FLAC Compression Levels

[a.wright]

I was not sure whether it was most appropriate to post in this or the Ripping forum as it sort of applies to both...

I have been ripping to FLAC for the last month at the default compression setting (5). As the total amount of storage space being used is increasing rapidly I suddenly wondered why anyone would not use the best compression level (8) seeing as FLAC is lossless in nature.

Am I likely to run into any problems if I use higher compression e.g. with sofware hardware compatability or am I just safest sticking with the default? I currently use Squeezebox and Winamp for playing FLAC files.

Thanks!

[eboyer93]

Re: FLAC Compression Levels

People don't use the highest compression level because of the time it takes to encode and most people will say that there isn't a big size difference between the two.


You will not run into any hardware/software compatibility.

Go ahead an use compression level 8 and see if it makes the file sizes much smaller.

[a.wright]

Re: FLAC Compression Levels

Ok thanks... I'll give it a go

[Spoon]

Re: FLAC Compression Levels

The difference is likely to be < 2% between 5 and 8

[a.wright]

Re: FLAC Compression Levels

The difference is likely to be < 2% between 5 and 8

Indeed that's what it seems to be! Still no harm in using level 8 and it saves a little bit of space.