sbooth.org

That was it! Sound enhancer was on by default. Without it, they do, in fact, sound the same.

Thanks,
Mark

Well, I don't think there is a "secret sauce" in iTunes, and it's not psychological, either...I was coming down with a cold and didn't know it, and my ears are plugged up and on the fritz!

Sorry for the false alarm, but thanks for the good information.

Mark

Very interesting! Thanks very much for the reply.

Mark

OK, I have converted several albums' worth of ALAC files to FLAC. Now, both are lossless, and should sound identical. However, I notice that the ALAC files playing in iTunes have a bit more "space" around them, and seem less flat than the FLAC files in Play. I have the equalizer turned off in iTunes...