FLAC issues

[Lensflair]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, so please let me know if it isn't.

I am relatively new to surround music, and only somewhat computer literate.

I have a Sony ubp-x800m2 dvd player. It is supposed to play FLAC files if put on a flash drive, and played through the USB port. I have bought a couple of titles, and it indeed works perfectly. However, I had a friend send me some FLAC files that he ripped from the original source, and these do not. I opened them with Audacity, and that program sees them in 6 channels without a problem. But even exported from Audacity in FLAC, my DVD player still does not recognize the files. Is there anything I can do, or save them in a different manner without losing sound quality? I have no idea what the problem is. My friend doesn't either.

Oh, and I am on a Mac, if that might be the issue.

 

[timothyemerson]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, so please let me know if it isn't.

I am relatively new to surround music, and only somewhat computer literate.

I have a Sony ubp-x800m2 dvd player. It is supposed to play FLAC files if put on a flash drive, and played through the USB port. I have bought a couple of titles, and it indeed works perfectly. However, I had a friend send me some FLAC files that he ripped from the original source, and these do not. I opened them with Audacity, and that program sees them in 6 channels without a problem. But even exported from Audacity in FLAC, my DVD player still does not recognize the files. Is there anything I can do, or save them in a different manner without losing sound quality? I have no idea what the problem is. My friend doesn't either.

Oh, and I am on a Mac, if that might be the issue.

You could try exporting the FLACs from Audacity again, creating new files and see if that works. I downloaded some stereo WAVs that played fine on my PC but wouldn't play via HDD on my Sony X800. When I exported them from Audacity as FLACs, creating new files, these new ones played fine on the Sony X800.

 

[HomerJAU]

Quite a few AVRs and (early) players with USB don’t play multichannel FLAC unfortunately.

 

[ssully]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, so please let me know if it isn't.

I am relatively new to surround music, and only somewhat computer literate.

I have a Sony ubp-x800m2 dvd player. It is supposed to play FLAC files if put on a flash drive, and played through the USB port. I have bought a couple of titles, and it indeed works perfectly.

Are they *stereo* FLAC files, or multichannel?

However, I had a friend send me some FLAC files that he ripped from the original source, and these do not. I opened them with Audacity, and that program sees them in 6 channels without a problem. But even exported from Audacity in FLAC, my DVD player still does not recognize the files. Is there anything I can do, or save them in a different manner without losing sound quality? I have no idea what the problem is. My friend doesn't either.

Do *stereo* FLAC files that he ripped, work on your player?

As HomerJAU said, some hardware just does not accept multichannel FLAC via USB (flash drive).

Oh, and I am on a Mac, if that might be the issue.

One experiment would be to make your *own* FLAC files -- stereo and multichannel -- and see if they work from a flash drive.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

@Lensflair

With regard to hardware playback devices, the issue could be to do with the FLAC compression setting that was selected during encoding. A setting of '5' is more hardware player compliant

 

[Lensflair]

You could try exporting the FLACs from Audacity again, creating new files and see if that works. I downloaded some stereo WAVs that played fine on my PC but wouldn't play via HDD on my Sony X800. When I exported them from Audacity as FLACs, creating new files, these new ones played fine on the Sony X800.

That was the first thing I tried. That did not work.

 

[Lensflair]

Are they *stereo* FLAC files, or multichannel?

They are Multichannel FLAC files. They open up perfectly in 6 channels in Audacity.

Do *stereo* FLAC files that he ripped, work on your player?

As HomerJAU said, some hardware just does not accept multichannel FLAC via USB (flash drive).

Purchased multichannel files work perfectly, using the USB port. So I know it works. Just not these homemade ripped files.

One experiment would be to make your *own* FLAC files -- stereo and multichannel -- and see if they work from a flash drive.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Does this '5.1 FLAC Speaker Mapping Test File' work okay with your Sony?

 

[ssully]

They are Multichannel FLAC files. They open up perfectly in 6 channels in Audacity.

