Title: Just A/B tested Adele’s “Skyfall” (2012 single) – FLAC absolutely destroys the streaming version
Post body:
I grabbed the 2012 CD single FLAC (not the 2021 remaster) and compared it to Tidal’s “Max” (which is still MQA-tainted). adeleskyfall single2012flac better
Differences I heard on HD800S:
If you love this track, hunt down the original 2012 FLAC (not the “Skyfall – Single” reissue – that one’s dynamically compressed). Night and day. Title: Just A/B tested Adele’s “Skyfall” (2012 single)
Having the FLAC file is only half the battle. To experience why it’s better, avoid these mistakes:
Before comparing codecs, we must understand the artifact itself. The “Skyfall” single was released on October 5, 2012, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film series. Unlike later compilation albums or streaming re-uploads, the original 2012 single had a dedicated mastering process. I grabbed the 2012 CD single FLAC (not
The FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) version of this release is typically ripped directly from the promotional or retail CD single. What makes the 2012 FLAC special is that it precedes any “remastered for streaming” dynamic range compression. It is, in essence, the purest digital capture of the final mix as approved by Adele and Paul Epworth.
Put on a decent pair of open-back headphones (Sennheiser HD600 or similar) and an external DAC. A/B test the Adele Skyfall 2012 FLAC against a 256kbps AAC from YouTube Music. Here is what you will hear: