On a decent pair of headphones or a hi-fi system, the difference becomes apparent:

Artist: Lady Gaga
Album: The Fame Monster
Year: 2009
Genre: Pop / Dance-Pop / Synth-pop / Electropop
Country: US / International
Label: Streamline Records / Interscope Records / Cherrytree Records
Catalog Number: (varies by region, e.g., B0013503-02 for US Deluxe Edition)
Format: CD, Digital Download (FLAC)
Total Tracks: 8 (Standard EP) / Up to 22 (Deluxe Edition combining The Fame)

Note: The Fame Monster was originally released as a standalone EP (8 tracks) or as a deluxe 2-disc set combining The Fame (2008) with the new The Fame Monster tracks. This write-up focuses on the 8-track EP (Disc 2 of the deluxe edition), ripped in lossless quality.

The internet is full of fake FLACs (transcodes from YouTube or MP3s). Before you archive, check for three things in your downloaded folder:

  • The CUE Sheet: This allows you to burn an exact clone of the CD or load the album as a single gapless image.
  • Spectral Analysis: Open a track in Spek or Audacity. The frequency spectrum should reach 22.05kHz (the Nyquist limit for CD audio) with natural roll-off, not a sharp brickwall cut at 16kHz (which indicates a lossy source).