File format, software and settings?

Mike, definitely not a waste of time. I cut my 2000 CD collection over about 3 months using DB Poweramp which I bought for @$35, but also tried EAC. Both work well, but I find DB saved me time using my Window 7/Quad Core machine in the long run. I used the lossless MPEG4, but FLAC or WAV work too. I find it easier to modify the tags as MPEG4's for me personally and I feed 4 Squeezebox Touchs feeding external DAC's in each room in my house wirelessly. Not optimum in some peoples opinions, but it works for us.

I find it works very well for my wife/I and I no longer use my CDP at all, since I can reference any album/track anytime using a remote, which has gotten us to listen to many tracks I had forgotten over the years. It also makes everything much easier for my wife, who's not really into get CD's out of jewel cases all the time. I can also synch all 4 SB's if we're entertaining so every room plays the same tracks.

Many people on here like Apple stuff too. I don't think there's so much a right/wrong as what works for you in your situation. I use a pair of 2TB Western Digital Caviar drives so I have 2 copies of my library just in case fungu happens since it took me a while to convert redbook CDs to files. I cut about 100-200 a night whilst listening at night until I got it done. I find I now play in random track mode most of the time, although I still pull up albums in my dedicated audio room when I'm audiophiling(is that a thing?) late at night.

Good luck and happy listening....

Rootman

"Waste of time"

Right - walk over to your bud's house with your CD colleciton for a little ripping session right?

OK, how 'bout putting all those CD's in a big box in your car and find one while you're driving along, then taking it out of the case, inserting one, while putting the other back in it's case- no distraction right?

Well, OK, maybe you just take that whole CD collection on the plane with you when you'd like to enjoy your collection away from home. Hmmm, nothing like some overweight baggae.

Waste of time. Right.

I have no intention of giving up playing CDs. I want to start dabbling in PC audio using my CD players' DAC, as an alternative source at times. Starting point is ripping the CDs in the best way. I would also like to make a lower resolution version at the same time for an mp3 player for using when I travel.

I use Apple products and rip to AIFF for use with iTunes and the various players that interface with the iTunes library. AIFF, unlike WAV, has good metadata support and i'm also using it for archive copies. I've also converted my library to FLAC (with no compression) for future-proofing and for use with players NOT interfacing with iTunes. The transcoding is simple with apps like Max or XLD and can be batch converted. FLAC has great metadata support also. For my iDevices I use mp3's converted from AIFF.

I use dbPoweramp to rip CD's to iTunes Apple Lossless format. You can set up dbPoweramp to file your ripped music right into iTunes. This way, you have the music available for iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc. There is a certain level of snobbery among certain audiophiles about iTunes and ALAC, but I have listened to the various formats and cannot hear any difference significant enough (if at all) to surrender the ease and convenience of iTunes. And its free.

Good luck.

Neal

Neal