i want to convert my audio cds to any digital format, not flac tho. what do i use best? m4a?mp3 320k? any advice appreciated :)

thanks guys

Re: converting audio cds to...?

flac

that way you can change it to whatever you want at a later date - but still keep quality sound.

Re: converting audio cds to...?

I rip them to alac, lossless quality but still can change the tags on iTunes and add album covers

Re: converting audio cds to...?

Aiff/wav. Top quality and you can do mp3/AAC etc. copies in iTunes, no looking for converters. Which is a real pain.

Re: converting audio cds to...?

thanks guys. what do i use best for ripping to flac? what size are the converted files?

[QUOTE=DIDI;1118986]Aiff/wav. Top quality and you can do mp3/AAC etc. copies in iTunes, no looking for converters. Which is a real pain.[/QUOTE] i dont get it. i rip my cds as wavs and then? convert them to aac/ hq mp3 with itunes? i use mainly my ipod for listening, does it even play flac or wav??

Re: converting audio cds to...?

btw whats the better quality. purchasing 320 mp3s from beatport or the mp4? from itunes?

Re: converting audio cds to...?

[QUOTE=klangfabrik;1119016]thanks guys. what do i use best for ripping to flac? what size are the converted files?

i dont get it. i rip my cds as wavs and then? convert them to aac/ hq mp3 with itunes? i use mainly my ipod for listening, does it even play flac or wav??[/QUOTE] Yeah that is what you do, cds are aiff/wav i.e.1411kbps , so rip them the same . Import into itunes as aiff or wav . iTunes allows both . They are essentially the same . You can leave them like that , I do. You ipod does play aiff/wav. But of course the files are very big. I have a 160gb Ipod so not worried about the size. If I was you I would import them in aiff so I had the best quality files and then change import settings to mp3, set to custom to 320. Get drop down menu on track you want to convert,actually copy, select create mp3 . Then you end up with both in your iTunes . aac is 128 so low quality. Apple lossless encoder is similar to flac. They keep the full audio information that the CD original has but compressed. You still end up with large files though.

Re buying tracks I always want to buy the best quality so I buy aiff from beatport etc. . If you are buying to play as a Dj , the good djs say play with aiff. Otherwise it is actually just whatever you personally want to hear. iTunes store is only 256kbps .

Hope this is helpful.

Re: converting audio cds to...?

Agree with Didi

If I were to play in a regular Bar with NOT such a good sound system then Mp3 320 or Wav does not make a huge difference....Now If you are going to play in a PROPER club with PROPER sound system then Wav or Aiff would be ideal and you would probably hear the difference too, especially if the previous dj was using mp3 320..

Re: converting audio cds to...?

^^That sounds pretty right :) Pun intended :)

Re: converting audio cds to...?

I don't know why people get carried away with this so much. This week I listened to Joris Voorn's 9 hour Rejected Boxing Day set from Amsterdam at 128kbs and at no point in the whole 9 hours was I thinking about the bit rate. Yes the higher bit rate is [U]normally[/U] better, but not essential. If you're converting CD's to digital my guess is you're doing it to listen to it on your ipod or in the car.

Re: converting audio cds to...?

Agree, I'd rather listen to great music with average audio quality than average music with a great bit rate.

Audio quality will also depend what you are listening with and playing through. So high end CD player >> DAC >> Speakers will give you better audio quality.

Even at 128 its the quality and mastering of the recording .. some 128s can actually sound pretty good.

I bought a portable DAC to boost my digital files

[url="http://www.whathifi.com/review/fiio-e7"]Fiio E7 review from the experts at whathifi.com[/url]

.. in all honesty not much difference.

Re: converting audio cds to...?

i havent figured out how to rip all my mix cds as one file oO

trying EAC now. some ppl say this works :lol:

Re: converting audio cds to...?

it will depend on listening equipment - you absolutely can tell the difference in quality of sounds on a high end stereo system.

Listening on shitty earphones whilst on the tube probably not. IMHO

Simon I too have that E7! it made little difference if i used it from my (fairly new, fairly tripped out) laptop e; - on my old 'classic' 120 gig ipod - I could definitely tell the difference, the - using seinheisser headphones for both tests.

again - as with most audio advice - much of it comes down to individual listening preferences !

Re: converting audio cds to...?

Makes sense Huggie ... was via my laptop with my HD25s.

Was wondering if these would make much difference.

[B][URL="http://www.whathifi.com/review/hrt-microstreamer"]HRT microStreamer[/URL][/B]

[B][URL="http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/arcam-rpac-usb-dac-headphone-amplifier"]Arcam rPAC USB DAC[/URL][/B]

[B][URL="http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/dacmagic-xs-usb-dac-headphone-amp"]Cambridge Audio acMagic XS[/URL][/B]

Re: converting audio cds to...?

[QUOTE=klangfabrik;1119038]i havent figured out how to rip all my mix cds as one file oO

trying EAC now. some ppl say this works :lol:[/QUOTE]

Open itunes and select all of the tracks from the CD then "Erweitert-->CD Titel Gruppieren"

Re: converting audio cds to...?

[QUOTE=klangfabrik;1119038]i havent figured out how to rip all my mix cds as one file oO

trying EAC now. some ppl say this works :lol:[/QUOTE] I prefer to leave them as they come .Import into iTunes and they still play no gap and you can see on your iPod which track is playing. But you can import no gap. itunes/advanced/ join cd tracks . Much as I hate iTunes a lot of the time it can do most of the things we want.

Re quality I want to hear great music in great quality , don't have to listen to average music. :lol: I don't have to choose :) Why bother with anything less then the best ?? It's so simple :) you can get away with average sound on iPods etc, but average sound on a good sound system sounds awful. I find good headphones and good equipment magnify the faults. Who would master to 128 ??

But there can be an incredible difference between music at the same bitrate. Depending on the recording and the person doing the recording. And once again it is whatever you are happy listening too.

Just noticed Huggie and Trokia have covered most of what I said anyway. :lol: