Is there a way to convert FLAC files to MP3 or M4A without losing sound quality?

Question

I've started to listen to a lot more jazz lately and Hi-Fi sound quality is always best with jazz and genres like it but I've only listened to it in MP3 format. I have studio monitors and I want to put them to work so I just want a simple way to put FLAC on my iTunes and my phone (I have a Galaxy S3 if it matters) so I can listen to it wherever I go.
P.S. I have a Mac
P.P.S. If there are any third party music players I can download that plays FLAC you can tell me those too.
Thanks!

Answer 1

Sorry, but both M4A/AAC audio and MP3 are both lossy audio codecs that throw out digital information from the original source material in order to create there smaller file size.



Even at 320kbps M4A and MP3 are not as good as a CD in sound quality.



However with that being said, at a bit rate of 192kbps and above, human ears can not tell the difference anyways. This is due to the fact, that M4A and MP3 only throw away the sounds that humans can't hear anyways.



If you want to play back flac files, then I would recommend that you download the free and highly rated VLC Media Player. (Audiophiles swear by it.)



Get it here: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/



If you want to put flac files onto your phone, then just get a audio converting program that can convert flac to mp3.



Cnet.com has a list of programs that can do this.

See here: http://download.cnet.com/windows/rippers-and-converting-software/?tag=rb_content;main



Hope this helps.



PS. MP3's and M4A's when encoded from lossless sources like CD's for example, will sound nearly 1 to 1 with a CD at 192kbps and above. (Though technically still inferior to audio CD's even as high as 320kbps.)

Answer 2

Convert Flac To M4a

Answer 3

If you care the quality of the output audio, converting FLAC to Apple Lossless audio is recommended. You can visit this guide for converting FLAC to Apple Lossless then import FLAC to iTunes for enjoy or for sync.



hope Fluke for Mac works



if not, you can try to convert flac to mp3, m4a, aiff, ac3,





If you do not care about the quality of the music, you can convert FLAC to MP3, a versatile audio format across system and devices then import the converted FLAC files to iTunes.



Some people may have specific need to convert FLAC to WAV, M4A or AIFF for add FLAC to iTunes.



This article will suite all of the needs and demands like a charm at http://www.bigasoft.com/articles/how-to-import-flac-to-itunes.html\



Hope it helps, btw, the software in this article is shareware with free trial, so first give it a free try

Answer 4

Hello



Try FLAC To MP3 Plus

http://www.dnmw.net/flac-to-mp3-plus/

Answer 5

Here is a widely recommended solution to convert FLAC to MP3 with easy steps and almost no quality loss at: http://www.faasoft.com/articles/flac-to-mp3.html



And then you can play your FLAC files on iPhone, iPod, iPad, MP3 Players, Android, BlackBerry and more popular devices and players.



Besides, this solution also helps you convert FLAC to WAV, AAC, AC3, WMA, etc. Happy with it.

Answer 6

ignore the other answer. if you want to convert your FLAC files into a codec that iTunes or an iPod will recognise, get tunesify and convert them to ALAC. ALAC is lossless too, and while slightly larger, will work with all things apple, as apple made it (Apple Lossless Audio Codec). you CAN hear the difference between lossy and lossless audio codecs, the other nswer is wrong.