How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

**Spoon** · October 20, 2006, 12:55 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

You are taking the right descion to rip to a lossless format, as in future you will not need to do it again.

2,500 CDs is quite an investment in audio, 500GB external usb storage is getting relatively cheap, two of them would take the lossless files.

When driving around with the ipod playing I would say 256kbps mp3 are overkill, you would not notice the difference with a lower (VBR) bitrate, perhaps even fit double the mp3 files on the ipod.

**mcouture** · October 20, 2006, 01:38 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

I have done some tests (in my car) between 192K MP3 and 256K MP3 and I notice a huge difference in quality. I notice a major loss in bass and washed-out highs, but at 256 it sounds acceptable.

Of course, in my car, I have 4 Infiniti Reference speakers, plus a 12" sub. one 4x150watt and one 1x600watt amp running my system.

Maybe I did something wrong when I converted to 192K?

**Spoon** · October 20, 2006, 05:06 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

Try using a lame preset such as alt preset standard, it is vbr and 192kbps (overall) will be close to 256kbps (cbr)

**mcouture** · October 22, 2006, 01:06 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

I will do another blind test. However, when I did it before using 192 vs 256 I noticed a very large difference in sound quality (lows and highs) and even a big difference in volume.
I hope I did something wrong the first time, so I can use 192VBR and gain back my disk space!
I'll let you know what my findings are....

**ChristinaS** · October 22, 2006, 08:01 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

Check DSP effects left over from other conversions.

**mcouture** · October 27, 2006, 01:12 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

I just finished another blind test of mp3 @ 192 and mp3 @ 256. Well, on computer speakers and headphones I cannot tell any difference at all.
When I plug my iPod into my home stereo or my car, I can tell a big difference. Loudness, highs and lows are much more 'defined'.

My home and car stereos are more mid-ranged units. I can really tell the difference.

If I were to not compared the two, I "could" live with 192. But now that I have heard the difference, I want the quality. Of course that screws up my long term plan.
I don't want to keep re-encoding 192, 256, then OGG or whatever. My first problem is that my current FLAC copies don't have lyrics or album art. I then convert from that to MP3 <whatever> then I have to add album art and lyrics. Then a new mp3 standard comes out and I have to re-encode..then I loose my album art and lyrics.
My second problem is the size of my collection. I want to be able to take my total music collection wherever I go (ie:mainly home or car). At 560 albums, I can fit it on my 30GB iPod at MP3@192, but at 256 I cannot...and forget it when I add my other 2,000 albums! So an iPod is not going to work for my car(it will when I am running or passing the time while in the supermarket), so I guess building a car-computer with a big hard drive is in order?
I just hate syncing playlists, making playlists etc. No matter what I think I want for a playlist, when I get out on the road, the music I want is never on the playlist---murphy's law. I guess I just want it all.

Any suggestions to my delimas? Other than stop being so demanding? :smile2:

So will dBpoweramp's new ALPHA rip to FLAC and pull in album art and lyrics so when I want to re-encode to <whatever> MP3 I will not have to pull those things in manually?

**Spoon** · October 27, 2006, 07:14 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

Yes except lyrics.

**dbPowerBOY** · November 03, 2006, 02:37 AM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

Im glad you asked the question mcouture and got the yes response from spoon

**DudeBoyz** · November 03, 2006, 05:40 AM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

I'd go 192k MP3's via LAME, I guess.

If you don't mind using Fast Fraunhoffer (Music Match 4.5 and up) then you could probably go 160k and save some space.

If you were listening with headphones, that would be one thing, but in a car, 160k or 192k should be fine, I would imagine.

**ChristinaS** · November 03, 2006, 03:59 PM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

Mcouture, do you live in your car? :D

Should I ask how you manage to keep your attention on the road while fiddling with all this music?

I pop a cd in the drive and it may just finish by the time I get to where I'm going.

If I needed more variety I guess I'd install an mp3 player in my car - they are now affordable gadgets - but then I'd end up having to make conscious decisions of what to listen to .... and hit the car ahead or miss my exit

Just joking (partially) :komisch12

**neilthecellist** · November 05, 2006, 05:01 AM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

If you have the time, do Preset Alt Preset Extreme and max out your kbps, do joint stereo, and let the conversion do it by itself.

I'd also suggest using multiple computers for your 2500 CD's to be converted. A ghetto Celeron 700 mhz processor will do, but I wouldn't mind an AMD Athlon X-2 64 bit processor

. Just try to have as many units running as much as possible.

And Christina, some of us DO live in our cars...

Unemployment is bad in the United States, contrary to the recent newsstories that claim US unemployment rate at an all-time low... but I'm going off topic, so save for another day.

**ChristinaS** · November 05, 2006, 06:30 AM

Re: How would you handle 2,500 CDs?

Neil, if you are unemployed and homeless and have to live in your car, I'd question your priorities and sanity if having the most stunning hifi system in said car were the ultimate goal in your life