Worth using error correction with iTunes?

there isnt really any documentation that its using something like EAC, but I am still ripping at ~6x to 160kbps AAC so I don't mind the speed at all. Plus, a little error correction is always a good thing.

Originally posted by Derekasaurus
My problem is that I'm using iTunes on, ahem, a Windows box -- a 1.6GHz Athlon to be exact. Without error correction it rips to 160kbps AAC at ~10x, but when I turn on error correction it drops to ~0.4x, sometimes even slower!

Click to expand...

well...up until now iTunes hasn't had that option, and I have never had a problem with bad rips. At the same time I find it bizarre that it affects your ripping speed so much.

One of my violent femmes CDs had been scratched, dropped, chipped, puked on and covered with dried beer. After a good cleaning, it wouldn't import at all. I switched on that Error Correction, and it took forever, but it ripped it. Some of the tracks have clicks in them, but the whole album was complete.

So, the rule I use is, rip it normal. If some of the track lengths are shorter - rip with the correction.

Not all optical drives are created equal. Some rip better than others. For example, my Plextor CDRW rips 100% perfectly with no errors, even with error correction turned off.
On the other hand, my no-name brand DVD drive has a ton of errors when trying to rip CD's. Whether these errors can be heard or not is debatable, but those with older or cheaper drives might want to turn it on.

For those curious, I was able to check the level of errors my CD drives had by using the drive check programs that come with Nero: Burning Rom.