WAV files - What settings to use?

[beaker_07]

I am wanting to upgrade my 320 mp3's on my desktop to WAV encoded to use with my Denon 2300 a/v amp.

Are the automatic settings for WAV on iTunes ok to use or should I be using custom settings and if so what settings would you recommend?

I had been thinking of upgrading my cd player from a Maranzz 6000 OSE to maybe a 6005 or 6006 - what is the sound difference like between a cd plyer at this price range and a desktop connected to the amp by a fairly standard HDMI cable via the graphics card?

 

[MajorFubar]

Maybe this is a language barrier problem but you cannot upgrade MP3s to WAVs you have to re-rip the original CDs (you may have meant this). Personally I wouldn't choose WAV at all because you can't tag WAV files with things like artist and genre. If you intend to stick to iTunes use Apple Lossless or AIFF.

 

[beaker_07]

Thanks - what I meant as you say is to re rip my CD's again but this time to a loss less standard. I was thinking of using wav in iTunes the reason I thought of wav was in case in the future I would want to use a different player.

 

[daveh75]

WAV is inconvenient and pointless. You can convert from one lossless format to another without issue should you need to in the future

As MF says, as you use iTunes use ALAC

 

[beaker_07]

Thanks - I'll use either AIFF or Apple Lossless - could you recommend which one as I don't know anything about them at all? I didn't know about being able to convert one type of lossless format to another.

Don't know what I'd do without you guys.

 

[daveh75]

Personally I wouldn't use AIFF, it's basically Apples equivalent of WAV and equally as pointless imo. Stick with ALAC.

 

[beaker_07]

Thanks for the help and advice I'll use ALAC then.

I've ripped a couple of CD's in ALAC format and when I checked them in iTunes it is coming up with a M4A file extension is this correct?

If it is I'll be able to download some mp3's I've bought from 7Digital as 320M4A's is this the same quality?

 

[MajorFubar]

I've ripped a couple of CD's in ALAC format and when I checked them in iTunes it is coming up with a M4A file extension is this correct?

If it is I'll be able to download some mp3's I've bought from 7Digital as 320M4A's is this the same quality?

Yes to the first question. No to the second. Almost certainly the downloads will be 320k AAC, which will be lossy, and equivalent in quality to iTunes downloads, or thereabouts. Though to be fair I haven't checked, maybe they really are lossless! You'll easily be able to tell by the file sizes however. Lossless files will commonly be ten times the size of AAC and MP3

 

[daveh75]

Thanks for the help and advice I'll use ALAC then.

I've ripped a couple of CD's in ALAC format and when I checked them in iTunes it is coming up with a M4A file extension is this correct?

Yes.

If it is I'll be able to download some mp3's I've bought from 7Digital as 320M4A's is this the same quality?

No.

M4A is just a container format that supports audio encoded in either AAC or ALAC.

So just because it's an M4A file don't presume it's lossless.

The 320 prefix implies that the M4A contains an AAC file encoded @ 320kbps

 

[beaker_07]

Thanks again - pity about that but thats what i as expecting - is there any difference in a 320kbps MP3 and a 320kbps M4A as I will still be using itunes for playing them.

 

[daveh75]

AAC is a more efficient codec than MP3, so theoretically is better quality than an MP3 of the same bitrate, but whether that difference is audible is a whole other debate.