using itunes as a transport - can improvements be made?

[lordmortlock]

Hi all - a moment of your time for some collective advice please!.

I use itunes to listen to music. I stream it through an airport and optical lead to a beresford DAC which then connected to my kit. I rip in 320kbps as lossless files are a bit big for my hard drive at the mo (upgrade on the cards).

My dell PC has a run of the mill CD drive. Should I be thinking of upgrading this? I know the DAC is sorting out the code for me and so itunes is just the transport but am I losing quality ripping with a 'basic' CD drive? Many thanks in advance.

 

[John Duncan]

If you have iTunes error correction on, then no. No point in using something like Accuraterip to ensure bit-perfect rips if you're using 320k though (good as that is).

 

[lordmortlock]

Thanks John. I will start to rip in lossless eventually when the hard drive space allows. Am I right in thinking one can't use error correction for this? Presumably then you look at accuraterip

 

[John Duncan]

You can yes, it's an iTunes option for all bitrates. Note that it seems to have a bit more of a performance hit on Windows than it does on a Mac (which appears to take it in its stride). The plus side on Windows is that Accuraterip is more readily available - the instructions for implementing it on Mac looked a bit too scary for me.

 

[lordmortlock]

By performance hit do you mean speed or quality? I had a quick look at Accuraterip this morning after your comments and I may investigate - looks half interesting!

 

[John Duncan]

Speed - takes longer on Windows, think it's the way the OS handles the CD drive. As for Accuraterip, look at dbPoweramp and EAC as means of ripping using Accuraterip's rip-checksum method.

 

[idc]

I got a Smashing Pumpkins CD from a jumble sale for 10p. I took it home and imported it losslessly using error correction onto itunes. Four of the tracks were unlistenable due to skipping/jumping. So I downloaded dbpoweramp and had a go using accuraterip. It also failed with the four tracks and a fifth one that itunes had managed. It is only one example, but having asked here before and read through other forums itunes with error correction is a s good as it gets.

(I now have the Smashing Pumpkins courtesy of Spotify and a shiney CD case for my 10p)

 

[Anonymous]

Except iTunes would not have told ou the track had errors, dBpoweramp (with AccurateRip) would have done so....

 

[Alec]

Ah, but you didnt try it with EAC, which would probably have tried to rip it til the cows had come home, had dinner, and died of boredom...but successfully...probably...

 

[idc]

mrspoonsi:Except iTunes would not have told ou the track had errors, dBpoweramp (with AccurateRip) would have done so....

True, I am not very computer savvy. The main issue was the track itunes managed and it sounded fine, but AccurateRip announced had failed. I presume that is because it has to be absolutely perfect to be accepted. I am prepared to tolerate the odd jump/skip during a track. It happened with my old CDP, so I would expect it to happen with the PC.

 

[lordmortlock]

Its funny to me - I've only just really started integrating my PC into my hifi set up.... people think nothing of spending a grand on a CDP yet you can rip with a bog standard dell tower perfectly. Sounds like itunes will do a good enough job for me. Its just so damn handy when used with a couple of airports and the iphone remote - like a poor mans sonos!

 

[idc]

lordmortlock:........ like a poor mans sonos!

I prefer clever mans instead. I am getting a network hard drive and with the PC and DAC in the amp I already have, I will get a fully functioning PC based set up going very cheaply. As it is I have plugged my ipod into my amp, so I was getting the same effect even cheaper. Though if I had the money a Sooloos looks good at £12000.

 

[lordmortlock]

sounds good. Will you still run Itunes?

 

[idc]

Yes, I cannot see any reason to shift from itunes. I find it very intuative and it has all of the functions I am looking for. I like the itunes site, I like the Apple shop, I like the ipod and I don't have any problems with a company who provides a fantastic product and makes billions.

 

[Anonymous]

lordmortlock: Sounds like itunes will do a good enough job for me. Its just so damn handy when used with a couple of airports and the iphone remote - like a poor mans sonos!

I agree with idc - iTunes/Airport Express/iPhone is the clever man's Sonos. I am using iTunes/AE/DACMagic to feed ££thousands worth of amplification/speakers in listening room (and I have no complaints about SQ at all), plus another AE for the mini-system in the study, plus a third AE for second system at work..... and just one big collection of music on one small laptop, LOVE IT!

 

[lordmortlock]

I agree idc - perfectly happy with itunes. I looked at foobar etc but I find tunes so intuitive. Glad to see someone else rocking this set up AKL - I reckon it'll be the way I listen to music for a long time.