Is it worth it to rip CD collections to FLAC anymore?

[vcoheda]

the one thing that is baffling about downloads is the pricing. take for example, this new release of bach's sonatas & partitas from presto music. i do not see how this makes any sense.

physical 2cd set = $18.50
mp3 = $18.00
flac (16-44.1) = $24.00
flac (24-96) = $30.00
flac (24-192) = $40.00

 

[gimmeheadroom]

the one thing that is baffling about downloads is the pricing. take for example, this new release of bach's sonatas & partitas from presto music. i do not see how this makes any sense.

physical 2cd set = $18.50
mp3 = $18.00
flac (16-44.1) = $24.00
flac (24-96) = $30.00
flac (24-192) = $40.00

I guess the downloads go through a few hands like global distributor, local distributor, retail shop etc. while the CDs are produced under license. But yeah, hard to understand how physical media could be cheaper than 16/44.1 FLAC

 

[piglet]

I think value for money with second-hand CDs is often just great these days.

Yesterday evening I bought Tricky's Maxinquaye CD at eBay for £2.36 here in the UK. Postage is free.

I have that forever. I don't need to worry about backing it up and if I stop my Apple Music subscription or if they pull that album for some reason then I still have it. Also maybe they'll release a remastered version which I probably won't like (I usually prefer the originals) and then that remastered version will be the one at Apple Music.

So when it arrives I'll rip it to my Mac Mini using dBpoweramp then put the CD away in a box. At present I don't have a CD player.

Prices on second-hand classical CDs are just as good. I happen to be listening to a lot of 90s electronica, dance and related stuff because I've started a big writing project to which this is all very relevant. More usually I'm buying classical (20th century mostly) and jazz, but for those genres the prices in second-hand CDs are also really good.

 

[anjaudiofile]

Wow, a thousand, that would be a big job. I think I have around 250 that I ripped to FLAC in 2015 or 2016. The motivation back then was to have them on a micro-SD card or two and be able to have my whole collection on my then new FiiO DAP.

As time went on I transferred them onto one 256Gb card and now have that card in my latest DAP. I do a lot of streaming through Tidal but when I was able to tweak my Neutron Player properly on my Shanling M6 Pro21, it really opened up those standard 16/44.1 tracks in a new way. I now find that in this set-up on the new DAP,, these FLAC files provide me with a very clean, simple, vivid-sounding, unmediated- by- streaming, playback that I go back to quite often. It's sort of made me appreciated the CD collection that I built up starting back in the day. You might just want to take some of your favorites, rip them and go from there.

What software do you use to rip your CD's?

 

[Andrew_WOT]

I think value for money with second-hand CDs is often just great these days.

Yesterday evening I bought Tricky's Maxinquaye CD at eBay for £2.36 here in the UK. Postage is free.

I have that forever. I don't need to worry about backing it up and if I stop my Apple Music subscription or if they pull that album for some reason then I still have it. Also maybe they'll release a remastered version which I probably won't like (I usually prefer the originals) and then that remastered version will be the one at Apple Music.

So when it arrives I'll rip it to my Mac Mini using dBpoweramp then put the CD away in a box. At present I don't have a CD player.

Prices on second-hand classical CDs are just as good. I happen to be listening to a lot of 90s electronica, dance and related stuff because I've started a big writing project to which this is all very relevant. More usually I'm buying classical (20th century mostly) and jazz, but for those genres the prices in second-hand CDs are also really good.

Thing with second hand and older CDs as well as DVDs is that oxidation layer gets damaged over time and they either skip or plain stop playing. Scratches on surface don't help either.
Reason it's better to rip things brand new. Even with new ones I had issues getting good rip and had to rerip certain track few times based on low "confidence" level indicator.
Was using EAC (exact audio copy).

 

[piglet]

Thing with second hand and older CDs as well as DVDs is that oxidation layer gets damaged over time and they either skip or plain stop playing. Scratches on surface don't help either.
Reason it's better to rip things brand new. Even with new ones I had issues getting good rip and had to rerip certain track few times based on low "confidence" level indicator.
Was using EAC (exact audio copy).

Those are very good points.

I use dBpoweramp and this does secure ripping using AccurateRip. You can read about this here.

Using Secure Ripping dBpoweramp will tell you if you have problems with the CD.

My experience has been very good with CDs. I have many CDs I purchased in the 80s and they rip just fine, as if new. It is true I took great care of my CDs and so there is a bigger risk with second-hand CDs. However so far I have only had one problem with a second-hand CD which I'd bought on eBay and the seller refunded me the money.

