What format to use when ripping files to CDs?

Posted by: totemphile on 25 March 2012

What format is best to rip to CDs?

 

I ripped AIFF to a CD and it plays all funny on my old JVC CD player. Are some formats better read by standard CD players than others?

 

Ripped that CD using iTunes. Is it better to use XLD?

 

Thanks

tp

Posted on: 25 March 2012 by Aleg

When you create a proper audio cd the original format doesn't matter (as long as it has been an original rip to a lossless format) because CD players always expect redbook CD format which is PCM.

 

So if you created an audio CD from AIFF files, those files get automatically converted to RBCD specs.

 

If you just burned the AIFF to a cd as a data cd, than I can imagine strange things happening, but I would expect a CD player not being able to read that disc at all.

 

-

aleg

Posted on: 25 March 2012 by MangoMonkey

You mean burnt a cd, not a rip a cd, no?

 

I've used dbpoweramp and itunes to rip cds, both with good results. dbpoweramp preserves hdcd data that itunes doesn't.

 

Burning: I've used itunes to burn and it seemed to work fine.

Posted on: 25 March 2012 by Bart
Originally Posted by totemphile:

What format is best to rip to CDs?

 

I ripped AIFF to a CD and it plays all funny on my old JVC CD player. Are some formats better read by standard CD players than others?

 

Ripped that CD using iTunes. Is it better to use XLD?

 

Thanks

tp

If you want to play the cd on your "old JVC CD player," you'll have to use the standard redbook cd format -- PCM.  The software in an old player won't recognize today's common formats of .mp3, aiff, etc.  Newer players however will play newer formats. For example, the cd players in most modern cars will play music from cd's containing .mp3 files. 

 

The short answer is that it depends on what you want to play the cd on, and what format(s) that cd player can handle.

Posted on: 25 March 2012 by Geoff P
Originally Posted by MangoMonkey:

You mean burnt a cd, not a rip a cd, no?

 

I've used dbpoweramp and itunes to rip cds, both with good results. dbpoweramp preserves hdcd data that itunes doesn't.

 

Burning: I've used itunes to burn and it seemed to work fine.

FYI

 

dBpoweramp software also has a CD Burn function in it so if you want to you can use it both to rip and to produce playable CD's. Nice for building Car CD playlists fro example.

 

....and yes to make a playable CD it is necessary to use a CD Burn software to convert to PCM as part of the burning process.

 

regards

Geoff

Posted on: 25 March 2012 by totemphile

Thanks everyone. I burned the CD with iTunes again, works fine now...