With the advent of fast internet connections and large hard drives, there is no reason for people to be purchasing or using lossy audio files that have mediocre sound when played on a half-decent stereo system.

There are lots of audio file formats that can be used to copy your music CDs onto your computer or portable music player: WMA, Flac, Ogg, Mp3, WAV and AAC are just a few.

Some of these files are lossless (WAV and Flac), which means they do not degrade the sound file quality from the original, and some are lossy (MP3, Ogg, WMA and AAC), which means they do degrade the sound quality.

The lossy types process the sound file and compress it, leaving large parts of the original sound out of the file. This makes the file size much smaller but at the expense of sound quality.

The main reason for the extensive use of lossy audio file types over the internet is that it is easier and quicker to transfer and store a small audio file than a large file.

A compressed MP3 audio file downloads much faster, and will take up much less storage room, than a WAV file. Most people accepted this because they had slow internet connections and limited space on their hard drives.

The dynamics have now changed, with large numbers of people having high-speed internet connections and oodles of room on their enormous hard drives. There is really no reason to keep using, or purchasing, lossy audio files (MP3, Ogg, WMA, AAC) to store and play your music.

(Tip: Flac is a free, compressed file type that processes the audio file without loss in sound quality. So for those who still wish to save some room, but don't want to lose sound quality, it is the way to go.)

Using lossy audio file formats is like convincing people to use watered-down petrol in their cars, to save on transport and storage costs - the car won't run too well, nor will the sound coming out of your music portable or stereo be great.

I am totally amazed at how the public have been convinced to use or buy such poor-quality music files! Make a smart change, and insist that you get the best quality for your money. Isn't that what you insist on when you purchase anything else?

If you're smart, you will rip your CD collection in WAV or FLAC format using EAC (Exact Audio Copy www.exactaudiocopy.de or purchase only lossless version audio files from music sites.

OK, downloading may be quick, but sometimes it is better to purchase the CD or SACD (Super Audio CD) version. The CD then becomes a great backup if you need to get the music onto your computer or portable in the future.

I generally order 10 SACD/CDs at a time, so I cut down on postage costs. Here are some websites you may not know about, where you can purchase lossless high-quality music files, CDs, SACDs or LPS.

I am willing to pay for good sound quality and good music. I realise I need to support talented artists financially somehow, or my source of good music will disappear. This very much applies to classical music, because this type of music is not supported as much as popular music.

Arkiv Music www.arkivmusic.com
This site is great for classical music buffs because Music Arkiv has access to a lot of out-of-print LPs and CD music. With the extinction of the local record shops, this site provides a great source of classical music in lots of different formats.

CD Universe www.cduniverse.com
This has lots of popular music, as well as classical and jazz. Samples provided for playback.

Linn Records www.linnrecords.com
Again, a great source of classical and jazz, plus you can also still purchase high-quality vinyl LP records (the ultimate lossless format).

Telarc www.telarc.com
Independent classical recording company, with some crossover and jazz. This company also places a lot of emphasis on performance and recorded sound quality.

Chesky Records www.chesky.com
Website extract: "Philosophy, to create the illusion of live musicians in a real three-dimensional space. Chesky Records tries to achieve the impression of reality with the most advanced technology available, careful microphone placement and, most of all, a recording team which pays attention to every minute detail, making your listening experience tangible, pleasurable, exciting, and realistic."

Super Audio CD www.sa-cd.net/reviews/all
This is a terrific site for getting reviews from purchases on the latest Super Audio CDs which have been released.

If you're an audiophile, home theatre enthusiast or just love listening to music or watching movies, come along to SCCC Inc and find out how this all works.