So, I am glad you have raised this issue as it is one to watch. However I think if you use good software and buy from sellers that will refund then you won't have any problems.

 

[BobSmith8901]

What software do you use to rip your CD's?

I used MusicBee and tweaked with MP3 Tag. Pretty simple but it worked for me.

 

[kumar402]

Well digital downloads are convenient but we are collectors and the digital download doesn’t give us that sense of ownership we get from buying a physical CD and the pleasure of filling up shelves with CD acquired over a period of time is something that a folder in SSD and NAS can’t give. Also these shelves with books and CDs are sometime a conversation starter when a guest visit us and something that a digital file can’t do at all. Is there a way to display digital file?

 

[gerelmx1986]

Well digital downloads are convenient but we are collectors and the digital download doesn’t give us that sense of ownership we get from buying a physical CD and the pleasure of filling up shelves with CD acquired over a period of time is something that a folder in SSD and NAS can’t give. Also these shelves with books and CDs are sometime a conversation starter when a guest visit us and something that a digital file can’t do at all. Is there a way to display digital file?

Digital downloads give me a sense of ownership as physical media.

Dis you mean STREAMING? That for sure doesnt give us any ownership

 

[originalsnuffy]

Well digital downloads are convenient but we are collectors and the digital download doesn’t give us that sense of ownership we get from buying a physical CD and the pleasure of filling up shelves with CD acquired over a period of time is something that a folder in SSD and NAS can’t give. Also these shelves with books and CDs are sometime a conversation starter when a guest visit us and something that a digital file can’t do at all. Is there a way to display digital file?

Most of my digital downloads are purchased on HDTracks. Usually for albums that I really am into, and want the hi res in physical format not just Amazon HD or Apple Music HD. Recently picked up Grateful Dead Sunshine Daydream Venetia 1972 in hi res even though I have it on Amazon. So I do get a sense of satisfaction of owning this even if its not plastic.. Actually I have the plastic from a video box of this same concert but I would rather play the hi res on the server or on a digital audio player.

So no I don’t require physical media to have a sense of “ownership”.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Most of my digital downloads are purchased on HDTracks. Usually for albums that I really am into, and want the hi res in physical format not just Amazon HD or Apple Music HD. Recently picked up Grateful Dead Sunshine Daydream Venetia 1972 in hi res even though I have it on Amazon. So I do get a sense of satisfaction of owning this even if its not plastic.. Actually I have the plastic from a video box of this same concert but I would rather play the hi res on the server or on a digital audio player.

So no I don’t require physical media to have a sense of “ownership”.

Once you have the file you can always burn a Redbook CD anyway, then you have both for one price.

 

[kumar402]

Once you have the file you can always burn a Redbook CD anyway, then you have both for one price.

That’s a good point actually. We can get cover art printed and buy some CD jewel box and put the burned in CD. But may be that’s just me longing for tangible things

 

[vcoheda]

i am slowly divesting myself of my cd collection. at one point it was around 1500 cds or sets. now, years later it is closer to 750. i hope to get to around a few shelves of recordings/box sets that i love. but i have not lost anything. every cd is on my computer (and backed up). i do feel some sadness in selling my collection (the physical items), which took me so long to build, but they were just sitting there acquiring dust. i do all of my listening from my computer. my cd player is used for its internal dac and not to play physical media. also, although cds are fairly durable the promise that they would last forever is not true. many cds i have had problems ripping them to my computer despite using various speeds or settings.

 

[Obizzz]

I’ve ripped most of our CD collection and use a mix of those and streaming. At home I’ve set it all up via Roon with Tidal integration.

Some are different masters compared what’s available on the streaming service and some are even missing. Salival with Tool is not on any of them and that live version of Pushit is awesome.

And you never never know if it’s going to be available in the future. Just look at the current affairs surrounding Neil Young and Spotify. Nice to have your personal favourites archived at home.

I don’t buy a lot of CD:s anymore but the plan is to at least rip what we have and do it properly.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I’ve ripped most of our CD collection and use a mix of those and streaming. At home I’ve set it all up via Roon with Tidal integration.

Some are different masters compared what’s available on the streaming service and some are even missing. Salival with Tool is not on any of them and that live version of Pushit is awesome.

And you never never know if it’s going to be available in the future. Just look at the current affairs surrounding Neil Young and Spotify. Nice to have your personal favourites archived at home.

I don’t buy a lot of CD:s anymore but the plan is to at least rip what we have and do it properly.

Yep very well said. Sometimes you find an album on a streaming service and then the next time you look it's gone.