Hello Everyone.
I am new here, so please forgive any initial non-protocol posts on my behalf.
I am a seasoned audiophile, and have been for many years. I more recently began ripping my music library (all others in addition to my long ago ripped favorites), in the hopes of getting rid of most of my physical collection (except my all time favorites), and building a media server for my main A/V system. That being said, I have experimented here and there with different options.
I have always used iTunes as my main player & ripper, as well as some other variations. They pretty well all sound the same to me. Played around with AIFF, WAV, AAC, ALC, etc...
The best rip I got is with EAC, in the FLAC format, outperforming AIFF substantially! I am still uncertain as to why, exactly. While AIFF is uncompressed, and FLAC is a lossless compression method, I am inclined to believe that EAC's accuracy with the hardware might be the primary factor here.
I played the tracks using Media Monkey, since iTunes will not play FLAC files. Better dynamics, more clarity, much better imaging, tighter, cleaner bass, cleaner, more extended highs. I would call it a huge difference!
At this point, I have no problem using EAC to rip my CDs. Still trying to find a media player comparable to iTunes that I feel at home with.
Any input, comments, or questions are welcome.
