Ignore Ignorant Trolls (IIT).
$1,000 is PLENTY to rip all your CDs. Use a good program, be systematic, and use a Lossless compression scheme. Set the software to do adequate bit checks.
I use the drive on my mac mini and have not messed with Windows for years (for audio) so can't help you much on Windows, tho IIRC dbPoweramp is a good program. There is a blog on computeraudiophile.com that explains exactly how to do it systematically so you don't have to do it over.
If you get a bit perfect copy it cannot degrade SQ.
You WILL find that many CDs are not as well recorded or mastered as others. The Steve Hoffmann forum has (incessant) discussion about which releases are best.
Once you get everything you own on your computer, you can go about replacing the lower quality issues with better ones (if they exist).
Then there is high bit rate and bit depth recordings (Hi Res, DSD, yada yada). Double blind listening tests have shown a small difference and a slight preference for them over Redbook CD. However, these were at very high bit rates beyond what is normally found. OTOH, many recent SACDs are better recorded and better mastered than older CDs....
The important thing is to get your CDs on a hard drive.
To improve SQ buy better speakers and a good amp to drive them. If you already bought the $50,000 speakers of your dreams, build a new room for them. (Then buy a new trophy wife and the current one leaves you b/c of the stereo...)
$1,000 is PLENTY to rip all your CDs. Use a good program, be systematic, and use a Lossless compression scheme. Set the software to do adequate bit checks.
I use the drive on my mac mini and have not messed with Windows for years (for audio) so can't help you much on Windows, tho IIRC dbPoweramp is a good program. There is a blog on computeraudiophile.com that explains exactly how to do it systematically so you don't have to do it over.
If you get a bit perfect copy it cannot degrade SQ.
You WILL find that many CDs are not as well recorded or mastered as others. The Steve Hoffmann forum has (incessant) discussion about which releases are best.
Once you get everything you own on your computer, you can go about replacing the lower quality issues with better ones (if they exist).
Then there is high bit rate and bit depth recordings (Hi Res, DSD, yada yada). Double blind listening tests have shown a small difference and a slight preference for them over Redbook CD. However, these were at very high bit rates beyond what is normally found. OTOH, many recent SACDs are better recorded and better mastered than older CDs....
The important thing is to get your CDs on a hard drive.
To improve SQ buy better speakers and a good amp to drive them. If you already bought the $50,000 speakers of your dreams, build a new room for them. (Then buy a new trophy wife and the current one leaves you b/c of the stereo...)