Meaning, the FLACs that you bought are multichannel, as well as then ones your friend made. The bought ones play, the friend's don't. OK

Purchased multichannel files work perfectly, using the USB port. So I know it works. Just not these homemade ripped files.

Make a copy of a 'bought' FLAC file. (And note its file size -- the copy will of course be the same size. )

Decompress the copy (either directly to a wav file, or open it in Audacity, same thing), then re-save it to new FLAC, i.e., make it a 'home made' FLAC. Does this work via USB? Is its FLAC filesize the same as the one you bought?

If it works, your friend's FLAC codec or compression level made your hardware unhappy.

If it doesn't work, and the filesize is different, try using a different FLAC compression level, one that gets you to the same size as the original bought FLAC.

After that if it still doesn't work, something about your FLAC codec is making the hardware unhappy. Try using a different version of flac.exe.

 

[joelee]

I have similar issues trying to play burned quad flac files from a disc on my OPPO BDP 83.
Choosing "Music" on the home screen I can see the flac files but when I try to play them it says files are empty (?)


Thanks!

 

[soesbeout]

I have similar issues trying to play burned quad flac files from a disc on my OPPO BDP 83.
Choosing "Music" on the home screen I can see the flac files but when I try to play them it says files are empty (?)


Thanks!

I don't believe the 83 supports Flac files that's why I purshased the 93 instead.

 

[joelee]

Engineers at OPPO says it(BDP 83) plays Flac files (?). I sent them a file but they couldn't open it saying they were unable to download the file from the link because it requires an account

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Engineers at OPPO says it(BDP 83) plays Flac files (?). I sent them a file but they couldn't open it saying they were unable to download the file from the link because it requires an account

Mine wont.

 

[atrocity]

Decompress the copy (either directly to a wav file, or open it in Audacity, same thing), then re-save it to new FLAC, i.e., make it a 'home made' FLAC.

This.

I learned long ago to always re-encode FLAC files that I didn't make myself using the official FLAC encoder. There are third-party encoders out there that make FLAC files that play in more hardware/software than not, but still aren't universally compatible.

If I buy from Qobuz, I can play the files, but they'll choke Adobe Audition. Re-encoding them reliably fixes the problem.

flac --force --best --verify --mid-side --exhaustive-model-search --no-padding *.flac

 

[ssully]

And if you don't want to write on a command line, download a free FLAC tool from the official FLAC site. (xACT looks good for Mac)

The OP said he tried 'exporting from Audacity' , which I assume should have worked, but there's no detail to say for sure. (The OP is using Mac, but Windows, Audacity's own flac encoder seems to be hidden in its setup files -- or at least, I can't find it as 'flac.exe')

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

I haven't had ANY problems running multichannel FFMPEG level 12 (which is like level 8 but better) FLAC files on a BDP-S5100. I would assume the newer Sony Blu-ray players would handle it well as well?
Interesting.

 

[gvl_guy]

I have similar issues trying to play burned quad flac files from a disc on my OPPO BDP 83.
Choosing "Music" on the home screen I can see the flac files but when I try to play them it says files are empty (?)


Thanks!

As some here have already said, the 83 doesn't support flac. I have gone through this issue with mine about 2 years ago when I bought it. Other than that. It's a fine unit.

(It doesn't even support wav files! Mp3 and WMA are about the only two "normal" ones I recognized from the list in the manual.)

 

[himey]

Engineers at OPPO says it(BDP 83) plays Flac files (?). I sent them a file but they couldn't open it saying they were unable to download the file from the link because it requires an account

It doesn't.

 

[riskylogic]

Quite a few AVRs and (early) players with USB don’t play multichannel FLAC unfortunately.

The x800m2 is a great FLAC player - it will play off a 4TB USB hard drive or a network server. I also have an x700 that will play off a USB but not the network.

The FLAC encoding seems like the most likely problem.

 

[barfle]

My Oppo 105 plays the handful of 5.1 FLACs I own fllawlwssly from both USB and Ethernet.