Bonk is a an audio compression program that operates in both lossy and lossless modes. The compression method Bonk uses is quite simple compared to other lossy formats (such as MP3), and is based on speech compression techniques. It is nevertheless capable of producing a high compression ratio while maintaining good sound quality.
In lossy mode, it averages 14:1 compression while remaining almost perceptually lossless. This corresponds to 95 kbps for reasonable quality audio.
In lossless mode the original audio file can be recovered exactly. Lossless mode typically achieves around 2:1 compression.
Bonk compiles under Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD. (Note: I personally only have access to Linux machines. I can't test Bonk on other operating systems, just apply patches people send me. So if it isn't working on other systems, please email me!)
Advantages (as compared to MP3)
Simple Algorithm, small code size
Compresses some types of audio better, especially audio with transients
Flexible: Bonk can compress music or speech at any sampling rate in either lossy or lossless mode.
Disadvantages
Slow: Requires a 300MHz or higher machine for real-time Playback
Non-standard: Probably better to use OGG and FLAC, as these are now widely adopted open standards.
