> Anyone have any suggestions for a file format that is
> lossless and compatible with iTunes and J.River?
Don't worry about changing to a mac in the future. Once you have your files in one lossless file format, it is an easy mechanical operation to convert them to ALAC. Plenty of time to locate the right utility. Go with Flac for niow and you'll be fine.
> J River is a ripper is fine but not the best for
> compulsive types.
Check your compulsion to be sure it is rational. I'm familiar with the theoretical problems with DAE. In practice, they have not mattered much for me.
I carefully compared the audio data for files ripped with J.River and EAC for CDs in three categories:
- CDs that J.River ripped without having to re-read any blocks for which the first 2 reads didn't agree. EAC and J.River created files matched in every case I tried.
- CDs with some blocks that J.River had to re-read to get a consistent result. EAC and J.River created files matched in every case I tried.
I compared results for dozens of CDs in these categories before ending my tests.
- CDs that J.River couldn't read with confidence in the result. I continued to try to read every such CD until I hasd ripped about 1500 CDs. EAC was unable to rip any of these CDs. NOT ONE!
I have always taken good care of my CDs. Most were read by J.River without any extra re-reads (1st category.) About 3-5% required some reads but were ripped with high confidence. About 1% could not be read with confidence. (In 2000 CDs, that's about 20 CDs.) A few were afflicted with visible holes from a known problem at a pressing plant in Europe in the 80s. Others had small spots. None had giant scratches.
If you have lots of CDs with scratches, dirt and other visible problems, your experience might vary. Do your own comparisons. There is way too much armchair theory on the net and too little actual results from careful tests.
EAC using Test&Copy secure mode and J.River secure mode are roughly equal in speed. dBpoweramp can be much faster if your driver provides accurate C2 error info or if your disks are in the AccurateRip database. Most of my collection is A) not in an online tag database or B) tagged wrong because it is classical music. With J.River I get the tags right when I rip the CD. Much less wear and tear on me than EAC or dBpoweramp.
> lossless and compatible with iTunes and J.River?
Don't worry about changing to a mac in the future. Once you have your files in one lossless file format, it is an easy mechanical operation to convert them to ALAC. Plenty of time to locate the right utility. Go with Flac for niow and you'll be fine.
> J River is a ripper is fine but not the best for
> compulsive types.
Check your compulsion to be sure it is rational. I'm familiar with the theoretical problems with DAE. In practice, they have not mattered much for me.
I carefully compared the audio data for files ripped with J.River and EAC for CDs in three categories:
- CDs that J.River ripped without having to re-read any blocks for which the first 2 reads didn't agree. EAC and J.River created files matched in every case I tried.
- CDs with some blocks that J.River had to re-read to get a consistent result. EAC and J.River created files matched in every case I tried.
I compared results for dozens of CDs in these categories before ending my tests.
- CDs that J.River couldn't read with confidence in the result. I continued to try to read every such CD until I hasd ripped about 1500 CDs. EAC was unable to rip any of these CDs. NOT ONE!
I have always taken good care of my CDs. Most were read by J.River without any extra re-reads (1st category.) About 3-5% required some reads but were ripped with high confidence. About 1% could not be read with confidence. (In 2000 CDs, that's about 20 CDs.) A few were afflicted with visible holes from a known problem at a pressing plant in Europe in the 80s. Others had small spots. None had giant scratches.
If you have lots of CDs with scratches, dirt and other visible problems, your experience might vary. Do your own comparisons. There is way too much armchair theory on the net and too little actual results from careful tests.
EAC using Test&Copy secure mode and J.River secure mode are roughly equal in speed. dBpoweramp can be much faster if your driver provides accurate C2 error info or if your disks are in the AccurateRip database. Most of my collection is A) not in an online tag database or B) tagged wrong because it is classical music. With J.River I get the tags right when I rip the CD. Much less wear and tear on me than EAC or dBpoweramp.