Atmospheric

To anyone who cannot discern an audible difference between lossless (in this case hi-res lossless) and lossy formats, I would suggest that you probably do not know what to listen for. Most folks listen only to frequency response and conclude that the formats are roughly equivalent. However, if you listen for detail (i.e., the continuity of specific instrumental voices in the mix), the detrimental qualities of lossy formats can be a rude awakening. Let me offer an example... Talking Heads "Nothing But Flowers." This cut is sublime. Both the lengthy introduction and bridge are a lush detailed sonic landscape. In redbook format, the subtle snare drum on the intro can be heard in its entirety. In lossy format, the snare drum drops out periodically. This is because the lossy algorithm assumes that people won't notice missing detail in the midrange as long as the bass and treble frequencies remain more or less constant. I suppose for most folks that's true (heck, anyone who uses earbuds as their primary listening platform deserves what they get), but for lovers of music, this should be completely unacceptable. It's like trying to appreciate fine art in wireframe. Another example is the cut "Changes" from Yes's 90125 album. There's a dramatic synth "explosion" about 2/3 of the way through. In 16-bit format, the sound seems to come from nothing and arrive at full volume. However, in 24-bit/96 source, you can actually hear the attack (slew) of the synth patch, you can hear the sound ramp up. Again, if you know what to listen for, the advantages are audible and (for me) significant. And I can offer many more direct examples of cut by cut comparisons. Anyway, my direct personal experience comparing hi-res downloads from HD Tracks, as well as some 24-bit conversions from DSD, is that hi-res almost always sounds better. I've yet to hear 24-bit music that isn't noticeably better than 16-bit music. Some of that is almost certainly due to remastering, but it matters not to me. I care about warm musical detail. I want to hear as much of the music as possible, and I own equipment that is decent enough to support that. My .02; YMMV.