We have chosen the most popular audio formats in various degress of audio fidelity: MP3 files are the standard format, and Lossless and HD files are premium formats.
Standard MP3 files, encoded at 256 kbps (near-CD quality) are easy to download, easy to burn to CD, easy to transfer to portable players and sound great. However, MP3 files are compressed and therefore may not sound quite as good as the original source recording to a critical ear. MP3 files are versatile enough to use on both your computer and home stereo system. Many portable players that play digital music files can only play MP3 files.
For fans who desire higher fidelity, we also offer premium Lossless formats. Both FLAC and ALAC (Apple Lossless) use "lossless" compression which means that the source audio file is compressed, but without sacrificing any of the audio information contained in the master recording. Both FLAC and ALAC files sound identical to the original source (44.1 kHz, 16 bit stereo).
The Hi-Fi Lossless files are much larger files and will take longer to download. These files are for audiophiles who want better sound quality. For those interested in higher-than-CD-quality sound, we also offer HD formats in 24 bit resolution. These files are FLAC-HD and ALAC-HD, which are made from the master 24 bit digital recordings. The sample rate may vary depending on the source 24 bit / 48 KHz to 24 bit / 192 kHz whenever possible. Please note that 192 kHz HD files will not transfer onto iOS devices.
We have recently added MQA & DSD format, as an additional ultra high-resolution format requiring a DAC for proper playback. However ALL formats including DSD can be played on your computer using nugster>My Music.