Best file format for transcribing

[Guest Vonding]

If this topic has been discussed before then I apologise for raising it again. I often get asked by clients who have not yet begun their recording, which file format I would personally recommend. I don't like recommending any particular product brands but after many years of transcribing files I give my number one vote to .WMA, ie, the Windows Media Audio format, which so far has been unquestionably the best. I would hate to have to estimate how many hundreds or thousands of dollars in transcriber fees my clients have saved simply by choosing this format. My second vote would go to the Sony format, which is very good but can be a bit tinny at times. My wooden spoon goes to .DSS. It is an immensely popular format for people who particularly want tiny files but the loss of sound quality is very pronounced and the files are unpleasant and difficult to listen to and transcribe, particularly when you are working with them for up to 12 hours a day. I would be interested to read other people's thoughts on this subject. Regards Vonding