AAC or AppleLossless

If you assume that you will (at some time) be porting the data off your HD into a very good DAC via a USB connection, you should definitively use a lossless scheme. I'm not sure it matters what format you choose. I know that testing has shown Apple Lossless converts back to the original format with bit-for-bit accuracy (use error correction when ripping just to make sure). I wouldn't be surprised if the same is true for other lossless formats. The downside of Apple Lossless is that it only works on Apple Itunes and Ipod, whereas other formats may also work with other music engines. There are programs out there to convert apple lossless into other lossless formats (in bulk), but not the other way around (licensing???). Personally, I ripped everything in Apple Lossless. Now that I get to know itunes, I'm not as impressed as I'd hoped though!

I do plan to store all the music I import to a 500GB hardrive, and then pump it out through USB Waveterminal 24, and in the future, maybe a DAC. It sounds like the Apple lossless is not all its cracked up to be? There was an article a few weeks back on AudioRevolution.com about using a Music Server (Apple/iTunes) and the author suggested using AAC. When you use AAC you can adjust the khz and sampling rate. When I have some time I am going to try to import the same disc in both formats and see how it sounds piped through my stereo. That may be the only way to know for sure.

For serious listening Apple Lossless ONLY!

Also see J. Atkinson in Stereophile on that matter.