What is a VQF file
The VQF file is also known as a SoundVQ file, the latter term being coined by Yamaha. The file contains audio data that is compressed using a specific compression method. VQF files support constant bitrate encoding at a range from 80 to 192 kbps. Yamaha intended the VQF file to become an alternative to the popular MP3 format but due to its proprietary nature, it could never be established as such. By modern standards, the VQF format can be regarded as obsolete.
The compression of VQF files is done via transform-domain weighted interleaved vector quantization. This compression method was developed by NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation). Thanks to the encoding, VQF files are generally regarded as being up to 35% smaller than the commonly used MP3 format while maintaining comparable sound quality.
Here's a small, but not exhaustive list of programs that can open VQF documents:
- MediaMonkey (Windows)
- Nero (Windows)
- Nullsoft Winamp (Windows)
- VideoLan VLC media player (Windows, Mac & Linux)
- Yamaha SoundVQ Player (Windows & Mac)
