2. pc-audio
  3. 1206717639

File format compatible with iTunes and J.River

Anyone have any suggestions for a file format that is lossless and compatible with iTunes and J.River?

I am trying to set up a server based on a PC running WinXp and using an Echo Gina sound card/breakout box. Maybe a standalone DAC will be added later.

I plan to use J.River on the PC but I forsee buying a Mac laptop or Mini in the future. So I want to rip my CD library into a format useful in JRiver but that will work in the future in iTunes.

Another question is what software package to rip the CDs. I've read about Exact Audio Copy and plan to probably use that. Is it possible to rip a cd into two file formats at one, one lossless and one compressed for iPod use?

Thanks in advance.
bmdduck
pls1
432 posts
 
test was 2000 discs ripped.
10 consistent errors split between visually perfect and visibly damaged CDs using Plextor drives with C2 detection

Therefore 99.5% accuracy on a per cd basis and about 99% on a per track basis

Today "compulsive" industrial processes are considered imperfect at 99.999%. As I said "compulsive". supply your own confidence levels.
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
dbpoweramp uses the EAC engine and Accurip and compares with a database. It definitely can rip ones EAC doesn't like to, and when I had problems I just washed the cd with liquid soap and dried it with a microfiber cloth pulling from the center out (not round and round). These cd's then ripped even when there were no visible scratches. I used two Plextor drives and ran 2 instances of dbpoweramp so I could rip faster, I'm at 590 cd's out of 1200.. what I find amazing is how many cd's have manufacturing defects (out of round, laser rot, etc), and I know my backups will sound way better than the originals....

With the huge time investment it takes to rip, I wanted it done right the first time and lossless so I'm ripping into FLAC at compression ratio of 6 with verify on... I can right click convert FLAC to any other format.

You are correct Itunes for the PC sounds really bad, no where near the MAC so stay away from it.

MediaMonkey Gold allows you to sync your ipod with your collection and it can convert from Flac (or any format and bitrate) to any format and bitrate on the fly so you don't have to store 2 copies when it syncs with your ipod. It requires a faster machine and is a totally cool feature plus you can put stuff on your Ipod as well as pull it off and it doesn't have to be married to one single computer...
pls1
432 posts
 
Actually, dbpoweramp does not use the EAC engine. If you care, you can see the dbpoweramp site for details. "Spoons", the developer of dbpoweramp acknowledges the technical foundation/contributions of Plextools Pro XL and EAC but the engine and error correction approach is quite different.

These are not "theoretical" issues. The Hydrogen Audio site contains many technical threads on the differences in ripping software technology as well as the participants discovery of manufacturing defects, consistent errors due to drive firmware anomalies and software ripping errors due to an interaction of the defects on the discs, the firmware in the drive and the error correction software on the discs. These anomalies also impact the AccurateRip database. "Spoons" is also the developer of AccurateRip.

AccurateRip 2 is under re-development to address these issues because these anomalies impact AccurateRip also.

There is no need to panic, the good (JRiver) to excellent (dbpoweramp) rippers combined with a drive that outputs C2 error detection will give 99.5 to 99.9% accuracy (depending on your CD collection). Without taking extra precautions it's tough even to detect these errors. Again see Hydrogen Audio Forums if you care.

Sample sizes of a few 1000 CDs do not provide statistically significant confidence levels to prove a difference between 99.5% and "perfect"
More to discover