2. pc-audio
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Do I need to re-rip?

I do NOT want to resurrect the question of which is the better format - Apple Lossless or WAV. My question is about the need to re-rip my music if I want to change formats. My cd library was saved as Apple Lossless. Appears that I can go into the iTunes "preferences" menu and change my files from lossless to WAV, after-the-fact. Are these new WAV files every bit as good as a new cd that I rip as WAV? In other words, do I need to re-rip every one of my cds to obtain a quality WAV file or can I just let iTunes make that conversion?
rockyboy

Showing 3 responses by audioengr

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Zd is right. If you ripped everything with iTunes, then you should re-rip everything regardless of the format it was ripped to. If you are on Mac, use XLD. If PC, then use dbpoweramp.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
AIFF has the L and R data fields reversed. It also has different offset and control info fields. This makes it sound worse than .wav somehow. Like listening through a tunnel. I think even ALAC might be better....

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
If you ripped ALAC with iTunes, I would try ripping one track with XLD and see if sounds better on your system.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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