Recommendation for lossless audio ripping of my CDs please
Discussion
ok, when we move in to our new place I am planning on installing a NAS and converting all my CD collection on to it with the plan to ultimately access it wirelessly using something like the Sonos kit and then get rid of all my CDs.
A couple of questions:
1) What format for lossless audio ripping do PHers prefer? And what is the likely file size difference versus typical mp3 format?
2) Is it worth the effort of converting to a lossless format when I then plan on transmitting it wirelessly to my hif?
Thought appreciated,
Matt
A couple of questions:
1) What format for lossless audio ripping do PHers prefer? And what is the likely file size difference versus typical mp3 format?
2) Is it worth the effort of converting to a lossless format when I then plan on transmitting it wirelessly to my hif?
Thought appreciated,
Matt
In theory all lossless compression-types should yield the same effects, but various types make certain styles of music smaller because of the particular algorythms used, but I don't think there's much in it.
I think that wireless audio equipment would be radio-quality in the end anyway, so it probably wouldn't make a difference if you were listening to MP3s or lossless, but I'm not sure about that as I don't know what kind of high-spec wireless kits they have these days...
I think that wireless audio equipment would be radio-quality in the end anyway, so it probably wouldn't make a difference if you were listening to MP3s or lossless, but I'm not sure about that as I don't know what kind of high-spec wireless kits they have these days...
Rip to WAV - this is completely lossless and means that the quality is determined by the DAC used by the playback device.
I have my CD collection stores on NAS and playback via my SONOS. There are some really high quality network music players coming on the market, such as the "Transporter":
www.slimdevices.com/
I have my CD collection stores on NAS and playback via my SONOS. There are some really high quality network music players coming on the market, such as the "Transporter":
www.slimdevices.com/
stuh said:
I have my CD collection stored on NAS and playback via my SONOS.
Cheers Stuh. How do you find this setup? Would you choose it again, given the choice of starting from scratch with a similar budget? What NAS did you settle on ?
Matt
NB. I like the idea of the SONOS over squeezebox as from what I can gather the later requires a PC to be permanently running, which I'm not keen on. SONOS doesn't appear to need that. Will check in to Transporter but I think it's more money than I could justify spending.
Edited by che6mw on Thursday 23 November 05:40
stuh said:
Rip to WAV - this is completely lossless and means that the quality is determined by the DAC used by the playback device.
Actually the quality of the WAV is determined by the ADC and this is an important distinction. It's a bit late one the DAC gets to it.
Onboard soundcards won't cut it, neither will most of the creative labs range IMO. Turtle beach or Yamaha are both very good.
mattley said:
Actually the quality of the WAV is determined by the ADC and this is an important distinction. It's a bit late one the DAC gets to it.
I'd always assumed with the most recent kit that you'd be ripping binary data straight from the CD rather than punting it through a load of ADC/DAC stages first, thus the loseless image should be identical to the CD original, as long as it's stereo and the same sampling rate. If we're all still ripping through sounds card, then those without fancy equipment are going to be at a loss quality wise whether ripping to MP3 or lossless.
www.perreaux.com/product.php?idp=52
i use one of the above and it sounds great - i guess you could hook it up to a wireless usb connection?
edit - use EAC (exact audio copy) to rip the cds
i use one of the above and it sounds great - i guess you could hook it up to a wireless usb connection?
edit - use EAC (exact audio copy) to rip the cds
Edited by jago on Thursday 23 November 09:42
1) Sonos is NOT wireless.
2) Sonos requires the Mac to be on and running iTunes. You can control iTunes playback remotely via it.
3) Imerge is what you need if you want an independant music server for multi-room audio.
4) You'll be hard pressed to hear the difference between 320 kb/s MP3/AAC's and Lossless.
5) Wireless music streaming will sound fine, but it's pointless to use 320 kb/s if doing so. Best option is wired using Cat5e or Cat6 - at least this way you can have redundancy to do mulit-room video and internet should the mood take you, further down the line.
2) Sonos requires the Mac to be on and running iTunes. You can control iTunes playback remotely via it.
3) Imerge is what you need if you want an independant music server for multi-room audio.
4) You'll be hard pressed to hear the difference between 320 kb/s MP3/AAC's and Lossless.
5) Wireless music streaming will sound fine, but it's pointless to use 320 kb/s if doing so. Best option is wired using Cat5e or Cat6 - at least this way you can have redundancy to do mulit-room video and internet should the mood take you, further down the line.
Its not worth using FLAC or another lossless full stop.
If you encode in MP3 at decent CBR or at say VBRQ90 then you're going to be getting 95% of what FLAC encodes and wont miss the rest.
For playing, Squeezeboxes do exactly what a Sonos does but at less than half the price. If you utilise a QNap NAS then it has the Slimserver built in, obviating the requirement for a PC to be on. You can run Sonos off a NAS but its a bit hit and miss.
The wireless element twixt player and store wont affect the digital audio signal at all.
If you encode in MP3 at decent CBR or at say VBRQ90 then you're going to be getting 95% of what FLAC encodes and wont miss the rest.
For playing, Squeezeboxes do exactly what a Sonos does but at less than half the price. If you utilise a QNap NAS then it has the Slimserver built in, obviating the requirement for a PC to be on. You can run Sonos off a NAS but its a bit hit and miss.
The wireless element twixt player and store wont affect the digital audio signal at all.
che6mw said:
Cheers everyone.
Ta Plotloss. QNap will be my research project for tonight!
Plotloss said:
If you utilise a QNap NAS then it has the Slimserver built in, obviating the requirement for a PC to be on.
Ta Plotloss. QNap will be my research project for tonight!
Feel free to email with any questions or for pricing goodness on a SQB/QNap/Active speaker solution.
che6mw said:
stuh said:
I have my CD collection stored on NAS and playback via my SONOS.
Cheers Stuh. How do you find this setup? Would you choose it again, given the choice of starting from scratch with a similar budget? What NAS did you settle on ?
Matt
NB. I like the idea of the SONOS over squeezebox as from what I can gather the later requires a PC to be permanently running, which I'm not keen on. SONOS doesn't appear to need that. Will check in to Transporter but I think it's more money than I could justify spending.
Edited by che6mw on Thursday 23 November 05:40
I've been really impressed. I have some zones running wirelessly and others on cat5e that i had put in during our recent building work.
I use a Buffalo NAS, and it's been faultless up until now. The SONOS is more expensive than the squeezebox, but infinitely better in terms of ease of use. I previously had squeezeboxes but the SONOS is much more wife friendly
Regarding compressed or lossless, i think this is just a personal choice. I've come from an audiophile background and MP3's (irrespective of bitrate) just sound pants to me. I feed my SONOS into a Krell pre/power and with .WAV's it really is surprisingly listenable.
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