whats the preferred 320kbps cd ripper

I have the feeling that not all 320kbps rippers are equal and that some are of higher quality than others. Can anybody recommend the most or more popular rippers that are used. I've been using the ripper bundled with my 'Creative' audigy usb player.

Oh yeah, mp3 rippers, not wma.

 

EAC (exact audio copy) is reguarded as the best ripper due to its extensive error correction options, and LAME is the best mp3 encoder. Both are free. We have a guide here on how to install, setup, and use both:

http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/mydeneaclame.cfm

 

Is anyone having troubles downloading the Adapter 1 for EAC's LAME? It worked for me a month ago, and after I reformated my computer, I can't open this link. I just click on Adapter 1 and I internet explorer says it can't open the site.

 

Somethings wrong with the site again...

 

his site went down a few months ago, Chris must be having problems. If anyone needs the adapter files PM me your email and I'll send them to you

 

The site layout is also different. I know when he had problems last time he was with iPower web. So maybe his new provider is giving him the same problems.

 

Ubernet have a guide like Chris Mydens which has the adaptors.
http://www.ubernet.org/?p=UberTools

They use a different EAC version and Lame version to Chris Myden.

 

WOW. Finally got around to installing it and the mp3s sound great. While running winamp I couldn't help notice that the 'kbps' keep fluctuating between 128-320. Will that cause problems if I ever wanted to put these new mp3s(don't know their official name, I guess EAC mp3s) on a custom cd?

On a side note, I have a lot of mp3s from cds ripped using windows media player. If I burned them to a cd and then ripped them with EAC (or any other ripper) to mp3s will there be a noticable quality loss?

 

to answer your first question, the kbps meter on winamp fluctuates because it was never programmed to display the actual VBR bitrate, so that is normal. It will have no effect when burning your VBR mp3s to audio CDs. All new burning apps such as nero recognize VBR files.

for your second question, I highly recommend not burning your current mp3s to an audio CD, then re-ripping them. There will be significant quality loss. Anytime you take an already compressed format, uncompress it, then recompress it, there will be severe degredation. An example is making a copy of a copy of a VHS tape...each generation gets worse. I know its a pain in the ass to re-rip your whole CD collection, especially if you have a lot, but it is well worth it in the long run.

 

Why not make a Audio + Data disc. The Audio side get's read on hi fi players, car stereos, etc. While the data side can be read in a PC. That way you could archive the mp3's and put them on the data side and make the audio side so it can be listened to. You can make a Audio + Data CD in Nero

 

Thanks for the website to get the file I needed to download. One more ?

I have wav files on my computer I want to covert to mp3. Can EAC do this? If yes, How? if not, any suggestions? Thanks!

 

yep. open eac and click tools > compress wavs.

@ weaz: yeah those combo discs are a neat idea, if you can stand having that first track of data scream at you when you put the disc in an audio player LOL

 

hmmm. . .so I guess for my .wma files maybe I should convert them to .mp3 instead of burning to a cd and re-ripping. Is there a free-ware program that does that? Does NERO do that?

 

dBpoweramp and Jet Audio can do this

 

if you have the original CDs from your wma files, just go to the source and re-rip them with EAC. If you don't, then your best bet is to leave them as wma, as I described about converting from one lossy format to another will result in quality loss