iPod touch Duplicating a CD in HIGHEST QUALITY

[ouimetnick]

Hello everyone. I have a special Bass test CD (Boston Acoustics) and want to make a copy of it, and keep the original in a safe place. Now I understand I can import the CD into iTunes into an AAC file. and then make it into as playlist and burn a new CD. Should I use another program? Doesn't AAC have slightly less quality- meaning the file quality will degrade

As of now, I have it imported as AAC into my iTunes library. Besides making a copy of the CD, what is the BEST option to use for importing (see screenshots attached) to get the HIGHEST quality possible? I hear Apple lossless is a good option. I also hear WAV is another HQ option. And isn't AIFF the best highest quality possible?

Thanks.

-Nick

 

[plumosa]

I use apple lossless. Its lossless, but compressed. The files are still much larger than what you would find in a normal mp3, but the quality is exactly the same thing as the original CD.

Now I just wish I had known about the differences years ago--Now I'm going through my collection and reripping to lossless!

 

[Anonymous Freak]

AIFF, WAV, and Apple Lossless will all be bit-for-bit identical on the end product. All three are, by definition, lossless. They retain every single bit of data from the source. Apple Lossless has the benefit of being losslessly compressed (like a .zip file for other data,) so that it takes up less disk space than AIFF or WAV. (Which are both uncompressed, and therefore take up the same amount of space as on the original CD - for example a 700 MB CD holds 80 minutes of audio, so an 80 minute AIFF/WAV file would be 700 MB.)

There are other ways to duplicate the CD, though, that makes it a 100% perfect duplication of the entire disc. Programs such as Toast can copy them in one click; and Apple's Disk Utility can even make a disk image, then burn that disc image. Ripping into iTunes then burning again will leave you with an AudioCD that is 100% bit-identical, sound-wise, but the track timing may be slightly different. (For example, some CDs have each track back-to-back with no audible gaps; by default iTunes adds gaps. Others may have gaps that are defined in "data", not in actual audio.)

If you want a "pure identical" disc, a disc duplication utility would be best. If you want the audio to be on your computer in "perfect" quality, then Apple Lossless in iTunes would be your best bet.

 

[Sedulous]

I use apple lossless. Its lossless, but compressed. The files are still much larger than what you would find in a normal mp3, but the quality is exactly the same thing as the original CD.

Now I just wish I had known about the differences years ago--Now I'm going through my collection and reripping to lossless!

Are you sure Apple Lossless doesn't trim inaudible frequencies?

 

[The General]

Are you sure Apple Lossless doesn't trim inaudible frequencies?

lossless means exactly that. it doesn't trim anything.

but if you want to ensure the highest quality, you'll want to use something other than itunes to do the ripping.

 

[ouimetnick]

I have decided to import using AIFF. Just to make sure, AIFF is the HIGHEST quality option in iTunes... correct? Although Apple Lossless and WAV still have the same properties sound wise, AIFF is the best I can get in iTunes?

Also The General, I have a question for you. You said

but if you want to ensure the highest quality, you'll want to use something other than itunes to do the ripping.

What free application on the Macintosh of on Windows would I use for that then?

Thanks everyone for their help. Deeply appreciated.

 

[strider42]

I have decided to import using AIFF. Just to make sure, AIFF is the HIGHEST quality option in iTunes... correct? Although Apple Lossless and WAV still have the same properties sound wise, AIFF is the best I can get in iTunes?

Also The General, I have a question for you. You said

What free application on the Macintosh of on Windows would I use for that then?

Thanks everyone for their help. Deeply appreciated.

as already stated, AIFF, WAv and Apple Lossless are bit-for-bit identical to the original. All three are the highest quality possible. not just in iTunes, but period. You can't do better than identical. If you were using a lossy format, some might argue for other products, but I can't see how the program you use would make a bit if difference if you are using a lossless format.

 

[xlii]

as already stated, AIFF, WAv and Apple Lossless are bit-for-bit identical to the original. All three are the highest quality possible. not just in iTunes, but period. You can't do better than identical. If you were using a lossy format, some might argue for other products, but I can't see how the program you use would make a bit if difference if you are using a lossless format.

Agree 100% with the above. In AIFF & WAV a minute of silence takes just as much room as a minute of music. In Apple Lossless a minute of silence would take up very little file space compared to a minute of music.