Despite popular belief, lossless audio does not objectively sound better than MP3, and most users can’t discern a difference. In a test conducted by Gizmodo in 2014, the average score of over 380 readers was 56%, indicating that it was essentially random whether users could distinguish between lossless audio and MP3 files. The main difference between the two is file size. Lossless audio, usually stored as a WAV file, is the same size as the original track created in the studio. On the other hand, MP3s, created in 1987, compress larger files into their most essential parts. This compression is designed to discard data that humans can’t hear properly. Even if you are listening to lossless audio, your music is still getting compressed if you’re using Bluetooth, which is used by 68% of consumers. Despite the high demand for lossless audio, it’s not worth the trouble for most listeners.
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