PC World - How to get a perfect CD rip (on Windows)

PC World has a very nice article on their site that details how to get a perfect CD rip on Windows using the free program EAC.
I good primer, even for Mac folks, or users of other software programs.

Music Industry: Trading Analog Dollars for Digital Cents

As reported in today’s NY Times, a major record label - Atlantic Records - now makes more money from digital downloads than CD or record sales.
Big milestone. The labels had better get used to it. This is the future, and it’s happening now.
The article goes on to document how the labels plan to make up […]

Inexpensive Music Server - A Flawed Dell-based Solution

The most common question that I get asked - other than “Am I confirmed for the event?” - is: “How should I implement a good music server?”
Well, here’s a way to implement a great-sounding music server for about $1K. The key strategy in play here is to house a stellar Lynx sound card in a […]

The Great BAAS DAC Comparison - Results are In!

We just completed another great BAAS event. When we succeed, we combine listening pleasure and camaraderie with a “wisdom of the crowds” learning experience. We seem to have hit the right note(s) yesterday in Jason’s superb listening environment.
First, here are the DAC’s that we had on hand:

Weiss Medea - $16K MSRP    (thanks Clive)
Theta Gen VIII […]

The Best-kept Secret in Mac CD Ripping?

Great news for audiophiles who, like myself, love all-things-Mac — we now have our own ripper with most of the capabilities of “EAC” or “dbPowerAmp.”
And it’s free and open-source!
The product is called XLD (X Lossless Decoder) and boasts the most impressive feature list of anything Mac. You can download it here. If you use it, […]

Does Bandwidth Beyond 20khz Improve Sound Quality?

Some folks over at the SlimDevices Forum (here) are currently debating the impact of this 2000 psycho-acoustic scholarly research from Japan.
The results of the study support some remarkable and far-reaching conclusions:

Frequency content beyond 20khz enhances human perception of music - test subjects favor it over lower-bandwidth material.
Brain activity can be measured and used to correlate […]

Free Download - Blue Coast “The BAAS Sessions”

Click here for exclusive recordings from our Blue Coast Records event.
The tracks are available as both playable MP3 and downloadable 16/44.1 WAV. So most everyone should be able to play them with good fidelity.
You’ll find not just the mixed versions, but also the “raw mic” tracks from the various microphones that Cookie used.
Listening to these […]

Greeks Scientifically Test “Vinyl vs CD”

The Audiophile Club of Athens remains very active.
Its latest endeavor (documented here) tackles an issue that seems to plague many audiophiles - “is CD/digital (finally) better than analog/vinyl”?
Their answer is an emphatic  “NO!”
While I disagree with some of their methodology, it makes for interesting reading. And I certainly applaud their effort.
I’ll leave you to form […]

Best Systems at Rocky Mountain (RMAF 2008)

Let me begin with a quotable quote:

Audiophile: “I just don’t understand how a power cord can matter.”
Well-known cable vendor: “The first thing to understand is that the improvement has nothing to do with power….”
Audiophile: “Huh?”

Yep - believe it or not - a lot of hype and misinformation flowed in Denver this weekend. But so did […]

The Worst Album Covers EVER!

How do you like the one on the left?
It’s actually one of the more tasteful ones on this site, which is a unique “worst of” collection.
Note: Folks with delicate sensibilities should not click the link.
Enjoy!