Best Software to Rip mp3's

[RobRich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTAtech

I like ripping in a high bit-rate 256 or higher, because I output to a high-end audio system and disk space is cheap.

Then you should consider something besides such an old lossy format like MP3, and going to the next level, you probably should seriously think about encoding to a lossless format like APE, FLAC, or similar.

As for a CD ripper, CDex is popular among the open source community:

CDex | Open Source Digital Audio CD Extractor with more than 38,000,000 downloads

It supports numerous audio encoding engines.

[MTAtech]

Rob,
That's a good suggestion. That link seems it has not been updated in years though.

Quote:

Although it is 2007 now, there is a possibility to support these old Windows versions as long as possible.

[RobRich]

Not much reason to update it, as the code base of CDex reached coding maturity years ago IMO. Just grab the latest beta release, plus an ASPI layer if required, and you should be okay.

[KarmaKiller]

+1 for FLAC. If you have a nice set of cans, or speakers, you can hear the difference for sure.

[thephilosophizer]

FLAC is good, and pretty widely used, though it is something of a pain in the ass to use in wmp (IMO), though itunes does have native support for it.
Also, both wmp and itunes have their own proprietary lossless formats. Personal, I am of the ipod crowd (and I do have a mac, and a pc), so I use itunes, and it does lossless encoding, and cd burner, etc.
I mean, if you don't have an ipod or zune, maybe the other programs make sense, but I haven't used a cd in probably a few years now (I ripped all my cds to pc a while back, I do still have them collecting dust somewhere though).
Also just a cool thing on the macbooks, the audio out is not just a standard 3.5mm, but also a mini-optical, which sounds great going straight into the stereo.

[MTAtech]

I'm going to experiment with the lossless formats because I output audio through SPDIF/toslink to my audio system in another room.

[pullmyfoot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTAtech

I like ripping in a high bit-rate 256 or higher, because I output to a high-end audio system and disk space is cheap.

I do 320kbps for my ipod

[osprey4]

No one has recommended EAC? Introduction » Exact Audio Copy

[MTAtech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pullmyfoot

I do 320kbps for my ipod

I read somewhere that @256 one cannot tell the difference. Obviously, 320 would be a step beyond that. However, the suggestions about lossless are intriguing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by osprey4

No one has recommended EAC? Introduction » Exact Audio Copy

[MTAtech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobRich

Then you should consider something besides such an old lossy format as MP3, and going to the next level, you probably should seriously think about encoding to a lossless format like APE, FLAC, or similar.

I think that those formats aren't support by iPods, and we have 4 of them here.