Just created a lot of work for myself...

Upstatemax

Well, I've been toying with the idea of ripping my CD collection for some time.

Since I have a bit of extra time on my hands today, I decided to give it a bit of a whirl.

I ripped a couple of albums. I used iTunes to rip to ALAC. Transferred to a SSD and plugged it into my Oppo 103. ALAC is my strong preference as I own almost Apple everything...

Dare I say, I like it better than disc playback.

I find better separation and lower noise floor. I can't detect any degradation of the music from ripping. One of my main test albums:

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Session-BLOOMFIELD-MIKE/dp/B00008QSA5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440968172&sr=8-1&keywords=super+sessions

I know this is a slippery slope, but I'm pretty sick of fumbling through my ever growing collection of physical disc's. Not to mention finding a wife approved place to keep them AND have them easily accessible.

I'll keep toying with it and see where it leads me.

Moose68Bash

So far I've ripped several CDs from my collection into iTunes, using the AIFF format.

I download them to my NAS and play them through PS Audio bridges to a PS Audio PerfectWave DAC II or PS Audio DirectStream DAC.

i think the music sounds better through either DAC than it does using either a Cambridge Audio 841C player or the PS Audio PerfectWave Transport to play the original CDs.

However, my wife is of a differing opinion, but not dramatically different.

Emlyn

It is better to use a program to do the ripping of CDs that has a better secure checking function than what is included in iTunes. dBpoweramp, JRiver or similar have secure ripping capability. iTunes will work of course, but based on personal experience it will not let a user know when a track is not reproduced 100 percent error free. Just want to mention it before you get too far down with ripping using iTunes. iTunes is ok as a playback tool and I do use it with my iPod Classic to manage 30K MP3 files because it is so simple and streamlined. I stopped using it to rip CDs years ago but had to re-rip a couple hundred CDs.

Upstatemax

Emlyn wrote: »

It is better to use a program to do the ripping of CDs that has a better secure checking function than what is included in iTunes. dBpoweramp, JRiver or similar have secure ripping capability. iTunes will work of course, but based on personal experience it will not let a user know when a track is not reproduced 100 percent error free. Just want to mention it before you get too far down with ripping using iTunes. iTunes is ok as a playback tool and I do use it with my iPod Classic to manage 30K MP3 files because it is so simple and streamlined. I stopped using it to rip CDs years ago but had to re-rip a couple hundred CDs.

I've been looking at JRiver. I have the trial of it and I'll be testing it to see if I want to spend the money on it.

iTunes does have error correction, is it not as good as others?

jeremymarcinko

+1 for JRiver. I would be lost without it.

Emlyn

Upstatemax wrote: »

iTunes does have error correction, is it not as good as others?

ITunes does have basic error correction but it is not the same as the better programs. The main problem is it lacks a reliable way to notify a user when errors in ripping are detected. In my case, I would say 99 percent of my CDs have ripped successfully in JRiver without rereads taking place. On some tracks the software has had to read a sector of data a few times to get a perfect copy and on some it has reported being unsuccessful at making a perfect copy. iTunes does not have that extra function of informing when there is a problem with a track or sector on a disc, it just blows through what it is ripping leaving static and breakups where an accurate rip wasn't made. As an archiving tool, that error rate doesn't work for me. As a playback tool it works fine.

Most of my CDs in the last several years have never been played in a CD player but just ripped to WAV, but the older ones are not in perfect condition. The older ones play fine in CD players but getting accurate rips from them is more difficult.

Upstatemax

I'm going to be testing JRiver out for the next few days.

Thanks for all the info so far guys!

voltz

Been using JRiver for awhile, I use it to rip to ALAC for my ipod, and then use Jriver to run my laptops music to my DAC! (portable Music Server)

tonyb

I've used both JR and ITunes and couldn't tell the difference. So I just stuck with ITunes with all it's faults for simplicity....and the wife.

If I was to venture into higher rez recordings, be a different story obviously.

daddyjt

I use dbpoweramp (sp) to rip everything to FLAC. Then from the original FLAC file, I can make a conversion copy in virtually any other format. So new CDs get ripped to FLAC, then an MP3 file is created from the FLAC file, and linked to iTunes.

Listening to your entire music collection without lifting your butt off the couch is highly addictive - you have been warned...:-)

tonyb

Why mp3 in ITunes ? Why not apple lossless ? Portable devices ?

tophatjohnny

Talk about creating more work for your self......when you finally figure out what exact setting results in the best sound..hopefully you are not on your 3rd go at it!! On my 3rd and final ripping project with well over 4000 cd's on board. All in 16 bit at 48000Hz and although it takes a little more room on the HD, results are unbelievable. I have compared 24 bit at 96000 Hz and with my gear there is no difference except taking way more space on the HD! almost ready to do my backing up project. That will be time consuming as well!! Make it fun!!!

tonyb

4000 cd's ? You need help...lol.

Lets see, at 15 bucks a cd average, that's 60,000 dollars bro. You can buy a lot of hookers and blow with that kind of scratch.....even have enough left over for a Happy meal for your closest 500 friends or so.

voltz

Hopefully Johnny's been shopping at Red's $1 rack.

tophatjohnny

voltz wrote: »

Hopefully Johnny's been shopping at Red's $1 rack.

Better than that...I belong to 2 libraries, one of which has a nationwide interlibrary loan program and for the one that even they just can't get, Amazon has been pretty good for about 150 of them....and then my friends come to the party in a big way, so resourceful I am with it all!!

Upstatemax

tonyb wrote: »

I've used both JR and ITunes and couldn't tell the difference. So I just stuck with ITunes with all it's faults for simplicity....and the wife.

If I was to venture into higher rez recordings, be a different story obviously.

Kind of where I have settled on myself.

I'm interested in Hi-Rez, but finding a GOOD source is tough.

Little to no information on the recordings.

steveinaz

Simple interface and accurate results---I like Foobar. Everything burned in Flac.

woofiepaws

Emlyn wrote: »

Upstatemax wrote: »

iTunes does have error correction, is it not as good as others?

ITunes does have basic error correction but it is not the same as the better programs. The main problem is it lacks a reliable way to notify a user when errors in ripping are detected. In my case, I would say 99 percent of my CDs have ripped successfully in JRiver without rereads taking place. On some tracks the software has had to read a sector of data a few times to get a perfect copy and on some it has reported being unsuccessful at making a perfect copy. iTunes does not have that extra function of informing when there is a problem with a track or sector on a disc, it just blows through what it is ripping leaving static and breakups where an accurate rip wasn't made. As an archiving tool, that error rate doesn't work for me. As a playback tool it works fine.

Most of my CDs in the last several years have never been played in a CD player but just ripped to WAV, but the older ones are not in perfect condition. The older ones play fine in CD players but getting accurate rips from them is more difficult.

Banging head on desk. Back to re-ripping 600 plus...

Upstatemax

I tested the HD Tracks waters.

I purchased Otis Redding's "The Dock of the Bay" in 192/24.

Running it through the Oppo in the 2ch system. Dead silent noise floor and it sounds excellent...

jeremymarcinko

I have all of my cds stored as 16' 44' flac but am having Jriver upconvert them to 24' 96' wav during playback over DLNA. I don't know that it makes any difference but doesn't take anymore space that way.

BlueFox

I must have ripped 500 CDs with iTunes into ALAC, with no issues. Errors will show up as clicks, pops, etc., and they all play fine.