Oh boy you're gonna catch some flac/k here but DLtBGYD. Yes there can be a difference between lossy and lossless track but you may be hearing a difference in mastering. For me the Mix/Master>lossless/lossy>any codec/format "benefit". Maybe dial back the hyperbole and enjoy those lossless tunes. I am with ya there is no sense in discarding (perhaps worthless) data these days... lossless is cheap and readily available.