| Feature | Lossy (MP3/AAC) | FLAC | |--------|----------------|------| | (e.g., intro of “Soma”) | Smeared, truncated | Natural, shimmering | | Bass clarity (e.g., “Hummer” verses) | Muddy, indistinct | Tight, defined | | Stereo separation (e.g., “Mayonaise” chorus) | Collapsed, narrow | Wide, immersive | | Distortion texture (e.g., “Quiet” chorus) | Harsh, digital artifacts | Warm, saturated |
Some listeners find the original mix slightly "muddy" or "wooly" in the low-mids compared to modern high-res files. 2011 Deluxe Remaster (24-bit/96kHz Hi-Res FLAC) smashing pumpkins siamese dream 1993 flac best