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Rip CD to Mac - basic question

I have started to rip some of my CDs to disk using a mac. I notice a lot of people using software to do this. When I look at a CD in the finder it appears as a set of aiff files for each song, for which I have been doing a drag and drop onto my hard drive, just like copying any other file. I would rather not use iTunes.

My question is: is this a bit for bit perfect copy? If so, why use other software? If not, why not? Computer files are always bit perfect when copied. There must be some software intervention on the part of the OS anyway, as a CD doesn't contain aiff files.

Any help would be appreciated. I don't want to copy a lot of CDs like this and then find I have to do it call over again.
malcolm02
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"Right, it should be possible to do a comparison of files. I'd be interested to see the results if someone has done it. Maybe I will do it myself if I can figure out how."

I am talking about listening comparisons. That's what matters isn't it?

If you are trying to find a technical explanation, good luck. Even a score of experts have not succeeded in that.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
I don't know why there's so much anti Apple sentiments around.

You use the best tools you have and in my case, that means using Audirvana Plus which is a Mac software and using the free Remote app to control my playlist on the headless Mac Mini.

If you want to change the system, just run a batch conversion to FLAC or WAV. I use AIFF because I want embedded metadata (artist names, album art) and I want uncompressed lossless so it was either AIFF or WAV.

Besides AIFF is easily playable on most PC systems (even without iTunes)
gfroman's avatar
gfroman
142 posts
 
Is there a way to convert stored iTunes AIFF files to XLD files?
Or is this just at the ripping stage for using XLD?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
XLD is just a ripping application, like iTunes. Rip to AIFF or ALAC format with XLD.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
mwheelerk
121 posts
 
If you are using a Mac then XLD or MAX would be the tools of choice for ripping CDs. In preferences you can determine the location of the files and they do not need to be used with iTunes. Some of the playback softwares used on Mac (Audivrana +, Pure Music, Amarra, Decibel, Bit Perfect etc) work in conjunction with iTunes (as the database manager) and some can also work without iTunes. I choose to use iTunes because I like the ability to manage my library that it affords.

Many people who use or prefer Windows OS will use ripping tools such as db poweramp. I think the most popular library and manager for Windows is JRMC (JRiver Media Center). Late this year JRMC will release a Mac version that should prove to be a very interesting tool especially for those who have Macs but may be averse to iTunes.
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