Heisenberg Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Hey everyone, I recently bought a used CD that plays fine, except one track, that "skips" for a few seconds when I play the CD in my car. I tried to import the CD into iTunes to see if it still had the same problem, but I noticed that the track that skipped in my car plays totally fine when imported. Why is this? Is it because of the CD or my car's player? Thanks. Link to comment
Skeptic Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Ripping a CD can take as long as it requires to get a good copy of the audio tracks, since it is extracting data rather than playing audio in real-time. iTunes is not a secure ripper, so there may still be occasional pops & clicks in a disc which skips, but using a secure ripping tool like dBpoweramp or XLD on a Mac should get you a perfect rip if it's possible. If you were simply playing the disc in iTunes without ripping it, then it sounds like the car's CD player isn't working well. This is why I no longer use CD players. I rip the disc once and have a copy which always plays perfectly every time. Link to comment
avta Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Try cleaning the cd. You can use a cd cleaner or just try some mild detergent and water using a soft cloth. Look at the cd and see if you can detect any physical imperfections. If you see some a cleaner that buffs the cd surface might help. I've used one in the past with good results and have been able to play discs that were unplayable. I think the unit was called Disc Doctor or Skip Doctor. Link to comment
Audio_ELF Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Basically because a computer can take its time and repeatedly re-read a CD till it's sure it has read it right it is a lot more immune to slight damage on CDs compared with a traditional playback mechanism. This is especially true with players such as a car player which is likely build to a low cost. For analogy think of a badly printed newspaper where the text is blurred... If you are reading the article aloud you are more likely to make errors than if you were to be writing a copy of the article and it is possible to keep rereading and checking the context of the words, etc. Eloise Eloise --- ...in my opinion / experience... While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing. And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism. keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out. Link to comment
wgscott Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 If the CD rips without issue, import the tracks as lossless and burn them to a new CD. Link to comment
Heisenberg Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Right, so basically when a CD is being ripped, the method is different from the one used for simple playback, correct? I guess that's why I'm experiencing some skipping in my car and not when ripping. Thanks for the explanations. I'll try cleaning the CD, and if the problem persists I'll just burn it to another since I've already got it in ALAC. About ripping, I'll try doing it with the program you suggested, thanks. Link to comment
sandyk Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 This is especially true with players such as a car player which is likely build to a low cost. The original car CD players were actually built to a higher standard due to the need to make them immune to bumps etc. on the road. However a car CD player that is old may have degraded, or even have grime on the lens. How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file. PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020 Link to comment
wgscott Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Even a good car CD player has the restriction of having to read the file in real-time, whereas a computer ripping a CD can take all day until it gets it right (or consistent). Polishing with a microfiber or cotton cloth and a little water can work wonders, but if you know the ALAC files are ok, then it would be easiest to burn a replacement CD. Link to comment
sandyk Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 If the CD rips without issue, import the tracks as lossless and burn them to a new CD. This may be worth trying, but there is no guarantee of success as many earlier CD players had difficulty reading CD-Rs. How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file. PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020 Link to comment
Heisenberg Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 Even a good car CD player has the restriction of having to read the file in real-time, whereas a computer ripping a CD can take all day until it gets it right (or consistent). Polishing with a microfiber or cotton cloth and a little water can work wonders, but if you know the ALAC files are ok, then it would be easiest to burn a replacement CD. The ALAC files are definitely ok, I've checked them all. Link to comment
wgscott Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 This may be worth trying, but there is no guarantee of success as many earlier CD players had difficulty reading CD-Rs. Only in the Southern hemisphere, where they tended to spin in the wrong direction. Link to comment
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