For a band like Nirvana, where the texture of guitar distortion and the raw rasp of a vocal track carry the emotional weight of the music, standard MP3 streams do not suffice. This is why internet searches specifically mandate the format. Lossless vs. Lossy Audio Audio Attribute MP3 (Standard Stream) FLAC (Lossless Rip) Compression Type Lossy (discards "inaudible" data) Lossless (retains 100% of original data) Bitrate Max 320 kbps Varies, usually 800–1041 kbps Audio Fidelity Flattened high frequencies, muddy bass Identical to the studio Master CD/Vinyl File Size Small (~10 MB per song) Large (~35–50 MB per song)
Within the Nirvana community, the 2011 remaster remains a topic of fierce debate. 1991 Original Mix 2011 Bob Ludwig Remaster Quieter, requires turning up the amplifier volume. Loud, compressed to match modern streaming standards. Dynamic Range nirvana nevermind 2011 remastered flac soup full