2. pc-audio
  3. 1239407900

CD drive improves HD rip quality?

Hi,
I am on the road towards getting the maximum out of my PC based system.I always thought that HD ripping is of similar(same) quality, if you use WAV files.

Then i tried ripping with Millenium CD mat.Much better.
Now i am thinking about another drive.Drive quality could contribute to the final quality of the ripped WAV files (similar to what transport does in transport+DAC system).

I will try an external CD (not DVD) drive - connected with USB cable to PC.This way i can isolate the drive from vibration, and use a better USB cable to transfer data to Hard Disk.
The problem is, all PC CD drives (external and internal) seem very resonant and low in mass.

Question - anyone knows about any better drives or transports?Like a CD transport that is connected with PC thru USB,and can be controlled by PC's ripping software?Maybe serious companies have this kind of product?Like Wadia or someone else?

Or simply a better,more stable CD drive (for PC), made for audio use...
Help,anyone?
audiobb

Showing 7 responses by audiobb

audiobb OP
103 posts
 
Denon probably has a better laser,i guess it is the same reason why some CDs can be copied with one cd drive, and the other one does not recognize them.
Similar with DVD players and PC DDVD drives...
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
I have no experience with FLAC.I have used Lite-on DVD drive this far,and EAC.I ripped WAV files only.I didn't have any problems with pops,or bad transfer.I have tried Easy CD-DA Extractor recently,and i like the option of choosing speed of the ripping.Very slow is only slightly better than max fast,but still it is worth it.
I was thinking about a Philips or Teac drive,as i know they make audio transports also.Still not sure which to choose.
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
""I would like to see a Krell or Levinson type, audio only, USB CD external drive. Something with three beams, designed to specifically rip audio and recover from read errors.""

Exactly.Or at least some PC drive that looks at least a bit more serious and with more weight.Any reccomendations?
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
Hi Mapman,
Yes, non music Cds also work fine.
I thought exactly the same as you.But then i tried Milenium CD mat on top of the music CD in the drive while ripping.It is just ones and zeros, but the difference is pretty obvious.
Then i thought about improving on the drive.If CD mat improves this much,then the drive also could,right?I think PC audio can go a long way.
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
Also,one more problem...
Does anyone know how to do THIS:
"""""""As for OS, am using XP with the device manager options selected to disable kmixer - i.e: ~"Do not map through this device"/"Do not use audio through this device"- applied to both Empirical 1.1 and the Lynx drivers.""""""""

Don't know how to find this KMIXER...

Found it here
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?icomp&1229786837
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
I used EAC till last week.Now i use easy CD-DA extractor.With this program i can set the ripping speed to low 4x.This is a very small improvement,but still i can hear it in A-B test.
I did not find this option in EAC.
Cerrot thanks,i always thought that external drives are better.
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
I think that drive maters.I think that since every audio transport has (some) jitter, also a PC drive must have some.
And if it was all the same, than the Muillenium CD mat could not make any difference also...and it does.
I also think there more and less accurate bits transfers.
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