I spent my evening re-ripping my CD collection...

[Pierre.Suave]

and have a LONG way to go before I am finished.

I found out tonight that iTunes is not really ripping my files in a loss-less format, even though it says it is. So, I began re-ripping my music with a program called Max, that turns out absolutely stunning results.

http://sbooth.org/Max/

I don't know what the problem with iTunes is, but it has to be missing bits here and there. The only problem with Max is that I have to enter all the song info by hand once I import it into iTunes, which sucks, but the sound quality is worth it.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

1. The problem is that the recording rate is set by the receiving device

if I remember John Atkinson's perorations on this in Stereophile. Unless the receiving device understands that it is receiving a bit-for-bit transfer it reinterpolates the digital data with filters that add a LOT of digital jitter, which fux up the sound to no end. You need the Wadia I-Pod station we were talking about, which understands that it is receiving an uncompressed digital stream, which it then passes along to the recording device.

If you have a Wadia station, I am talking out my ass, which would not be a first.

To hell with DU. I need some Ralph Vaughan Williams on vinyl and some more vodka.

PM me soon, and I can promise an interesting get together with a MAJoR audio industry insider who would like to meet you. Probably to sell you something. :P

Da ChimpH8r

[Pierre.Suave]

2. Well, I am using the DAC1 and I am pretty sure it takes the bits

whatever bits it is given, and transforms them into beautiful analog music. The weird thing is that when iTunes rips a cd as a 16bit/44.1khz .aiff file, it does not sound as good as the same file, ripped by Max as a 16bit/44.1khz .aiff file.

It is weird, and I have no idea why, other than iTunes is ignoring bits, even when it says it is not.

edit: The DAC1 also has a true 24 bit path, so the bits do not get truncated by the computer and the device talking to each other. I am also pretty sure it takes whatever bit rate you give it, because it just takes bits and ignores everything else.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

4. Should have been clearer

Duh.

By receiving, I mean RECORDING device, not the decoding device. I think I-Tunes is shafting you, not the Benchmark. This is starting to sound like the kind of software problem that makes my ancient head hurt.

Still. Pierre, would ya like to meet the QC listener at Audio Research? He's interested in a get together.

ChimpH8R

[Pierre.Suave]

5. yes, definitely is iTunes not the DAC1

What does he want to sell me?

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

8. Probably an ARC DAC

but he knows what he is talking about. He designed the thing, listening wise and also the new Reference 5 preamp and Reference Phono 2 phono stage. I've heard both in my own system (Aesthetix IO Sig tube phono pre and Calypso tube pre, Classe CAM-350 monoblocks and EgglestonWorks Andra II speakers, Cardas Golden Reference cabling cos he won't give me back my Nordost Valhalla) and they are to sonic beauty what Katarina Witt, Lucy Liu or Halle Berry is (IMHO) to physical beauty. :wow: :P

Good listening and good laffs! I am outta here for the night. PM me for more info!

[Pierre.Suave]

10. I will PM you

the ARC DAC has some stiff competition in the DAC1.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

11. But it comes down to tubes, dude

TUBES! And a massive power supply. No audio reviewer BS, just lots of years of listening to the difference. TUBES RULE!!

[Pierre.Suave]

17. I have plenty of tubes downstream

of the DAC.

I used to use the Musical Fidelity X-Dac V8 with its tube, and it was not as good as the DAC1, nor did it sound as nice.

[underpants]

3. Thank god the Bodeans have been digitalized

I was worried that might not happen

[Pierre.Suave]

6. I do not have any of the Bodeans...

But Diana Krall is sounding even sweeter than before...

[Forkboy]

7. I've maxed out a 40 gig hard drive with nothing but music, and I can't be more than 10% done.

Next month I'm buying an external terabyte hard drive that I'm going to dedicate solely to music, so until then I haven't been ripping anymore. I have nowhere to put it. I knew I had a lot of music, but damn, if I was ripping them in alphabetical order I wouldn't even be past the letter D yet.

Bit of a music nut, I am. :crazy:

[Pierre.Suave]

9. I have a 1 terabyte drive

solely for music. I have ALL my music ripped as a lossless file, same as the CD, or so I thought anyway... I have some re-ripping to do.

