What is the best sounding of the encoders on Media Center 10

Newk · « **on:** 6 Dec 2004, 08:08 pm »

listening to the ape at 512... pretty darn good... is it better to go lossless. ???? or should I go itunes with apple lossless?

Thanks

BillyM · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Dec 2004, 12:12 am »

Lets say you have a 125cd collection in which you like every single song (doubtful), that's WELL under 80gigs compressed lossless. An 80gig hard-drive is only $40 now days if you find it on sale. In your audio setup, have you spent more for less of a return?

Would you save $40 for an amplifier with half the output? How about save $40 for speakers with half the build quality? Then why save $40 for half the bitrate, and thusly sound clarity in dynamic music?

I have had the best luck using a program called "CDex" to rip cd's to wav, and then using Monkeys Audio program to compress them on "high" compression.

--billyM

Newk · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Dec 2004, 01:07 pm »

I am a Jazz nut and plan on combining my collecton with that of a few friends.... so I am looking at something more in the 2500 range of cd's....

Does lossless encoding degrade the sound 50% I'm not sure that argument holds up....

thanks though

BillyM · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Dec 2004, 02:45 pm »

loss-less. there is NO loss. anything other than loss-less, there is loss and thusly sound degredation. My arguement was that for $40 (cost of additional storage) you can store over 150cd's loss-less instead of compressing them down. My "half the" arguement was the dynamic ability between any compressed media and lossless.

...anyhow, a couple of 250gb drives will do the trick for you, and still be much cheaper than most of the other modifications suggested in this community. Do you really like every single song on every single CD?

--BillyM

Newk · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Dec 2004, 03:01 pm »

Really it's all the great Jazz records... trane, miles, shorter up to the good stuff that's going on now.... so yeah , very few tracks that I would dispense of.

Thanks for the size recomendations. I'll start with one 250g.... probably take a while to get that one filled etc.....

All going digital into the Panny XR45 and then through the Carolina Audio JTM's which continue to stun and amaze me !

Newk · « **Reply #5 on:** 8 Dec 2004, 03:10 pm »

Really it's all the great Jazz records... trane, miles, shorter up to the good stuff that's going on now.... so yeah , very few tracks that I would dispense of.

Thanks for the size recomendations. I'll start with one 250g.... probably take a while to get that one filled etc.....

All going digital into the Panny XR45 and then through the Carolina Audio JTM's which continue to stun and amaze me !