What does "inaccurate" really mean?

[OldBlueDragon]

When ripping discs, (using accurate rip) I sometimes get one or more tracks that are listed as "inaccurate" but what does that really mean? There are times when I can try to re-rip the problem tracks multiple times and STILL never get an accurate rip but when I play the tracks, nothing sounds "wrong". Could it mean a difference in checksum that is accountable in some non-critical way or is there always a problem?

In one case earlier today, 6 of the tracks on a single album were listed that way but the number in parentheses (200) was far larger than the same number in the accurate tracks (7). So does this mean that 200 other people had the same trouble with those tracks that I did? And that only 7 other people got the accurate tracks right?

[Spoon]

It can mean there are errors in the rip, an error could be something as small as 1 sample out of place, or a whole section interpolated 'silenced' which can be hard to hear.

An inaccurate result can use any of the stored pressings, all you know it is inaccurate (ie all tracks accurate (6) and one track inaccurate (150), you know this track has an error).

[garym]

For example, many of my "inaccurate" ripped tracks, play just fine and I can't detect any issues in simply listening. I typically try ripping on several drives and other approaches, but eventually give up if all inaccurate, particularly if I listen to track and can't detect any audible problem.

[jennaralissima]

I'm a new user and had this issue on a track on the 3rd (brand new) CD that I ripped. I tried 3 times but got the same result but when I listened to it I couldn't detect any problems. However, it was a 6 minute track so maybe I missed something but I'm sure I would have noticed a gap or drop-out. I also inspected the CD and found only the most minor of blemishes under a bright light, probably due only to the mechanism inside my Apple USB Superdrive that is also new.

Really though, conisdering that this is not free software (CAD$50+) I would have expected a meaningful explanation to be made available by clicking on the 'inaccurate' text or maybe just moving the mouse pointer over it.

[Dat Ei]

There are several reasons for inaccurate tracks:

- defect CD (scratches, dirt, dropouts)
- CD ok, but bad mastering
- read errors caused by the drive

An inaccurate rip can be a problem but must not be a problem from the audio point of view. Some small glitches can't be heared, others will result in annoying skips and dropouts. But if a rip is accurate, you can be assured that your rip is a 1:1 copy of the audio digital data on the CD.


Dat Ei