Best compression format for PC Jukebox

EAC isn't particulary difficult to use, and it does ensure bit-perfect copies of readable CDs.

No reason to use different computers for storage if you don't want to. AAC files and other formats have different extensions, they will just appear twice in whatever jukebox software you use. But, most software like that will let you filter by file type, so that isn't even a big issue.

I've ripped all my CDs in .wav format, but that format doesn't support any sort of standardized tagging. Kind of annoying, but there are iTunes applescripts to restore artist/album data from the directory structure if you rip consistently to Drive:\..\artist\album\song.wav, which you can do with EAC. Ripping as .wav files also means no compression. I gather using apple's lossless AAC, you can get 2:1 compression with no data compromise. Haven't messed with that (or iTunes as a ripper).

Good luck.

I hear foobar is the one for Windows boxes, but haven't tried it. Didn't like Audiostation (messed up large libraries). MusicMatch is annoying, but it seems to work. Since my mac got attached to my main stereo, haven't messed with audio and the Windows side in a bit. Keep meaning to pull down and install foobar, if merely to have something that will allow me to recover artist/album data from the directory structure.

Ben, what is wxmusik like?

My understanding is that .wav is as close to "native" format as you get when it comes to CDs. Compression can be lossless or lossy. Lossless compression is just that--means the original can be recovered bit-for-bit. Unless your processor sweats hard enough decompressing to mess up the timing, should sound the same, although I haven't done any iTunes comparisons. (All mine are .wav, but that is largely because I run in both Win XP/Apple environments, and .wav seems like the lowest common denominator).