This software supports decoding, conversion, and playback of several different types of lossless audio files.
XLD is compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 and later, and since it is a Universal Binary, it runs natively on both Intel Macs and PPC Macs. The tool supports a wide range of audio formats, including (Ogg) FLAC (.flac/.ogg), Monkey's Audio (.ape), Wavpack (.wv), TTA (.tta), Apple Lossless (.m4a), AIFF, WAV, and many others.
One of the most remarkable features of XLD is that it uses a library rather than a decoder frontend to decode audio files, therefore, there are no intermediate files generated upon encoding. Furthermore, all of the supported formats in XLD can be directly split with a cue sheet, and the tool also supports what's known as 'embedded' or 'internal' cue sheets.
In terms of available output formats, XLD provides a choice of WAVE, AIFF, and Raw PCM, and in the GUI version, you can choose from an expanded list of output formats, including Ogg Vorbis (aoTuV), MPEG-4 AAC (QuickTime/CoreAudio), MP3 (LAME), Apple Lossless, FLAC, and HE-AAC (aacPlus v1/v2).
XLD's frontend and backend are perfectly separated, making it an ideal design for plugin-oriented development. If you're interested in creating a plugin for a new format, XLD's API and source files provide an easy way to do so. The XLDDecoder.h file in the source files is particularly useful for this purpose.
Overall, X Lossless Decoder is a reliable and user-friendly tool that can handle virtually any lossless audio format quickly and easily. Its advanced features, powerful engine, and plugin-oriented design make it an essential tool for any audio professional or enthusiast.
Version 20090930: N/A