# Ripping question



## Richnyc (Nov 28, 2013)

Newbie question about ripping from CD's that does not seem to be covered in a forum topic search. I am converting CD's (AIFF files) to WAV files. I know I can not make a digital file better than the CD but I just want to make sure I am starting off with the best settings meaning, to get as close as I can to CD quality using a USB drive that plays through a car radio that has 24 bit DAC. The radio is a Parrot Asteroid Classic and I know it plays wav files. Flash drives are cheap so I am not concerned with file size or compatibility with other programs or players. I am using a program for Mac called iAudioconvertor. They do not have a forum and don't answer their emails so I am trying this on you guys. When converting to Wav I have some options in this program. Under sample rate should I enter 44100 hz" and for Bitrate should I enter 1411 ? This is what CD's are but I am too ignorant to know if this applies to a USB drive.... Thanks!


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

44.100 khz is the normal and what most programs use. It does not matter WAV, AAC, MP3,AIFF they are all sound the same. Once played through a USB the SQ difference will depend on tha DA converter used by the HU, Receiver or player not they type of file it is. 

The important thing is to stay within 256Kbps and 320Kbps to get the best sound almost CD quality but pretty much undetectable by humans unless you have the system to reaveal the difference. Loss less files are identical to CD sound and quality and are usually above 800kbps.


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## Richnyc (Nov 28, 2013)

The program allows me to dial in 1411 kb/s, so is that what I should rip them at ? This is a number I am told CD's are at... The program actually does it... I ripped a file then checked the info for it and its 1411.... Thanks


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## PsyCLown (May 17, 2013)

I think have a quick read here: Audio file format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A CD is digital... If you want to rip the audio from a CD and keep the quality the exact same you would want to rip it to a lossless format of some sort, the most popular one being FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec). However majority of headunits do not support FLAC playback, if yours does then it makes things much simpler and easier for you.

If your headunit supports playback of WAV files, then just rip the CD straight to WAV - the fewer conversions the better. Use 44.1Khz and 1411kbps - when compared to an MP3 at 320kbps, I doubt you will notice the difference between the two but I guess the placebo effect comes into play and it will give you that extra peace of mind 

I am not really sure about MACs and what decent encoding software there is for them. I like to use EAC. It is also often used by the scene for online releases, although that is besides the point


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## Richnyc (Nov 28, 2013)

Thanks so much for the info ! I will check out the software you mentioned. The one I found I just googled and it came up... Sounds like EAC may have more features. This all started when an installer friend of mine played a USB on my HU containing SACD (Super Audio CD) and it sounded amazing so I starting looking into different file formats thinking it might be something that I would want to learn. I think he knew a guy at Sony. So now I have the files and after listening to them I decided that what impressed me was not only the reproduction but how the band recorded it... They picked songs that had a high level and or interesting engineering to them. For example some tracks from The Wall / Pink Floyd was on the playlist. I suspect if you play Donald Fagen's song- Snowbound you will love any stereo playing it. The SACD version of Hotel California, I could not hear a difference from it and the CD. So what I am doing is picking 50 songs that I like and know have interesting engineering. I will rip these and put them on a USB drive in WAV format and just keep that as a play list. Most of the time when I am driving around my music is just background and MP3's are fine for that. When I am on a road trip and want to here great recordings then I will use the USB drive. So far the list is pretty random but contains many of the usually characters: Quincy Jones, Donald Fagen, Stevie Wonder, Ginger Baker, select songs from Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, even some of the later Aerosmith songs have great recordings. I am an amateur musician so I enjoy good sound... Thanks
>


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## ShaneInMN (Sep 27, 2013)

Try MP3 files encoded at 320k CBR and see what you think. Some people say the VBR encoded MP3's with the highest setting give nearly the same quality as 320k, but save even more space. I personally cannot tell a difference between 320k and CD's. 

I use foobar2000, it supports a lot of plugins and allows you to convert to all of the popular formats.


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## Richnyc (Nov 28, 2013)

Yes sounds like the best of both worlds... Bummed... I see the app mentioned before is PC only... poop..


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

XLD is a great app for conversion on the MAC. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Richnyc (Nov 28, 2013)

Yes thanks.. I downloaded it and comparing it to iAudioconverter, the latter lets me set the 
kbps to 1411 and I don't see that feature on XLD nor do I know if its important or not...


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

Richnyc said:


> Yes thanks.. I downloaded it and comparing it to iAudioconverter, the latter lets me set the
> kbps to 1411 and I don't see that feature on XLD nor do I know if its important or not...



AIFF and WAV files are the same and both are 1411kbps. If you are ripping to AIFF or WAV than the kbps stays the same.


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## Richnyc (Nov 28, 2013)

Yup got it.. thanks


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## steveholt (Feb 25, 2014)

lots of good information in here thanks


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