Trying to wrap my head around ripping CDs and any loss of data that occurs...


Trying to figure out how to get the 'most' data from a CD ... is there a tried and true way of getting 'all' the data from any CD ripped to a hard drive? I have several hundred CDs I ripped to a hard drive years ago - at 320k - is there a 'better' way today - to reduce any data loss?

Which software is best used for this purpose?  What hardware is required? Can I use a cheap CDR drive connected by a cheap usb cable to a PC to get the 'most' out of ripping a CD to a hard drive?  Or do I need to spend 'bucks' to get all the CD has to offer?  If so - what do I need?

Also - are digital only versions 'better' than ripping an equivalent version from a CD better? Just wondering if its worth the time to rip what I have vs just using streaming services in lieu.

Thx in advance.

lightfighter2018

Showing 1 response by jazzman7

I'd start with ripping the CDs with zero compression.  That means either as uncompressed FLAC files or as WAV files (which by definition are uncompressed).   My preference is FLAC because it provides for better handling of metadata.  For software, recommend dBpoweramp which will run on PC or MAC.  How good a CD drive you wish to use is up to you.