Do Audio CD copying "DEGRADES" the sound? A Blindfold Test

Which file is best sounding?

  • 01.wav

    Votes: 3 10.7%
  • 02.wav

    Votes: 1 3.6%
  • 03.wav

    Votes: 4 14.3%
  • 04.wav

    Votes: 2 7.1%
  • All are same sounding

    Votes: 11 39.3%
  • Hard to tell due to minute difference in SQ

    Votes: 7 25.0%

  • Total voters
    28
  • Poll closed .
Don't get me wrong, I applaud your effort but I feel if tracks are giving errors while being ripped also indicates that CDs were not burnt properly.
To make it fair you need to have rips with zero errors
 
To make it fair you need to have rips with zero errors

I think he said that cd burning happened fine but eac rip from a copy have random errors. I took the test inspite and trust me the results were unbelievable. Moreover such errors actually resembles the reality of copying and ripping when we download rips from internet where not everyone is supported by a eac log or for that matter a certainty that it was ripped from a master. Further several times our friends or acquaintances demand a copy and we provide them but they in turn might do the same and this goes on. So this process is like what we would have in reality in my opinion
 
Don't get me wrong, I applaud your effort but I feel if tracks are giving errors while being ripped also indicates that CDs were not burnt properly.
To make it fair you need to have rips with zero errors

spot on! imho I don't think Nero can be compared to eac/dbp for bit perfect ripping and cd burning! So, therein lies the problem if there is a problem to begin with. Unfortunately, I'm not endowed with golden ears... I heard all 4 files from start to finish. hope you guessed my answer :p
 
I think he said that cd burning happened fine but eac rip from a copy have random errors. I took the test inspite and trust me the results were unbelievable. Moreover such errors actually resembles the reality of copying and ripping when we download rips from internet where not everyone is supported by a eac log or for that matter a certainty that it was ripped from a master. Further several times our friends or acquaintances demand a copy and we provide them but they in turn might do the same and this goes on. So this process is like what we would have in reality in my opinion
I agree with you in that in real world scenarios such incidents would happen.
But for me if it's a test, I would like them ripped without errors.
Just my personal belief and I don't claim that without that I can't take part in the test.
My audio setup is disassembled for now
 
The reason I'm curious to hear your samples and draw an inference is because I'm currently ripping my audio CDs via dbp to wav uncompressed !

Don't worry, the next blindfold test will be on ripping software. I want to know whether different ripping software affects the sonic property of output rips or not. For your kind information, the test material is ready and I am conducting some pre-tests among my friends. Will conduct the experiment after the ongoing one concludes.
 
@rikhav @keith_correa @SEANDSILVA I purposefully conducted the test with errors. I am curious about the real-world scenario of listening, decoupled with a technical and/or visual inspection. The matter is well explained by @haisaikat

Just to add a bit more. We all might have any kind of Windows or MS Office setup disk. Just think about the era before USB-based setup. Majority of us might have copied the disk from any friend or downloaded the iso from the internet and burned afterwards. We don't know the source, also don't know after how much sequential copy it came in our hand. My personal experience is, such copied/downloaded materials hardly fails. Also, many of our friends took a copy from my disk. percentage of reporting of a failed disk from them is very much negligible.
 
Don't worry, the next blindfold test will be on ripping software. I want to know whether different ripping software affects the sonic property of output rips or not. For your kind information, the test material is ready and I am conducting some pre-tests among my friends. Will conduct the experiment after the ongoing one concludes.

Geez just when I thought the dust was about to settle with this poll you're going to inadvertently open another Pandora's box on ripping software!? While you're on this experimental jaunt, I'm trying my best to "do it once, do it right" only by junking the flac format and sticking to good ol' wav. Luckily, to my ordinary ears the dbp wav rips sound the same as the source CD. No analysis paralysis for me LOL
 
Geez just when I thought the dust was about to settle with this poll you're going to inadvertently open another Pandora's box on ripping software!? While you're on this experimental jaunt, I'm trying my best to "do it once, do it right" only by junking the flac format and sticking to good ol' wav. Luckily, to my ordinary ears the dbp wav rips sound the same as the source CD. No analysis paralysis for me LOL
I have a different approach to CD digitisation though. I make CD image in .nrg format through Nero and play them back using the virtual drive of PowerISO via VLC Media Player. A very non-audiophilic custom approach. :D:D
 
Geez just when I thought the dust was about to settle with this poll you're going to inadvertently open another Pandora's box on ripping software!? While you're on this experimental jaunt, I'm trying my best to "do it once, do it right" only by junking the flac format and sticking to good ol' wav. Luckily, to my ordinary ears the dbp wav rips sound the same as the source CD. No analysis paralysis for me LOL
If the next CD Rip Test concludes "No Sonic Difference Among Software", you might be the happiest person in the world IMO.
 
I have a different approach to CD digitisation though. I make CD image in .nrg format through Nero and play them back using the virtual drive of PowerISO via VLC Media Player. A very non-audiophilic custom approach. :D:D

Whatever floats your boat. Dunno why I instantly read that word as audiophallic. Yikes. Lol.
If the next CD Rip Test concludes "No Sonic Difference Among Software", you might be the happiest person in the world IMO.
If dbp unexpectedly says it is shutting down permanently then I'm concerned. As long as my aging ears like what they hear and find nothing to grumble about I couldn't care less about a CD software ripping comparison.
 
If you're inclined to, can you please rip the same track from the different CD's again and upload the log file from EAC? I'm curious to know if the ripping is identically done.
@anirban420 can you please upload the log as well.
@keith_correa when you are saying if the ripping is done identically, what exactly are you trying to suggest. I didn't get you.
 
I know that the rips had errors - that explains the differences when I compared the files - which is all I was curious about.
I very intentionally said titibits about the error. As I have said earlier, my goal is, in spite of this error, can anyone hear any difference? If you can, you can vote accordingly.

Moreover, can anyone spot the file(s) that contain(s) error? If anyone can, they might post it publicly in this thread. This data can be verified when I will release the log after the poll ends.
 
I will be very open about my feelings. Please don't take it as me being rude or trying to bring down someone as I am genuinely not trying to do that .

I am trying to give an absolute real world example.
I am fortunate to know people who are absolute audiophiles and also individuals who believe in numbers (the more accommodating kind :)

Both as far as my experience goes both would not accept a rip which has errors.

Yes, in real world scenario I would accept it as I have no choice. I will try different ways to rip the cd or make a copy of it to eliminate errors but if it still shows errors I know it has to sound different but I am OK with it as o have no choice.

So pardon my ignorance, but then what is there to prove?
 
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