Same flac with different rip method.

https://imgur.com/a/ymdyQTy

top having better overall blend (not cutoff 20k). but 320mp3, so overall decent, but not lossless.

top having better overall blend (not cutoff 20k)

But its just peak extended. It's mirrored information just to reach the roof.

Not that anyone can hear that range, anyway.
Which is what makes lowpass ideal for lossy encodes.

You don't have to waste bits on fake data like the top image.
So all the bits go towards the useful range of audio that most can hear.

The top image is saturating the bandwidth. Lossy can only do so much, hence the name: lossy.

tl;dr: Top image = fake. bottom image = better

But its just peak extended. It's mirrored information just to reach the roof.

Not that anyone can hear that range, anyway.
Which is what makes lowpass ideal for lossy encodes.

You don't have to waste bits on fake data like the top image.
So all the bits go towards the useful range of audio that most can hear.

The top image is saturating the bandwidth. Lossy can only do so much, hence the name: lossy.

tl;dr: Top image = fake. bottom image = better
But why the first image is more "granulated" (empty space between) than the second one.

Second one looks good

The first one.

If not, then the second one.

But definitely not that one.