FLAC finito
I finally finished converting nearly 500 CDs into FLAC files using EAC. Took me nearly two months. Put the whole lot onto a Win XP netbook with the OS stripped down to the bare essentials. Playback is with foobar2000 through a Behringer UCA202 DAC and with the onboard EQ and mixdown to mono at the DSP stage, my response is WOW! It may not be hi-fidelity, but it sure did get my feet tapping and hands clapping before supper tonight. Sounds like a good clean punch in the face, and I like it a lot.
I can now forgive Apple for the mess they call iTunes, as my new setup with foobar2000 really does deliver the goods. Playback is through a 6 inch AlNiCo guitar speaker embedded in a LeCleach horn, which after a year of listening was beginning to grate upon me a bit. It is through trial and error that I finally understand the significance of matching all the levels between components before they eventually hit the speaker cone.
Sure glad to have persevered with what I already have without spending any more money.
ToS
I finally finished converting nearly 500 CDs into FLAC files using EAC. Took me nearly two months. Put the whole lot onto a Win XP netbook with the OS stripped down to the bare essentials. Playback is with foobar2000 through a Behringer UCA202 DAC and with the onboard EQ and mixdown to mono at the DSP stage, my response is WOW! It may not be hi-fidelity, but it sure did get my feet tapping and hands clapping before supper tonight. Sounds like a good clean punch in the face, and I like it a lot.
I can now forgive Apple for the mess they call iTunes, as my new setup with foobar2000 really does deliver the goods. Playback is through a 6 inch AlNiCo guitar speaker embedded in a LeCleach horn, which after a year of listening was beginning to grate upon me a bit. It is through trial and error that I finally understand the significance of matching all the levels between components before they eventually hit the speaker cone.
Sure glad to have persevered with what I already have without spending any more money.
ToS
I have tried CD cleaners
I helped with a products debut at Newport Beach a few years back. We blind listened hundreds of people using fresh bought treated and untreated discs, and I walked the halls listened to systems and asked for vendors to blind listen after closing to one song on 2 discs. I would say well over 50% replied they could tell. Upon asking questions of vendors the next day my conclusion was that the deciding factor was anti jitter in the platforms playing the discs.
The product I was helping to promote (also this was my entry into The Show) to the best of my knowledge chemically removed a micro layer of the surface of the disc allowing the laser to not break up as much. This allowed lower priced platforms to operate at a higher level. Before this the best product I had found only helped reduce static buildup during playing caused by the high rate of spin and the contact with air.
This is only an opinion, no way for me to prove anything. Both of these products were developed by a DD and those guys do know and understand modern plastics and chemical bonds etc. My semi educated guesses were neither confirmed or denied. This was not for removing scratches. All info is on the foil and the easier it is to read the better the sound. I can watch movies in 3D and I treat these discs and other favorites. It can make a difference but I found that the scrubbers offered no improvement over doing it with your hands and micro fiber cloths.
Having said all that I am still confused about how to rip my music and movie collection. What is the most versatile software to use with Windows. I want loss less that can be put on chips to transfer to other devices, thumb drives etc. I have a USB and a HDMI port on the front of the OPPO which has a very good DAC and want a hand carry device I can use in my car with mini plugs and my own copper.
I read the beginning and end of this thread and get that I need to download FLAC. Maybe what I need is only to do that and to use something else to convert to what I need for different purposes later. For instance I like to sleep to Baroque, especially things with lots of contra bass, cellos, etc. For this Bluetooth is fine and most delivery systems will do. If I am going to get into the same thing in my living room I want direct delivery which means no radio signal. Some of my recordings are not replaceable thru regular retail and I want these downloaded for ease and to keep the disc in case of info loss or damage or changes in Tec. If the recordings lose the thing that makes them truly right brain entertainment then it is just a waste of time and money (which right and left brain at the same time). I want to get the most out of my ears while I can. I need the goosebumps from Ella Fitzgerald, Bach on original instruments, the best out of the cleanest Zappa recordings. Stuff like that.
Thanks, I will check back in a week or so. Getting on a plane and since I am going to SoCal listening to Valley Girl seems in order.
David Thatcher
I helped with a products debut at Newport Beach a few years back. We blind listened hundreds of people using fresh bought treated and untreated discs, and I walked the halls listened to systems and asked for vendors to blind listen after closing to one song on 2 discs. I would say well over 50% replied they could tell. Upon asking questions of vendors the next day my conclusion was that the deciding factor was anti jitter in the platforms playing the discs.
The product I was helping to promote (also this was my entry into The Show) to the best of my knowledge chemically removed a micro layer of the surface of the disc allowing the laser to not break up as much. This allowed lower priced platforms to operate at a higher level. Before this the best product I had found only helped reduce static buildup during playing caused by the high rate of spin and the contact with air.
This is only an opinion, no way for me to prove anything. Both of these products were developed by a DD and those guys do know and understand modern plastics and chemical bonds etc. My semi educated guesses were neither confirmed or denied. This was not for removing scratches. All info is on the foil and the easier it is to read the better the sound. I can watch movies in 3D and I treat these discs and other favorites. It can make a difference but I found that the scrubbers offered no improvement over doing it with your hands and micro fiber cloths.
Having said all that I am still confused about how to rip my music and movie collection. What is the most versatile software to use with Windows. I want loss less that can be put on chips to transfer to other devices, thumb drives etc. I have a USB and a HDMI port on the front of the OPPO which has a very good DAC and want a hand carry device I can use in my car with mini plugs and my own copper.
I read the beginning and end of this thread and get that I need to download FLAC. Maybe what I need is only to do that and to use something else to convert to what I need for different purposes later. For instance I like to sleep to Baroque, especially things with lots of contra bass, cellos, etc. For this Bluetooth is fine and most delivery systems will do. If I am going to get into the same thing in my living room I want direct delivery which means no radio signal. Some of my recordings are not replaceable thru regular retail and I want these downloaded for ease and to keep the disc in case of info loss or damage or changes in Tec. If the recordings lose the thing that makes them truly right brain entertainment then it is just a waste of time and money (which right and left brain at the same time). I want to get the most out of my ears while I can. I need the goosebumps from Ella Fitzgerald, Bach on original instruments, the best out of the cleanest Zappa recordings. Stuff like that.
Thanks, I will check back in a week or so. Getting on a plane and since I am going to SoCal listening to Valley Girl seems in order.
David Thatcher
And i had success with olive oil. Tried other things as well, but a light film of olive oil seems to fill in some gaps, so much so, that the laser can read the right bits and the error correction is not as overloaded.
Basically, apply a drop and remove excess.
However, if there is a scratch on the data (the printed) side, all hope is lost.
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