I have another take although some will be familiar with this.I cannot listen to stock store bought cd's ANYMORE!I firstly rip any cd I am going to play with EAC and play the CD-R.I will not even listen to the original cd.To me it is so obvious that standard mass produced redbook is uniformly below par that it actually beggars belief.Not one rip I have ever done has failed to sound better after being ripped with EAC.It is standard practice on good torrent sites to upload EAC ripped material for download.In recent times also,a guy called PBTHAL achieved a world-wide following transcribing mint LP's from an excellent turntable set-up,that people would send to him from all over.He would put these LP's online for free download.Same story,store bought cd's are crap.
CD's vs Vinyl - Finally hear the difference
About 2 years ago, I decided to get back into vinyl. I had some old albums I wanted to play, so I blew the dust off my 35 year old TT and fired that mutha up. It took me about 13 months to get my accousic vibration problem licked and to put together some decent analog euipment-some new, some used. Anyway, I started listening to ONLY vinyl. I was surprised how well my albums had been preserved and how well the new ones I purchased sounded. I had read the vinyl purist's comments about how much better records sounded than CD's, but I must admit-I was doubtful. I had put together a fairly good Digital system with a tubed Kora Hermes II DAC. Anyway, I had a friend over the other day and for the first time in almost a year, I put on a CD. I have to say-there is absolutely no comparison how much better vinyl sounds than CD's. CD's sound as though they were recorded in an anechoic chamber. There is no ambience, no warmth, no soul. The music is accurate, but it isn't alive. You simply have to hear it to understand. All the years I wasted listening to CD's! I guess they have their place if you're on the go in cars, boats etc, but if you are wanting to really listen to good quality recorded music, there is only one choice.