Ripping CD's - Is iTunes good enough?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by colby2415, Oct 5, 2017.

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  1. rockin_since_58

    rockin_since_58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Simi Valley, CA
    I have been ripping CD's in iTunes Lossless for a long time and have not had any problems. I have tried all the various other programs and services and for me, iTunes just works and sounds best. I do use Amarra sQ+ as the sound engine for iTunes. It is hard to near impossible to beat iTunes library management.
     
  2. ThmsFrd

    ThmsFrd Forum Resident

    Seriously, I really don't know you guys manage to have so many problems with iTunes. When it's not CD ripping, it's synchronization, or iTunes Match, or whatever update that just messed up with whatever thing... I've been using it for 10 years without any problem I didn't created myself.
     
  3. Balthazar

    Balthazar Forum Resident

    I didn't care for EAC, and quickly switched to dBpoweramp. It's pretty painless to use and only costs $39 per computer.

    dBpoweramp Music Converter - mp3 converter, FLAC, WAV, AAC & Apple Losslesss. Free 21 day trial, download & convert

    As far as iTunes, no idea. Never used it for much of anything unrelated to my phone.

    I bet you'd get much different answers to your question on the Apple forum. I'd guess a bunch of people there would tell you it's fine, assuming anyone on an Apple forum even bothers ripping CDs anymore. Like everything, you decide how crazy you want to get with all this stuff.

    If you want easy but crazy, try dBpoweramp.
     
    ShallowMemory and Sevoflurane like this.
  4. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Not all CDs are the same. Some plants have better quality than others. I have over 4,000 CDs and I can tell you that I've come across various discs that wouldn't rip properly with generic programs like Itunes either because a particular drive didn't like them or there was something wrong with the way the disc was made that couldn't be seen with the naked eye. It's just the way things are.

    I've also run into more than a few sellers of used CDs that insist that the copy of ___ album they are selling has no skips or errors because "it ripped to my Itunes/Windows Media Player"...then I end up with a defective CD.
     
  5. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    It can't verify an error free rip - therefore it is useless to me. End of story.
     
    Steve Martin likes this.
  6. ThmsFrd

    ThmsFrd Forum Resident

    ...so it doesn't work, right ?
     
    Ntotrar likes this.
  7. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I'm not sure you understand.

    Enjoy your Itunes and have a great day.
     
  8. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    iTunes has rarely let me down. I've had no reason to try anything else, as I just don't see the point....
     
    Freebird, dalem5467, LarryP and 3 others like this.
  9. ThmsFrd

    ThmsFrd Forum Resident

    I understand perfectly. I'm just tired of people arguing that "iTunes isn't detailed/customizable enough" - this simply just ISN'T THE QUESTION.
     
    Freebird and Stone Turntable like this.
  10. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Wrong.

    It isn't about endless customization, it's about the ability to VERIFY bit perfect rips, which is an essential feature of doing cd rips properly. ITUNES CANNOT DO THAT, PERIOD.

    Gonna hit the ignore button now. Too many IDRONES in this thread that don't understand bit perfect CD ripping.
     
    Steve Martin, Sevoflurane and Grant like this.

  11. This is about 80% of my CD collection. Most are now on a HD using iTunes. I think maybe ten CDs wouldn’t rip via my main Music Mac but then most worked fine when I tried via a different computer. Sinetibes a Drive just won’t read a particular CD.

    I’ve only noticed three or four glitches over the past decade. Sure there may be more but so far it’s been pretty seamless and satisfying.

    No issues with iTunes in this household.

    [​IMG]
     

  12. Essential to some. Not essential to others.

    Just depends how much one is intrenched in the hobby of digital management. For me it’s just easily playing my music without futzing around.
     
  13. ThmsFrd

    ThmsFrd Forum Resident

    This place is insane.
     
  14. I think it’s all fun debate. But yes some take it too seriously imho.

    We all tackle the hobby differently. Some prioritize the process over the Music. Some love the technology side and others not so much. It’s all good.
     
  15. rockin_since_58

    rockin_since_58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Simi Valley, CA
    As long as it sounds good...who cares??? Can you hear if a bit is missing here or there?
     
  16. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    There is no futzing once the program is set up. Guess you've never used it...
     
  17. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    You sure as hell can when it results in a glitch.
     
  18. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I've ripped my entire collection a couple times with iTunes (my bad, don't ask!), but lately I've been using XLD to make sure they are perfect as it does similar error checking as EAC it seems. It's a little bit more of a pain, but nothing major. Tidal has gotten so good that I m questioning a lot of my time and effort spent on local storage and Lp's these days anyway.
     
  19. rockin_since_58

    rockin_since_58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Simi Valley, CA
    I have ripped 100's of CD's with iTunes and have not heard any audio glitches. Had a few I could not rip because there were just too scratched to be read. I also have XLD but iTunes is just easier and quicker. I mainly use XLD to convert FLAC downloads to ALAC.
     
    Stone Turntable likes this.
  20. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    So glad you have decided to ignore those who disagree with you. And your position devolved into name calling which proves your pointless point more succinctly than anything you have written here.
     
    dalem5467 and Lorraine like this.
  21. I understand. I was not inferring that your software needs it. My comment really is about some collectors who get into the micro management of the digital files of songs. Tagging , updating artwork etc.

    Again I get that part of the hobby. Some of us can’t be bothered and just want to play the music without futzing around.
     
  22. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    The latest build of EAC has a wizard that is found under the File menu. Follow its instructions. It's that simple!

    I only use EAC for problematic CDs. That mean ones that stick while ripping, or so not rip accurately with other rippers. My main ripper is dbpoweramp. It, like EAC, verifies the rip's accuracy and tells you when something is wrong. It may even sound OK, but it's not. It has errors. That is when you use EAC.

    Some CDs were manufactured in a way that makes most rippers stick or even stop. If they do rip, you may hear snaps, loud tearing sounds, and other glitches. You don't usually know until you're in your car one day and hear it. Then you gotta go home, dig out that CD (if you still have it), and re-rip it, and hope if rips better. But, with EAC, you have a much better chance of getting an error-free rip.

    I think some people here seem to think that just because iTunes is made by Apple, their rips must be good.
     
    gd0 and patient_ot like this.
  23. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    1. When I buy a CD I keep it.

    2. You seem to think that just because iTunes is made by Apple, their rips must be bad.
     
    Lorraine likes this.
  24. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    iTunes CD rips are objectively bad. It’s not so much a matter of opinion as much as it is simple and repeatable fact. I like Apple and I like Apple products, at the same I have no problem criticizing them where they do something wrong or offer an inferior product/service to a competitor.
     
    George P, Grant and patient_ot like this.
  25. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    I haven't had any real trouble with iTunes ripping my CDs. They sound fine on the numerous systems I have owned since the first version of iTunes was released. Only one disk in the last decade didn't rip and it didn't rip at all. Some Mingus album I can't even remember the name of. When different versions of the same album sound different depending on origin I'm not going to concern myself with inaudible differences that make no difference. I have encountered very few noticeable errors and those were corrected with re-ripping that individual track, a rare occurrence in my experience. iTunes integrates across my network and its numerous connected devices. I have no need for additional ripping software.
     
    Mazzy likes this.
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