Lossy compressed audio isn’t inferior to lossless audio

Lately, it seems lossless audio has taken audiophile center stage, and for good reason: it’s higher quality than lossy formats, an attuned ear can hear the difference between lossy and lossless audio files, and audiophiles act like it’s the end-all be-all of music enjoyment. And I’ve only added to this by writing so much about lossless audio myself. While I think it’s important to recognize the benefits of lossless audio, I also think it’s important to acknowledge the importance of other file formats, some of which are lossy.