01-10-2006, 05:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2006, 05:17 PM by Concillian.)
I use EAC for ripping and LAME for compression:
1) You can use LAME with EAC automatically, and LAME is simply the most flexible HIGH QUALITY encoder. Do some listening tests with other encoders at the same bitrate and you will likely come to the same conclusion I did. LAME sounds better. I use a very high quality VBR compression with LAME and a double blind test on my home stereo showed I couldn't tell the difference between a .wav and the .mp3... my brother, a self proclaimed audiophile was surprised when he also failed the double blind miserably.
2) EAC can tell when there is a digital error in a ripped file. If it detects one, it will re-try and re-try slower and slower until it gets something right. I've ripped CDs that skip in EVERY CD player I own, but EAC made clean .mp3s out of it. If you insert a CD all scratched to hell, it may take a few hours to rip it, but EAC will make clean rips. I've never heard a pop, click or snap, and I have about 20-25GB of .mp3s, all ripped from my CD collection. It will also tell you exactly where it encountered problems so that you can go listen to those areas yourself to verify they're clean.
I use the following options for LAME in the compression options for EAC under 'command line options':
%h--nspsytune --vbr-mtrh -V0 -mj -h -b96 --lowpass 19.5 --athtype 3 --ns-sfb21 2 -Z --scale 0.98 -X0%h %s %d
which produces VBRs in the 200-250-ish range that are from my standpoint, indistinguishable from .wavs -V1 or -V2 will lower quality (in small steps) and bitrate in place of -V0 for smaller files. Many people find -V1 comparable to .wavs. I didn't try -V1 because size wasn't a large concern for me.
I had used CDex before, but EACs 'never a problem with a rip' feature just blew every other ripper of the time out of the water. I must admit that it was over a year ago that I did this kind of research, and I'm not up on the current revisions of other high quality rippers, but EAC and LAME still work great for me.
1) You can use LAME with EAC automatically, and LAME is simply the most flexible HIGH QUALITY encoder. Do some listening tests with other encoders at the same bitrate and you will likely come to the same conclusion I did. LAME sounds better. I use a very high quality VBR compression with LAME and a double blind test on my home stereo showed I couldn't tell the difference between a .wav and the .mp3... my brother, a self proclaimed audiophile was surprised when he also failed the double blind miserably.
2) EAC can tell when there is a digital error in a ripped file. If it detects one, it will re-try and re-try slower and slower until it gets something right. I've ripped CDs that skip in EVERY CD player I own, but EAC made clean .mp3s out of it. If you insert a CD all scratched to hell, it may take a few hours to rip it, but EAC will make clean rips. I've never heard a pop, click or snap, and I have about 20-25GB of .mp3s, all ripped from my CD collection. It will also tell you exactly where it encountered problems so that you can go listen to those areas yourself to verify they're clean.
I use the following options for LAME in the compression options for EAC under 'command line options':
%h--nspsytune --vbr-mtrh -V0 -mj -h -b96 --lowpass 19.5 --athtype 3 --ns-sfb21 2 -Z --scale 0.98 -X0%h %s %d
which produces VBRs in the 200-250-ish range that are from my standpoint, indistinguishable from .wavs -V1 or -V2 will lower quality (in small steps) and bitrate in place of -V0 for smaller files. Many people find -V1 comparable to .wavs. I didn't try -V1 because size wasn't a large concern for me.
I had used CDex before, but EACs 'never a problem with a rip' feature just blew every other ripper of the time out of the water. I must admit that it was over a year ago that I did this kind of research, and I'm not up on the current revisions of other high quality rippers, but EAC and LAME still work great for me.
Conc / Concillian -- Vintage player of many games. Deadly leader of the All Pally Team (or was it Death leader?)
Terenas WoW player... while we waited for Diablo III.
And it came... and it went... and I played Hearthstone longer than Diablo III.
Terenas WoW player... while we waited for Diablo III.
And it came... and it went... and I played Hearthstone longer than Diablo III.