Can anyone suggest examples of lossy and lossless versions of a song from the same master which can demonstrate obvious sound quality differences,(hopefully improvement). I’d like to demonstrate this to a friend, probably using some focal clear headphones to listen with.
Thanks James
Heaps of free samples here and the master is available - but these are CD quality or better.
You can use iTunes or other free programs to create the ‘lossy’ version from the master they provide.
Good luck. To me, the differences are very subtle unless you’re comparing to a 192kbps or worse rip. The average person won’t be able to tell the difference, even with the best headphones because they don’t even really know what they’re listening for. What seems obvious to you and me will be lost on most people. It’s easy to forget that, usually, a good ear is learned over many years of practice, whether by being a gear-head, musician, producer, etc. I can hear my cell phone chargers n stuff whining at night and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that most people’s brains just block that stuff out.
You can potentially do it yourself with any CD or FLAC file. Rip a CD to FLAC and to an MP3 bit rate typical of what your friend listens to. Differences will be subtle but they will be there.
Harmon produced How To Listen if you want to get people aware of differences in sound generally perhaps as an introduction to your point on lossless.
Then lossy lossless comparisons
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I always look out for listener fatigue, it comes on a lot quicker with Lossy music. Your brain works hard behind the scene compensating. That’s why some people say they can’t hear a difference. They can’t, but they will tire. The brain is clever like that.
Another thing is when a recording sounds so good you can’t shut it off early as that would be rude to the artist.
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Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately I no longer have a cd ripper. My library of ripped and purchased music ( 2.4 tb), will see me out coupled with Tidal etc.
I just thought someone out there may had previously done the hard work re. finding examples. Just me being lazy 
You don’t need a CD burner to convert a FLAC or WAV to mp3. You can just do it with the music files in iTunes or a number of other free programs.