Free online WV to CAFF converter

Source format: WV

WV is the file extension used by WavPack, a lossless audio compression format. It is used by audio enthusiasts, archivists, and anyone who wants to reduce file size without losing any original sound data. WV files are common in music libraries, backup workflows, and audio preservation projects because they keep the audio fully recoverable while often being much smaller than uncompressed WAV files.

WavPack can also support hybrid workflows, but the .wv file itself is typically associated with the lossless compressed audio stream. It is valued for preserving quality exactly, making it suitable for editing archives, long-term storage, and high-fidelity playback.

Target format: CAFF

CAFF stands for Core Audio Format, an audio container developed by Apple. It is designed for storing uncompressed or compressed audio with rich metadata support and is commonly used on macOS and in Apple-oriented audio workflows. CAFF is useful for professional audio capture, sound design, and applications that need a flexible container for high-quality audio data.

Compared with WV, CAFF is more of a container format than a compression format. Its advantages include good support in Apple software, flexible metadata handling, and suitability for high-quality audio storage. It is especially relevant when working with macOS tools or Apple audio pipelines.

How to perform the conversion

The most reliable way to convert WV to CAFF is to use a desktop audio tool that can decode WavPack and export Core Audio Format files. A practical workflow is to first open the WV file in an audio editor or converter that supports both formats, then save or export it as CAFF.

1. Open your .wv file in a compatible audio application.
2. Confirm that the program can read WavPack and write CAFF/Core Audio Format.
3. Choose File → Save As or File → Export, depending on the software.
4. Select CAFF or Core Audio Format as the output format.
5. Set the desired sample rate, bit depth, and channel layout if the program offers those options.
6. Start the conversion and verify the resulting .caff file by playing it back or reopening it in the same application.

If you want a simple browser-based option, you can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing any software.

Desktop tools that may help include Audacity with suitable format support, FFmpeg for command-line conversion, or other professional audio editors that can export CAFF. For command-line workflows, a typical FFmpeg-style conversion would look like ffmpeg -i input.wv output.caff, provided your build supports both WavPack decoding and CAFF output.

Notes on quality and compatibility

Because WV is lossless, converting it to CAFF does not improve audio quality; it only changes the container and encoding used for storage. If you export to an uncompressed CAFF variant, the audio remains bit-for-bit equivalent after decoding, but the file size may increase significantly. If you choose a compressed CAFF-compatible codec, quality depends on the codec selected.

Compatibility is the main limitation. CAFF is not as widely supported as WAV or FLAC, so make sure your target player or editor can open it before converting. Also, some software may preserve audio data but not all metadata, cue points, or WavPack-specific tags. For archival work, keep the original .wv file until you confirm the CAFF output meets your needs.