Ripping CD's

nicks

Many thanks again. I will rip ALL my cd's again tomorrow. Presumably this is the best option to get the best quality rather than import them from MY MUSIC folder?

Marty_J

Yes, converting between lossy formats (e.g. mp3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, WMA) causes a decrease in sound quality.

I would suggest you choose a song you know really well, preferably something that's really well recorded, and rip it at different bit-rates. Then have a listen on your earphones and see what one sounds better. You might not be able to tell the difference between a 256 kbps file and a 320 kbps one, so you could then rip at 256 kbps and save yourself some space.

There's no single best bit-rate to rip at; it's a balancing act between your hearing, your equipment, and the amount of storage space you have.

sharkie

I'm suprised no one here mentioned the free EAC (exact audio copy) http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

It is slower than some, but always reliable and you get to pick the encoder too.

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

nicks wrote: »

I presume I can use iTunes using my Sony MP3 player?

Have you checked what formats the player supports before you go ripping your CD's?

randomtask_2

Sony Network Walkmans should certainly support the main lossy file formats: MP3, AAC (but not those with DRM that might have been bought from iTunes) and WMA.

Sharkie, EAC is an excellent program with a raft of options, but not the easiest or most intuitive to use. I doubt the OP needs the level of features on offer if all we're talking about is ripping CDs at a high bit rate.