xHE-AAC™ Encoder | Music Converter

Convert and Encode xHE-AAC™, AAC, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, DSD & More - With Professional Quality and Full Compatibility

Easily convert audio files to and from xHE-AAC™, the latest generation of the AAC codec family. Developed for efficient encoding across a wide range of bitrates, the codec is suited to music, spoken-word content and streaming. Encode to xHE-AAC™ using the integrated Fraunhofer IIS codec.

Convert between MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, DSD, PCM, Opus, Apple Lossless and other supported audio formats using the 64-bit floating-point processing engine. Whether you're creating files for streaming, archiving, or personal listening, the high-precision processing pipeline avoids unnecessary intermediate loss, while quality in lossy output formats depends on encoding settings.

With gapless playback, full metadata support, and fast batch conversion, EZ CD Audio Converter provides flexible tools for high-quality audio file management. Enjoy advanced features like loudness normalization, perfect for preparing audio for modern streaming platforms and consistent playback across devices.

xHE-AAC™ is the latest generation of the AAC codec family, designed to encode speech, music and mixed content efficiently across a broad range of bitrates. Perceived quality compared with other lossy formats depends on bitrate, source material and encoder settings.

xHE-AAC™ key facts

• Wide bitrate range: supports bitrates starting at 6 kbit/s for mono and 12 kbit/s for stereo, extending to 320 kbit/s and above.
• All kinds of audio: suitable for music, podcasts, audiobooks and audio for video. Fraunhofer highlights improved speech quality and stereo imaging.
• Adaptive streaming: designed for MPEG-DASH and HLS; compatible players can switch seamlessly between available bitrate versions as network conditions change.
• Earlier AAC formats: xHE-AAC profile decoders can also decode AAC-LC, HE-AAC and HE-AAC v2.
• Digital radio: xHE-AAC is a mandatory audio codec in the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard.

Native xHE-AAC decoding is supported in modern Android platforms (including Android TV and Automotive), Apple operating systems (including iOS and macOS), Amazon Fire OS and Windows 11. Actual playback support depends on the operating system, device and application.

Source: Fraunhofer IIS – xHE-AAC. xHE-AAC is a trademark of Fraunhofer, registered in Germany, the United States and other countries.

EZ CD Audio Converter is a fully featured xHE-AAC™ encoder and decoder, designed for high-quality audio conversion and CD ripping. It allows you to convert audio files and rip audio CDs directly to the xHE-AAC™ format with ease. Whether you're converting from FLAC to xHE-AAC™, WAV to xHE-AAC™, or between any of the 60+ supported formats, the software ensures maximum compatibility and audio fidelity. Enjoy seamless, high-efficiency audio encoding with full support for metadata, loudness control, and gapless playback.

xHE-AAC™ audio technology is licensed by Fraunhofer.

Fraunhofer IIS lists Poikosoft EZ CD Audio Converter among the Windows standalone applications integrating its xHE-AAC codec libraries.

EZ CD Audio Converter has successfully passed the COMPLIANCE TEST developed to ensure basic compliance and interoperability with the MPEG standards applicable and related to the xHE-AAC™ Codec on May 11, 2021 using version 1.4.7 of the TEST SUITE. The tests were developed by FRAUNHOFER and conducted on a secure platform by the manufacturer. FRAUNHOFER makes no express or implied endorsement or warranty as to overall product quality, performance, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose, or that the product is free from defects.

Poikosoft https://www.poikosoft.com
Test Number (encoder): 106483008e078391ef98bb49bac4e1b6cd036cf74edeb276885fc0c633e1ce04
Test Number (decoder): 71bc0ecc4ad5a73d2a173e8af2ba401e4ce832a18e74ae4a233b98a417a824af

Features

• Optimized for highest audio quality (accurate 64-bit floating point audio engine)
• Professional quality sample rate conversion
• Efficient encoding of speech, music and mixed audio across a broad bitrate range
• All the best audio codecs are included
• Gapless playback compatible encoding and decoding of xHE-AAC™ and all other audio file formats
• Batch convert audio files with optimized performance using up to 64 parallel audio converters
• Download high quality song information metadata and cover art from multiple online metadata services
• Batch-process large audio collections in a single conversion job
• Supports conversion from over 60+ audio file formats
• Advanced metadata editor with Full metadata support

Secure CD ripping with advanced error detection

• Hardware-assisted and software-based read-error detection
• 2-pass CRC verification for additional error detection
• Exact ripping log
• Read CD-Text, ISRCs, UPC/EAN, pre-gaps and pre-emphasis
• De-emphasize audio CDs that have pre-emphasis
• Rip HDCDs
• Create exact disc image by ripping to cue sheet audio files

Burn audio CDs, MP3 CDs, and data discs

• Burn audio CDs with CD-Text
• Burn exact audio CD images from cue sheet audio files
• Burn data discs (ISO-9660/Joliet & UDF filesystems)
• Create and Burn ISO disc images (iso)

• Convert your CD collection to FLAC, xHE-AAC™, MP3, M4A or other audio file format
• Convert FLAC to xHE-AAC™ or M4A to mp3 for portable player, phone, or tablet
• Convert WAV to xHE-AAC™ for use as a ringtone
• Convert audio files not supported by other software
• Extract and convert audio tracks from video files
• Edit song information, metadata, meta tags of audio files
• Burn audio CDs and MP3 CDs
• Use advanced metadata editor to correct the id3 tags and album artwork of audio files

Codecs