[Xiode]

Ok, so let me start off by saying that I'm probably the most impulsive buyer that you'll ever meet.

On a whim I just purchased a black 80GB iPod video and a pair of UE Super.Fi 5 Pro's (totalling a little over $600 after you add in the car adapter and iSkin). For once I'd like to think ahead of time though, because I'm going to be in a crunch for time getting some music onto this iPod for a trip I'm going on.

I got the 80GB on purpose so that I can rip all of my many CD's to the highest quality possible without having to worry about capacity. My question is this: what software should I use to rip the songs with, and which format should I rip to? Keep in mind I'm trying to keep as close to CD-quality music as I can. I was thinking lossless in some form or another, but I'm not quite sure what all iPods support.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Vitor Machado]

Since it is an iPod, you should use Apple Lossless (.m4a). Use iTunes to rip.

 

[LDMES]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode /img/forum/go_quote.gif My question is this: what software should I use to rip the songs with, and which format should I rip to? Keep in mind I'm trying to keep as close to CD-quality music as I can. I was thinking lossless in some form or another, but I'm not quite sure what all iPods support. Thanks in advance!

As of right now Rockbox is not supported on the 5.5G 80GB iPod, so FLAC is out. Which probably leaves you only WAV and ALAC as options in the higher end, or some LAME MP3 format. (I have to admit all my songs are in FLAC, so there is porbably better advice out there). There are a number of older threads on this type of question. On top of the responses you get you should do a search and you'll be able to find some of those threads that may answer your question. Good Luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vitor Machado /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since it is an iPod, you should use Apple Lossless (.m4a). Use iTunes to rip.

A number of iPods can be Rockboxed and then would support a lot of other codecs including FLAC. In this case the 5.5G 80G is not supported, so my comments above make sense. There are also a number of Head-Fi members who do not like / or don't want to use iTunes and so they use other programs like mediamonkey, etc... that are out there.

 

[Vitor Machado]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDMES /img/forum/go_quote.gif As of right now Rockbox is not supported on the 5.5G 80GB iPod, so FLAC is out. Which probably leaves you only WAV and ALAC as options in the higher end, or some LAME MP3 format. (I have to admit all my songs are in FLAC, so there is porbably better advice out there). There are a number of older threads on this type of question. On top of the responses you get you should do a search and you'll be able to find some of those threads that may answer your question. Good Luck.

Good idea, Xiode if you don't mind upgrading your firmware to a Rockbox, do it. Then .flac is the best format.
Rockbox.org

EDIT: Oops: "80GB Video 5.5th gen are not supported". You'll have to stick with the Apple Lossless for now at least...

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vitor Machado /img/forum/go_quote.gif Since it is an iPod, you should use Apple Lossless (.m4a). Use iTunes to rip.

This would be my suggestion unless you are thinking of installing Rockbox on the unit. Then you could do the EAC/FLAC thing. Or...you could still use iTunes, rip to ALAC and then if you wanted to later on...dpPowerAmp can convert to FLAC from ALAC.

 

[Xiode]

Considering Rockbox is out of the picture like you all said since I have a 5.5G, how do the remaining mid-to-high end formats compare in terms of quality vs file size? I mean, if we're talking a 1% difference between formats in terms of sound quality, but a 300MB difference to rip a whole CD, I'd rather save the space for such a minimal advantage in accousitcs.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiode /img/forum/go_quote.gif what software should I use to rip the songs with, and which format should I rip to? Keep in mind I'm trying to keep as close to CD-quality music as I can.

Pretty simple, if you ask me:
Software: Max, or eventually iTunes
Format: Apple Lossless

 

[LDMES]

Depending on your DAP, there will be Head-Fiers who will tell you that you won't notice a difference in SQ from a Lossless to a LAME MP3 with high settings. Some will tell you they do notice a difference. It all depends on how you want to keep your music collection. I chose to go with FLAC (Lossless) because then I have a closer to CD quality file stored on my external Hard Drive. From there if I wanted I could re-rip those FLAC files as LAME MP3s to carry on my iPod. My external Hard Drive can hold my music collection, and even at 500MB per CD, its not an issue. It does reduce the amount of songs I can carry on my iPod, but personally, I got a RWA iMod iPod and after installing rockbox, I listened to the LAME MP3 and FLAC of the same song and determined that I prefered the FLAC better, so for now I'm not re-ripping to LAME MP3. I guess what I am getting at, is if you want to keep your music collection as close to CD quality, and you are going to store your collection somewhere other than your DAP, and just use your DAP to carry duplicates to listen to while out and about, I'd say you can't go wrong with Lossless, because you can always convert to MP3 at a later date, but you won't be able to as easily go frm MP3 to Lossless (you'll have to re-rip your cds vs quickly re-ripping files on your computer). I think it sounds like you probably would be best going this route: Rip to Lossless, and either carry that on your DAP or re-rip the files you want to LAME MP3 and put those on your DAP. You proabably should do a quick one song comparison test for yourself of a Lossless and LAME MP3 file, that will help you decide, as everyone ears are different. Hope this helps. Once again if you're not sure of the LAME MP3 settings to go with, do a search.

 

[EnOYiN]

I am using LAME v2 or v0 on my portable. On my PC I am storing music as FLAC. The encoding of mp3 is less power consuming and I don't think I will ever hear the difference between FLAC and mp3 with my px200s.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

I personally use 224 kbps mp3 ripped from iTunes. I find it to have the best quality/space compromises, as I find it hard to find differences in quality from anything ripped above 224, and in some cases (classical, jazz and vocal cases) 320 kbps. I find lossless files too large, and I like to have ALL my music on my ipod.

 

[Nomada]

It sounds like you're looking for lossless. I'd then recommend ripping with EAC(or the newest Dbpoweramp) & encoding to Apple Lossless.
Here's a thread which should explain how to rip direct to ALAC thru EAC.
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/...opic=52431&hl=

Personally I would go with Lame V2 though. Heck, maybe even V3 or V4.

If you want to archive your CD collection & don't need all the 80GB on your iPod, then you may as well just put the ALAC files on there. Do keep in mind that those large lossless files will eat up your battery life a fair bit quicker though.

 

[Xiode]

I ended up ripping my entire collection to Apple Lossless via iTunes because that seemed to be the general idea that I was getting from everyone. I finally finished 1100 songs and 25GB later.

I still haven't gotten my iPod in the mail yet, but I was wondering something: on compilation albums, for instance, when there are several different artists on one CD, how will it group them when it gets uploaded to my iPod? Under Browse -> Artist, will it have all of those different artists under a separate heading, or will they all be under one (ie: "Various Artists")?

I ask because when I toggle through Cover View in iTunes, it has a ton of "albums" with only one or two songs on them from compilation CD's. It makes everything way less visually pleasing and cluttered. I'd prefer on my iPod not to have Artists for which I only have one song.