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Topic: Uncompressed wavpack (Read 2534 times) previous topic - next topic
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Uncompressed wavpack

Is there such an option for uncompressed wavpack? I made an account just to ask this question. Would love to archive my music in that format. Thanks

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #1 –
Wait, why?
TAPE LOADING ERROR

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #2 –
Purposes. I mean, even Flac has that option. Can it be done?

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #3 –
I suspect not -- at a minimum, you could enable fast mode and disable any extra processing (-f -x0), which compresses at some crazy multiplier of realtime, but still compresses.

More to the point, however--and I hope you'll forgive my saying so--I suspect that the basis for your question is flawed.  Rather than working backward from the silly premise that you really, really need a compressor that doesn't compress, perhaps you should share your desired end state and the rationale for same.  The people here know an awful lot about audio compression...

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #4 –
I appreciate the response. Im new here and definitely no audio technician, but Ive seen how deep and even how hostile it can get in some forums when it comes to audio compression. I knew my question would probably roll some eyes. And you would probably be right in suspecting my basis being flawed. I guess theres really no good reason but it would be nice to have that option. In a perfect world, I would use Wavpack for both lossless compression (for the part of my library that is already compressed) and for uncompressed files. I use AIFF-AIF right now for its tagging capabilities since WAV isnt the best with that. But if I could just convert AIFF to uncompressed Wavpack it would make things a bit more uniform, for me. Its not a must but its something Ive wondered for a long time. Ive looked all over the place for any discussion on the topic and nothing. So I made an account here and popped the question.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #5 –
So, I have to ask:  what's your objection to even the cheapest levels of lossless compression?

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #6 –
Tbh I didnt really want to go in this direction but I guess were crossing that bridge. Im one of those people who believes they hear a difference between compressed and uncompressed music. Hence why I would like to have my music as one format but still uncompressed where possible.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #7 –
I think you'll find a dearth of folks here who accept that you can perceive a difference (unless you can provide evidence);  that is to say, the answer to your question is "compressed Wavpack is literally the same as uncompressed Wavpack".

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #8 –
Well again, I appreciate you taking the time. Ill try the options you provided with foobar and see what I get.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #9 –
WavPack does not have an uncompressed option, as was said.

To get the least possible amount of compression, use
Code: [Select]
-f -j0 -x0
That will use the least amount of CPU for decoding, but it's certainly not uncompressed.

As you say, FLAC does have the option for no compression, although it's kind of indirect.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #10 –
Thanks for your response. It gave me about 2% less compression. Better than nothing.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #11 –
It is easy to check whether you actually hear any difference - foobar2000 or other software with blind testing functionality.
At the same time you can try to partition your hard drive, format the partitions with FAT, exFAT, and NTFS with different cluster sizes, and copy the same files onto them - same file data, but different file systems will represent the data with slight differences. Also you can try to convert to old-version AIFF, so you get the other endianness. (WAVE is like "seventeen", with the seven first - AIFF is like "twenty-seven" with the seven last.)

Also, check the attachment for a test.


In a way there is more of a case for "uncompressed WavPack" than uncompressed FLAC - say for use on fanless early 1990s hardware:
WavPack defaults to working as a "file compressor", so if you have an original file with metadata you do not want to alter, but still would like to add temporary tags that are to be deleted when you want your original file back - then WavPack will fix it automatically. Convenient feature even without compression ... (Yes FLAC can, but you need to use the official implementation through command-line every time.)

Reference flac's "uncompressed" commands are undocumented and apparently there for the developers, never meant for end-users. It leaves a means of compression in: If you have say a fake high-resolution file with 16 bits of music padded with eight zeroes, it will store them as 16 and tell the decoder to fill in those eight zeroes. Again, check the attached file.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #12 –
In a modern music server & endpoint ecosystem you can have the server uncompress the source and send the result to the endpoint exactly as it would arrive had you not encoded it in the first place.  Would that not resolve the matter for you?

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #13 –
Lossless compression is the same as no compression at all. In other words, the bitstream you are listening to is the same. If there are those who think or claim otherwise, they should stop using harmful substances as soon as possible.
Lossless compression frees up a bit more disk space, but requires additional processing power.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #14 –
 :o  I'm awaiting the day "Audiophiles" hear differences in filesystems, disc-encryption, OS, CPU-Architecture, photolithography process, Memory-Type, Programming-Language, M2-Connectors, PCBs, PCB-Wireing, Solder, Solder-Temperature, color/resolution/bitdepth of the Screen, etc.pp. - or did this happend already?

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #15 –
Quote from: .halverhahn on
color/resolution/bitdepth of the Screen, etc.pp. - or did this happend already?
Oh, I once had a work desktop that would spit noises on the headphone outlet when I scrolled the screen.

I don't have it anymore, but I'm willing to bet it wouldn't discriminate between the two files in the attachment I posted above.

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #16 –
Quote from: .halverhahn on
:o  I'm awaiting the day "Audiophiles" hear differences in filesystems, disc-encryption, OS, CPU-Architecture, photolithography process, Memory-Type, Programming-Language, M2-Connectors, PCBs, PCB-Wireing, Solder, Solder-Temperature, color/resolution/bitdepth of the Screen, etc.pp. - or did this happend already?

So far I've heard about filesystems (FAT32 being the better one although not perfect for it's simplicity - less "decoding" of audio data from the hardware), cpu cache (there was an idiot here on this forum who claimed that his audio decoder was in cpu cache all the time), ssd vs hdd (hdd was noisier but not because of the motor), and we had, until now, audiophile grade LAN cards and network cables with arrows how the signal should travel.
TAPE LOADING ERROR

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #17 –
Quote from: Imakarum Mirabilis on
Im one of those people who believes they hear a difference between compressed and uncompressed music.
You realize that in practical and scientific terms, (i.e., without being put through its paces via an ABX test) such subjectivity is just as meaningless and unfounded as this, right?

Hence the previously linked TOS and us referring to it here as "placebophilia", among other things.
• Listen to the music, not the media it's on
• The older, the 'lossier'
 

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #18 –
Just use the WAV + Cuesheet format. 

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #19 –
Yeah, cuesheets have been (ab)used as tag files. Ugly? If it works, it works.
Also there are foo_tags and foo_external_tags, use foo_audiomd5 to detect errors. Maybe also, since the uncompressed files need not be altered at all, an .md5 and run a file md5 summer once in a blue moon.
And/or, a flac/wavpack backup file, and routinely bit-compare ... ooooooh did I say that?

(As for TOS#8, this user didn't go down that route until pressed to put their head into the pillory, so I don't see any point in mod action.)

Re: Uncompressed wavpack

Reply #20 –
Quote from: itisljar on
So far I've heard about filesystems (FAT32 being the better one although not perfect for it's simplicity - less "decoding" of audio data from the hardware), cpu cache (there was an idiot here on this forum who claimed that his audio decoder was in cpu cache all the time), ssd vs hdd (hdd was noisier but not because of the motor), and we had, until now, audiophile grade LAN cards and network cables with arrows how the signal should travel.
Blimey! Stupidity has no limits and knows no bounds.
• Listen to the music, not the media it's on
• The older, the 'lossier'