Best CD-to-MP3 Ripper

[kuphryn]

Hi.

What's the best CD-to-MP3 ripper for the Win32 platform? I have used AudioCatalyst, but for some reason it stopped working for XP.

Thanks,
Kuphryn

[Sifaga]

USe EAC and Lame or just use Cdex

[freestyler]

I use Exact Audio Copy (Secure Mode) coupled with Lame and get excellent results.

[jimmalenko]

I use CDEX.

[Hardcoreruss]

I use musicmatch (yes I can hear you all moaning) but I have never had any problems with it.

[mats.hogberg]

EAC or CDEx. Lame encoder.

/Mats

[klovely78]

I have to agree with the other people here...Exact Audio Copy all the way. Although, I do get good results from FreeRip also.

[wulf109]

Easy CDDA Extractor,it's payware but there's none better.

[mazinz]

i still love cdex

[lenti_75]

I use Musicmatch...is the best. Never had any problems with it, and very easy to play with the options.

[verchad]

I use a program called dbpoweramp. It was freeware when I downloaded it.

[andkiich]

CDex seems to work great for me.

[noki]

Easy CD-DA Extractor

[teegee420]

I use Musicmatch as well and I encode to mp3pro.

[kuphryn]

Okay. Thanks.

Kuphryn

[au7usa]

MusicMatch seems to have a descent encoder but i'm not sure its the most accurate Ripper.

I used CDex, and was very happy with it until i upgraded to Win2000. It has trouble connecting to my SCSI devices in Win2k. (UltraPlex 40)
I'll still recomend it though....lots of options.

EAC is all i use now for ripping. Very accurate, very versatile!


To teegee420:

Have you noticed a "Tinny", or should i say "Whispy" quality in MP3Pro?
It sounds similar to what you hear in AAC unless you turn the bitrate way up. I tried CoolEdit Pro 2.0 mp3Pro plugin, and the demo encoder from Thompson Multimedia, as well as MusicMatch, but still hear the same thing.

Am i doing something wrong?

Anyone else hear it?

[teegee420]

Perhaps my ears aren't as finely tuned as yours. In fact I've done audiometric testing that confirms this. I can say however that I noticed every so slightly what you refer to when I first started using mp3pro maybe 3-4 years ago and only with files I converted from mp3-mp3pro. I attributed it to the fact that mp3pro uses a 22050hz sampling frequency versus 44100hz for mp3 and CDDA. I guess I got used to it. It just didn't bother me that much. If it makes any difference I always encode with a 80kbps CBR.

[au7usa]

I've actually noticed the same characteristic in files encoded with Lame v3.95.1, they must be trying to implement something similar to mp3pro.
(I could just read the release notes sometime)

I was just a little annoyed and went back to Lame v3.93.1.

So i'm not crazy, Thanks!

[hech54]

I have used AudioCatalyst, but for some reason it stopped working for XP.

Thanks,
Kuphryn

Damn....you HAD to remind me of how much I SORELY MISS Audiocatalyst. I still have the original disc even though it won't work with XP. It looks about the same as when I bought it....except for a couple of small water marks on the disc....BUT THEY ARE NOT TEARS.....really they're not....honestly they're not. NO....I'm serious.

[LPHYbrid76]

honestly, I did about a dozen different comparison tests and if you want the best combination of speed, quality, and cataloging of your music, you gotta go with MusicMatch Jukebox at about 192 kbs. Set it to run for quality and not speed, and you will get results on par with the best I have heard from EAC and LAME. While EAC and LAME run great and will give you slightly better results, if you have a large music collection, then you're gonna be there for a long time. I have over 65 GB of music ripped from my CDs alone, and they are not all done. I have an IPod and I did so many tests on so many kinds of music styles at different bit rates, and I find my way to be the best combo of ease and quality.

But, if you have a badly scratched CD, then EAC is the way to go...but I take care of my CDs, so it is not an issue for me

Plus when you plug your home theatre system to your comp to listen to music, its nice having everything cataloged by album so its easier to make your playlists