Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Fine Living, Home, Design & Auto › Lossless MP3 - any easy way to convert?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Lossless MP3 - any easy way to convert?

post #1 of 39
12/17/09 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
I was an early convert to MP3 back when storage was expensive. I spent weeks ripping hundreds of CD to 192 mp3 files - which was considered quality sound back then. Now, with storage so cheap, I want all my music in lossless format. But, I don't want to spend the time re-ripping. Anybody know of any download service for lossless?
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 39
12/17/09 at 5:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by deaddog View Post
I was an early convert to MP3 back when storage was expensive. I spent weeks ripping hundreds of CD to 192 mp3 files - which was considered quality sound back then. Now, with storage so cheap, I want all my music in lossless format. But, I don't want to spend the time re-ripping. Anybody know of any download service for lossless?
In my opinion you are better off re-ripping the CDs. Not sure a lossless download service will be faster. I use Apple Lossless which sounds the same or very, very close to wav as far as I can tell. I can also recommend EAC (Exact Audio Copy) for bit perfect ripping. That's what I use to make backup copies of my rare CDs like those from Mobile Fidelity and DCC. www.hdtracks.com is a good site for lossless music and allows you to get FLAC files and wav files. Caution: 320K MP3 should be avoided. It does not sound good in my experience.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 39
12/17/09 at 5:15pm
Honestly, I rip using VBR MP3's set at AT LEAST 192 kpbs and on my iPod / nothing-special home speakers I really don't hear that much of a difference (if at all) between the MP3's and the original CD's. Of course if you are using high-end equipment, your milage may vary.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 39
12/17/09 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks - I was hoping for an easy way out. The difference between 192 and 320 is palpable and the difference between 320 and lossless is incredible. This holds true on all of my systems, even the relatively simple setup in my office, my car stereo, and my ipod. I highly recommend going lossless for anybody thinking of converting CD to mp3.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 39
12/17/09 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 
Anybody big into classic rock who wants to swap some lossless?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 39
12/17/09 at 7:07pm
with the noise level, acoustic environment, power source, physical configuration (wiring), etc in a car setup, theres no way anyone can detect a difference between 320 <----> raw. come on
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 39
12/17/09 at 7:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trompe le Monde View Post
with the noise level, acoustic environment, power source, physical configuration (wiring), etc in a car setup, theres no way anyone can detect a difference between 320 <----> raw. come on

I too was skeptical. But, I put both versions on my ipod that links digitally into my B&O stereo in my Audi and the difference was absolutely clear.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 39
12/17/09 at 7:21pm
You're going to have to re-rip. Your audio quality was permanently degraded when you ripped to 192, 320, whatever.

I like the FLAC codec FWIW.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 39
12/17/09 at 7:24pm
Quality of MP3 obviously depends on the encoder used (along with its settings), but also on the source material. Some things will expose flaws in the encoder more easily, like some pop songs. Naturally recorded acoustic material, like classical music, will exhibit far more subtle degradation that many people won't hear.

--Andre
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 39
12/17/09 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by javyn View Post
You're going to have to re-rip. Your audio quality was permanently degraded when you ripped to 192, 320, whatever.

I like the FLAC codec FWIW.

he wasnt asking to re-encode existing mp3s...which, of course, is not possible (to restore fidelity)

asking for a place to download lossless music, a preference over re-ripping music from source.

there used to be the semi-legal russian website that offered a multitude of formats including lossless and raw but i think theyve gone down the hole
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 39
12/17/09 at 8:01pm
Thread Starter 
Assuming I use a service, any recommendations? What format do you recommend as most "future proof?" Today, I use mp3 to play through Ipod, Sonos, and audiotron and I manage with Itunes. When I re-rip to lossless I want my data to be useable in all three devices and anything new that is likely to come along. Does FLAC work on everything, including Itunes?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 39
12/17/09 at 8:14pm
As long as you rip to lossless, you can always transcode it to any new standard that comes along without having to re-rip. FLAC is very popular and compatible (except with iTunes without an external program) today. If you were archiving lots of music and needed to preserve good meta-info and archive lots of different formats, WavPack is heads and shoulders above FLAC. When I rip, I create two copies: a FLAC lossless for my main library, and an MP3 version for the iPod. If I need to use some new lossy format, I always have the lossless version to encode from with no additional loss of quality. --Andre
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 39
12/18/09 at 1:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trompe le Monde View Post
with the noise level, acoustic environment, power source, physical configuration (wiring), etc in a car setup, theres no way anyone can detect a difference between 320 <----> raw. come on
Are you serious? The difference is night and day with anything vocally intensive. I used to rip to 320 but as with the OP, with storage being so cheap, have switched to FLAC and AAC. No more craptastic artificial MP3 sound through headphones with my iPhone.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 39
12/18/09 at 1:40am
Please excuse the side question, this isn't meant to hijack.. The CD player in my car doesn't play FLAC (or even WAV) files, just MP3. Can someone recommend a free encoder OTHER THAN LAME for best quality 320kbps MP3's? In my experience LAME produces terrible audio at that bitrate (yes I have tried overriding its "joint stereo" default, audio sounds terrible using stereo or joint stereo settings).
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 39
12/18/09 at 7:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by username79 View Post
Are you serious? The difference is night and day with anything vocally intensive.

I used to rip to 320 but as with the OP, with storage being so cheap, have switched to FLAC and AAC. No more craptastic artificial MP3 sound through headphones with my iPhone.

nevermind the fact that your car and 99.5% of others have equipment that cant accurate produce the frequencies lost/attenuated/distorted through compression....
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Fine Living, Home, Design & Auto › Lossless MP3 - any easy way to convert?