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I've ripped my cds to wav with cue files and now I'm considering changing out my windows box with a mac mini.
Should I keep my music files in wav/cue format and choose a new player, now use foobar? Or convert wav/cue files to iTunes format such as AIFF?
If I go with iTunes how can I get the metadata included when converting?
Reripping my collection is the last solution. Help!
Follow Ups:
After sorting the differences of the 2 OS's, still walking not running, the mini is slowly becoming a server. For now I'm using iTunes with BitPerfect and transcoding/ripping with XLD.
I also have an iPad with the Remote iTunes app and ultimately would like to go headless though fumbling with the iPad for anything else isn't exactly intuitive for me, for now it will only be an expensive remote. Might be a keeper if I could put Firefox on it.
I'm basically traveling the road many have traveled before but wanted to give a little feedback in return for the tips and knowledge gained here. Keep them coming.
I'm in the midst of trying to make PC Audio decisions too. Just this week, I decided to take some time and hear for myself. I ripped the same CD three times; in ALAC, AIFF, and WAV. I then spent the better part of a day comparing the sound quality of the different file types. I also compared the sound quality playing the files through iTunes and VLC. In my system and to my ears, using VLC to play back the WAV files yielded the best sound quality. When playing the files through iTunes, I couldn't really distinguish any difference in sound quality between the three file types.
So, my recommendation to you would be to keep your WAV files if you put a higher premium on sound quality as compared to convenience and hard drive space. This, of course, assumes that you will eventually use a player other than iTunes.
My system is as follows:
Mac Book Pro
Monarchy Audio DIP
Monarchy Audio M33 Dac/Preamp
Coda Model 10 amplifier
Boston Acoustics A400 speakers
Brick Wall Power Surge and Conditioner
A variety of cables are used; Transparent, Blue Jeans, and Cobalt Ultimate
Power cables are a mixture of stock, Cobalt Ultimate, and Pangea
"He who fails to plan, plans to fail" - Winston Churchill
Don't let the inevitable convoluted computer audio pyscho posts confuse you.
Simplest and best solution:
-On a Mac, download and install XLD. Use XLD to open the Cue file and XLD will seek out and assign the metadata.
-Hit transcode (you will pick the destination and file format in Preferences.)
Then you are done.
____
As far as format, there is absolutely zero difference sonically in WAV/AIFF,FLAC, or ALAC. I would choose ALAC or FLAC on a Mac. Metadata is retained, and you save up to 50% hard drive space with zero loss of fidelity.
Have fun.
I'm surprised at how easy this sounds, and glad.
I'm a genuine beginner with macs so feel free to straighten me out whenever but I think I want to use iTunes to organize my library for now and possibly change players in the future.
If I understand correctly XLD will rip or convert files into the iTunes library? Will the wav/cue files work with iTunes or would it be best to convert them all to say, ALAC? Would iTunes play nice with mixed formats if I just leave the wav files as they are and start ripping to ALAC from now on?
Tomorrow I'll start playing around with iTunes and download XLD.
It is pretty easy.
If you are comfortable with iTunes, don't let the Computer Audio Police dissuade you. I think there are better players, but iTunes does the job.
If sticking with iTunes, I would go with AIFF, or ALAC. ALAC will save you 50% in storage space and will sound absolutely not one iota different.
As far as I know iTunes does not handle cue sheets, and XLD will transcode into any location you choose. I am not sure about XLD transcodeing "into iTunes" but you can import files into iTunes when done.
(If using iTunes, I suggest a plug in available from the app store called Bit Perfect. I think it costs $10, maybe more now. It definitely improves the sound)
iTunes does not natively handle FLAC which is why many folks don't use it, except with cumbersome add on programs like Pure Music.
BTW, using WAV with iTunes is fine too.
XLD will add files directly into iTunes. It is one of the choices in Preferences.
Thanks for that clarification. That makes things even easier for the OP.
I actually prefer the sound of WAV files vs. AIFF - at least on a Mac-based system (I know - different files types shouldn't sound different - bits is bits - maybe it's the way they're processed). So if your files are already in WAV I'd personally keep them that way (I did it in reverse - ripped everything in AIFF, then converted to WAV using XLD after I learned I preferred that format).
Anyway - there are lots of different programs on Mac that'll support WAV playback. Of the ones I've tried (including Pure Music and Amarra) I prefer Audirvana Plus - though they're each a major step up from iTunes. Don't know about all programs, but with Audirvana Plus if you keep a jpg of the album cover in the folder in which the album song files are kept you'll get album art during playback - even with WAV files. There's a work-around to do this with WAV files in iTunes but it's kind of a hassle. I've had no trouble with metadata when moving between programs - as noted above the metadata was established from the initial rips using XLD. No metadata problems when using these files on a Windows-based system either.
Hope this helps and good luck!
An expert is someone who knows no more than you but is from out of town.
-Mark Twain
Alongside AIFF, AAC, Apple Lossless and mp3 wav is an itunes supported format.
No idea about the metadata though.
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