[kentauros]

12. I use JetAudio for ripping.

I've never liked iTunes, mainly because it's such a pain to make it sort and save my files were I want them to go and not where the software second-guesses me and my system. Plus, JetAudio handles all the major lossless formats, since their portables play those formats, too. I recently bought a Cowon S9 and I love it! :D

http://www.jetaudio.com
http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/cowon/s9

[Pierre.Suave]

13. I could never figure out why people are so against

having an ORGANIZED music library...

it boggles my mind. I guess you like doing things the hard way?

Second, I am on a Mac, not a winblows machine...

[kentauros]

28. I like doing things the easy way.

That is, organized the way I think they should be :P

And I could care less what machine people use. Just show me results and what you can produce. Skill is more important than the tool used ;)

[Pierre.Suave]

14. and I am still ripping CDs...

have quite a stack here in front of me...

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. I converted all mine to an 8Hz 2-bit sampling spoons-based player

Sure, it loses a bit fidelity-wise, but I can fit all my thousands of CDs on one 5-1/4" floppy and play them anywhere, therefore.

[Pierre.Suave]

16. Way to go!

Rock on dude!

:rofl:

[leeroysphitz]

18. I recently digitized my entire collection and had it transferred onto punch cards.

Now my entire music collection almost fits in the back of a panel van and I can listen to it anywhere that has a Burroughs B-200!

[Deja Q]

19. Nice!! But why not step into the 80s?

:D

[pokerfan]

20. Two bits? WTF?

One bit is good enough for me:

[graywarrior]

21. I've done that and ended up with neck pain from sitting and staring so long

[hobbit709]

22. iTunes-purposedly degraded proprietary audio format.

I'd rather keep my music in something that will play on anything. 320k MP3 works fine for me.

[pokerfan]

23. Open source is the only way to go

[Pierre.Suave]

24. Apparently you are unfamiliar with iTunes in particular

and music formats in general...

Nice try though.

And are also convinced that what works for you, will work for everybody, regardless of any other circumstances that may be a consideration for the other person...

I bet you are on a winblows machine too aren't you?

[hobbit709]

26. Currently the computer I'm on is winblows

But I can build 4 PC's for what ONE overpriced Mac costs and all will outperform that one.
I use mp3, wav, ogg, and Audacity's aup.
My OS's run from Ubuntu 8.10, Mandriva 2009, Xp, Xp X64, and a variation of BeOS.
My 8 track digital audio recording box runs Ubuntu Studio which I use for live recordings of various bands that I know. I can carry a complete portable live recording setup in one cloth grocery bag.

[Pierre.Suave]

27. All that, and yet you seem to have missed so much

When making your incredibly biased and flat out ignorant and wrong earlier statement.

[Pierre.Suave]

29. Oh, and FYI

I would really like to see you build 4 PCs that can outperform my Mac Pro, without spending anymore than I paid for it...

:rofl:

[hobbit709]

30. You paid how much for that slowpoke?

[Pierre.Suave]

31. Ha Ha Ha Ha

[hobbit709]

32. It's all in knowing where to shop.

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail-$245

ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail-$139

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail-$59

Seagate 1Tb hard drive-$89

2 SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - $25 ea.

Midtower steel case with 120mm rear fan and 80 mm front fan.-$9

550w P.S.-$20

total cost of hardware $611

OC'd that baby to 3.7 GHz runs at 40-45°C, idles at 35°C.

[no name no slogan]

34. I have two live recording set-ups that don't use a computer of any sort

Both are portable, both are digital recorders. I am a semi-pro musician and have been doing digital recordings since the mid-90s on both PC and hardware-only formats (ADAT). My first PC recording project was done using a Session 8 setup in 1994, which originally ran on Windows 3.1.

What do I use in my project studio at home? A Mac. Why? Because, quite simply, it just WORKS. I don't need to fuck with various programs, or various hardware configurations, or software, etc. I plug in my protools box, the Mac finds it, and I'm ready to go.

Some people like to experiment and play with their hardware (like you). I like to use the piece of equipment that lets me get the job done, so I can concentrate on making music, not fucking about with my gear. That's why I use a Mac at home, and my two portable digital devices when I'm out. Your setup with various hardware/OS configs works for you. My Mac setup may cost a bit more up front, but it takes less fucking around on my part to get it to work.

Your mileage may vary.

[Inchworm]

25. There must be a glitch in the Matrix

Isn't this a repeat? :P

:hi:

[DU GrovelBot]

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[no name no slogan]

35. That's funny, I spent all evening re-ripping my WAV files to wax cylinders

Now I get plenty of analogue warmth and distortion (and scratchiness) that I never got from cool, crisp, clear digital music.