Fake FLAC & Fake 320 kbps Checker
Paid for lossless and got a converted MP3? Got a “320 kbps” track from a record pool that sounds dull? Drop the files below — the checker measures the real bandwidth, the encoder cut-off, the bits actually used and the true sample rate, and tells you what it found. Everything happens in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
We only say “fake” when there is evidence
Most checkers look at one number — where the spectrum stops — and call everything below 19 kHz a fake. When we tested that rule on real collections, 28% of perfectly genuine files were flagged: audiobooks, live and radio recordings, old and simply dull masters all stop early by nature.
- Fake 320 kbps is reported as proven only when the MP3's own LAME tag contradicts the audio: the encoder wrote down a 20.5 kHz lowpass, but the sound stops at 16 kHz — it was fed a lower-quality file.
- A large gap with a deep, steep cliff is reported as probably a transcode.
- Anything weaker is shown as a fact — “narrow bandwidth, can't tell” — never as an accusation.
- For lossless files: a sharp cut below 19.5 kHz means fake lossless; a 96/192 kHz file with nothing above 22 kHz is upsampled; a 24-bit file whose low 8 bits are always zero is padded 16-bit.
Thousands of tracks to check?
Audio Comparer runs the same analysis over your whole music folder, finds duplicates by sound (different bitrates, formats and tags — same song) and picks the copy to keep by its real quality, not by the bitrate written on the label.
Download Audio Comparer — free trial
Windows 10, 11
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a FLAC file is fake?
A FLAC made from an MP3 or AAC keeps the lossy encoder's lowpass: its spectrum stops abruptly at 16–20 kHz and drops to a flat floor. Real CD audio usually reaches 20–22 kHz without such a cliff. The chart under each result shows exactly this.
How can I tell if a 320 kbps MP3 is really 320?
A genuine 320 kbps MP3 made by LAME reaches about 20.5 kHz; one re-encoded from 128 kbps keeps the old 16 kHz cut-off. The strongest proof is the file's own LAME tag, which records the lowpass used — the checker reads it and compares it to the audio.
Is a 24-bit / 96 kHz file always better?
Only if it really contains more. Many “hi-res” releases are CD masters upsampled to 96 kHz or padded to 24 bits: they sound identical to the CD and take three times the space. The checker shows both.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Your browser reads and decodes the file, the analysis runs on your computer, and nothing is sent anywhere. That is also why large hi-res files work: there is no upload to wait for.
Which formats are supported?
MP3, FLAC and WAV get full verdicts. AAC/M4A and Ogg files are decoded if your browser supports them, and you get the measured bandwidth, but no verdict — their normal cut-off depends too much on the encoder.
Is this the same analysis as in Audio Comparer?
Yes, the very same engine and thresholds: the sound is analysed over the first 90 seconds of each track, and the MP3 frame structure over the whole file. A track checked here gets the same verdict in the desktop app.