Very fast decoding
* Hardware support ([[Rio Karma|Karma]], Phatbox, etc.)
* Very good software support
* Error robustness
* Streaming support
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* Tagging support (FLAC tags)
* Pipe support
* [[ReplayGain]] compatible

===FLAC CONS===
* Relatively slow encoding
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Doesn't support [[RIFF]] chunks

===FLAC Other features===
* Supports embedded CUE sheets (with [http://flac.sourceforge.net/faq.html#general__no_cuesheet_tags limitations])
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
* Fits the [[Ogg]] and [[Matroska]] containers

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

[[LA]] is a lossless codec developed by Michael Bevin.

===LA PROS===
* Very high compression
* Tagging support ([[ID3v1]])
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* Pipe support

===LA CONS===
* Closed source
* Very slow encoding and decoding
* Doesn't support [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* No hardware support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Bad software support
* Doesn't support [[ReplayGain]]

'''''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 [[MPEG-4]] ALS.

===LPAC PROS===
* Reasonable compression ratios
* [[High resolution]] audio support
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks

===LPAC CONS===
* Closed source
* No error robustness
* Slow seeking
* No tagging
* No [[multichannel]] support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No hardware support
* Doesn't support [[ReplayGain]]

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

[[Monkey's Audio]] is a very efficient lossless compressor developed by Matt Ashland.

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

===APE CONS===
* No [[multichannel]] support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No hardware support
* No error robustness
* Doesn't support [[ReplayGain]]

===APE Other features===
* Supports APL image link files (similar to CUE sheets)

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

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

===OFR PROS===
* Very high compression
* Good software support
* Error robustness
* Streaming support
* Supports [[high resolution]]s
* Hybrid/lossy mode
* Tagging support ([[ID3]], [[APE tags]])
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* [[ReplayGain]] compatible

===OFR CONS===
* Closed source
* No [[multichannel]] audio support
* No hardware support
* Quite slow decoding

===OFR Other features===
* Supports 32bit float streams
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking

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

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

===RAL PROS===
* Very fast decoding
* Streaming support
* Tagging support (proprietary)

===RAL CONS===
* Closed source
* No [[multichannel]] and [[high resolution]] audio support
* Little software support (Real Player)
* No hardware support
* Compression efficiency not on par with other lossless codecs
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No pipe support
* Doesn't support [[ReplayGain]]

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

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

===SHN PROS===
* [[Open source]]
* Fast decoding
* Very good software support
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* Pipe support

===SHN 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
* Doesn't support [[ReplayGain]]

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

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

===TTA PROS===
* [[Open source]]
* Good efficiency
* Hardware support (obscure DVD player)
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* Tagging support ([[ID3]])
* [[ReplayGain]] compatible
* Error robustness

===TTA CONS===
* No streaming support
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* Doesn't support [[RIFF]] chunks
* No pipe support

===TTA Other features===
* Fits the [[Matroska]] container

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

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

===WV PROS===
* [[Open source]]
* Very fast decoding
* Good efficiency
* Error robustness
* Streaming support
* Hardware support (RockBox)
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s
* Hybrid/lossy mode
* Tagging support ([[ID3v1]], [[APE tags]])
* Supports [[RIFF]] chunks
* Ability to create self extracting files for Win32 platform
* Pipe support
* Good software support
* [[ReplayGain]] compatible

===WV CONS===
* No cons

===WV Other features===
* Supports 32bit float streams
* Supports embedded CUE sheets
* Includes MD5 hashes for quick integrity checking
* Can encode in both symmetrical and assymmetrical modes.
* Fits the [[Matroska]] container

==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.

===WMAL PROS===
* Streaming support
* Very good software support
* Supports [[multichannel]] audio and [[high resolution]]s.
* Tagging support (proprietary)
* Pipe support

===WMAL CONS===
* Closed source
* No hybrid/lossy mode
* No hardware support (but it's likely to appear sooner or later)
* Doesn't support [[RIFF]] chunks
* Doesn't support [[ReplayGain]]

===WMAL Other features===
* Fits the [[ASF]] container

==Oddball Formats==

There are several old lossless formats that aren't being featured in the article above. Reasons are: lack of widespread support, lack of features, bad efficiency and, most importantly, it seems noone is really interested in them.

Most of those would have disappeared by now, but they are being preserved for posterity at [[User:Rjamorim|rjamorim]]'s [http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/ ReallyRareWares]

===Advanced Digital Audio (ADA)===

* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/ada.html

===Bonk===

* http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh/bonk

===Marian's a-Pac===

* http://www.marian.de/en/downloads#APAC
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/apac.html

===AudioZip===

* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/audiozip.html

===Dakx WAV===

* http://www.dakx.com/
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/daxwav.html

===Entis Lab MIO===

* http://www.entis.gr.jp/eri/frame.html
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/mio.html

===LiteWave===

* http://www.clearjump.com/products/LiteWave.html
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/litewave.html

===Pegasus SPS===

* http://www.krishnasoft.com/sps.htm
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/pegasussps.html

===RKaudio===

* http://www.msoftware.co.nz/downloads_page.php
* http://rksoft.virtualave.net/rkau.html

===Split2000===

* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/split2000.html

===Sonarc===

* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/sonarc.html

===VocPack===

* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/vocpack.html

===WavArc===

* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/wavarc.html

===WaveZip/MUSICompress===

* http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/sndspace/
* http://www.rjamorim.com/rrw/wavezip.html

==Links==

Some links to lossless format compression comparisons:

* [http://web.inter.nl.net/users/hvdh/lossless/lossless.htm Hans Heijden's] (used as reference to build the table);
* [http://members.home.nl/w.speek/comparison.htm Speek's];
* [http://foobar2000.net/lossless/ Guruboolez'] - comparing only classical music;
* [http://studwww.ugent.be/~jdebock/lossless_audio_compression_test.htm Johan De Bock's] - aimed only at the maximum compression setting for each codec (based on a somewhat limited set of samples, however).

* Go to the [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=33226 Hydrogenaudio thread] to discuss this article.

Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase - User contributions [en]

Lossless comparison