iTunes v Cocktail Audio

[robin.hopes]

I'm a novice (so please be gentle). many years ago, I stupidly ripped all my CDs (100s) into iTunes on my laptop at a low bitrate of 128kbps. I listen to these songs through my Classic ipod when travelling and when at home I have my laptop linked to my hifi via a seperate DAC. I want to improve the quality of the recording/playuback and have reconciled myself to the fact that I will have to rip all my music again.

My question is what will give me the best sound through my hifi system? Should I rip my tracks into iTunes again - using a lossless format, or should I buy a Cocktail Audio (or similar) and plug it straight into my existing hifi. I like the usability of iTunes and I have read some reviews that Cocktail Audio is not as good at finding tracks and playlists (which is important to me). But ultimately it is the better sound quality through my Hifi that I am after.

Also if I rip into Cocktail Audio will I be able to subsequently transfer tracks at the same high quality into iTunes?

 

[iMark]

Our entire CD collection is ripped to Apple Lossless and ripped with iTunes (with Errror Correction on!!!!!). This gives you very good sounding audio files. ALAC also works extremely well for streaming to an Airport Express or other AirPlay device.

Since iTunes has the setting to convert higher bitrate songs to either 128 or 256 kbps AAC when copying from iTunes to the iPod, you only need one copy of a track. In iTunes 12.4.2 you can see this setting when your iPod is connected and click on the iPod and then choose the 'summary' setting.

 

[MajorFubar]

On a PC there may well be audible benefits from using software other than iTunes. I'm sure there are many recommendations, such as Foobar2000 and others. On a Mac if you like the iTunes interface it's a no brainer, there is no benefit to be had from using anything else except perhaps something like the iTunes BitPerfect add-in which hogs the DAC and performs useful functions like memory playback and HD bitrate switching (useful if you have downloaded any albums in HD audio).

 

[robin.hopes]

Thanks for your helpful comments - saves me buying new stuff. Will have to start to re-rip - what a bore! Thanks

 

[iMark]

Thanks for your helpful comments - saves me buying new stuff. Will have to start to re-rip - what a bore! Thanks

I would like to make one other suggestion. After ripping all your CDs to the iTunes library I strongly suggest to make two copies of the library on external hard drives and keep these backups in two locations. If anything goes wrong with the original library, you will always have a backup.