Software to replace my music collection with high res files

[mjw21a]

Ok, so I'm looking to try find a way to upgrade my music collection to high resolution files. Many of these were ripped from CD in the 90's as 64k WMA files due to drive space restrictions I had back then. Besides with the shitty playback equipment I had back then the difference was less pronounced.

Is there software out there I can use the download and replace my collection with high res files?

Really keen to do this as I recently moved to a Gieseler Groß DAC and the difference is quite noticeable. Maybe there's a JRIVER plugin for this even?

 

[Bob]

once the CDs are ripped to lower resolution, there's no way to go back. that 650MB CD reduced to wma or MPx
is permanent.

you could try using an upload service that may understand your wma version and return a CD-equivalent file.

your best bet is to retrieve all those CDs and do a hi-res (eg no reduction) copy also called a rip.

 

[Alobar]

Hi resolution as in higher than cd quality? There are sites such as hdtracks, but the selection available is quite limited.

If you are trying to upgrade from old 64kbps than I would look to buying CDs (used and new) as a best bang for getting a decent sounding source material . then rip them to flac lossless . Of course if you can find replacements in 24/96 or 192 that might be worthwhile. I just don't think you will find everything you are looking for in those resolutions.

 

[Yamaki]

Do you still have the CD's? If so, you can rip them to FLAC. More than likely all of them will rip to 16 bit/44.1 kHz.

You can't upconvert the existing files and improve the SQ. There's just no way to add what was removed during the last conversion.

 

[mjw21a]

I have many of the CD's though quite a few have been lost or broken over the years as well. I was rather hoping there would be some software out there would do allow me to import my playlist and replace the originals with high res versions.

 

[Yamaki]

Sorry but there isn't any software that can do the replacement function you are looking for. You'll need the physical CD media to rip or you can purchase high resolution files online. Most, if not all, CD's will rip to 16 bit/44.1 kHz. You'll just have to find the media you want to replace your current files. You could also subscribe to a streaming service and build some playlists but remember, you are only renting those tracks and you don't own them. If you cancel your subscription, the tracks are no longer available to you unless the streaming service offers a purchase option on individual tracks or albums.

For ripping CDs I use dbpoweramp cdripper. Works great, never had a metadata tag issue with it and you can dial up the rip speed and quality in the software. It is a licensed product you pay a fee for. There are other software packages out there and there is a lot of discussion on other options here in the forum.

Purchasing and downloading higher resolution files is relatively easy. The downside is that it's a bit more expensive than finding and purchasing used or new CDs to round out your music collection. The upside is that higher resolution files are just that...higher resolution than the standard CD rip value. Depending on your system, and your ears, you may or may not hear a difference between the two. I definitely do and, while I have a lot of standard resolution files, I have a lot of higher resolution files as well.

 

[sKiZo]

Try purchasing used CDs on Discogs? They've got a decent search function - type in a title and artist and see if it pops up. Nice winter project.

Amazon might be another good source. Not hi-res, but should be a definte improvement. Most of their MP3 downloads are 256VBR which allows right decent playback.

 

[mjw21a]

Purchasing and downloading higher resolution files is relatively easy. The downside is that it's a bit more expensive than finding and purchasing used or new CDs to round out your music collection. The upside is that higher resolution files are just that...higher resolution than the standard CD rip value. Depending on your system, and your ears, you may or may not hear a difference between the two. I definitely do and, while I have a lot of standard resolution files, I have a lot of higher resolution files as well.

Depressing. I guess I'll just make do. There's a noticeable difference between CD and high res files in terms of realism though the reality is that everything sounds pretty amazing. My LP rips trounce the CD rips, and high res files are on a similar level to the LP rips. All in all everything sounds pretty darn good. I'm using the following digital chain:

JRiver > Aucharm Silver Plated Copper USB > Gieseler Groß DAC > Litz Copper RCA's > Oldchen K3 amp (2x Shuguang CV181-Z Black Bottles, 1x Melz 6H8C, 3x Tung Sol KT120) > Dueland Speaker Wire > Aurum Cantus F620 speakers

I may purchase the high res files with favourites where it can't be obtained on LP.

 

[MoreBeer]

Convert those low res WMA files into mp3 or something iTunes can read and bring them all into iTunes. Then get yourself a free Google account. Google will read your iTunes library and make it available in Google Play Music. You can then download the entire library as 256 kbps mp3 files which is exponentially better than what you currently have.

 

[elcoholic]

Convert those low res WMA files into mp3 or something iTunes can read and bring them all into iTunes. Then get yourself a free Google account. Google will read your iTunes library and make it available in Google Play Music. You can then download the entire library as 256 kbps mp3 files which is exponentially better than what you currently have.

I wouldn’t bother on any that I still had the CDs. Better to just rip to FLAC and be done. This might be a reasonable stop gap for the missing CDs until they can be reacquired. How much does Google Play charge per track?

 

[BobHol]

This makes no sense to me . I'm currently listening to early R&R, Rythm &Blues, Rockabilly. And the music sounds fantastic. Heaven knows what bit-rate its recorded at. Its the music. Sorry for the Rant.

 

[elcoholic]

This makes no sense to me . I'm currently listening to early R&R, Rythm &Blues, Rockabilly. And the music sounds fantastic. Heaven knows what bit-rate its recorded at. Its the music. Sorry for the Rant.

You call that a rant? If you don't know or don't care about what you're missing then that's certainly OK. The question is do you want to hear all the music? Everything from the crickets on Abbey Road, subtle back ground vocals, brushes on drums instead of what you thought was tape hiss, etc. etc. can't be resolved at 64 kbps. Even at inception iTunes was 128 kbps. Considering the extremely low cost of disc storage ($80 2TB SHDD's on Amazon) and the time required to rip CDs if the OP is going to upgrade his collection it makes sense to go FLAC. Even if you keep music on your phone the latest phones have 256 gB of storage or you can downsample for those devices with small storage capacity.

 

[mjw21a]

Convert those low res WMA files into mp3 or something iTunes can read and bring them all into iTunes. Then get yourself a free Google account. Google will read your iTunes library and make it available in Google Play Music. You can then download the entire library as 256 kbps mp3 files which is exponentially better than what you currently have.

Mmmm, sounds like a good option. I'll give this a crack

 

[elcoholic]

The discussion of low bit rates triggered a long forgotten memory. I was part of the team at Airtouch that applied CDMA for cellular with Qualcomm doing the chipsets. To manage bandwidth the initial vocoders were 7kbs. It was nearly a disaster. You could understand the other person but you couldn’t distinguish your wife’s voice from your mother’s. Immediately after launch the vocoders were upgraded to 13 kbps and the early adopters’ handsets were replaced. Roughly doubling the bit rate made CDMA commercially viable where it wasn’t before. Quadrupling 64 to 256 kbps will have a huge impact on detail. Now consider the CD bit rate is 22 times that 64 or about 1400. That’s a whole lot more bandwidth for SQ. What’s cool about FLAC lossless compression is you get all that for about 900 kbps.

 

[beanoil]

dbPoweramp to rip to FLAC, trips to Goodwill, flea markets, antique stores. You'll eventually find your music, and likely expand your collection into places you never thought you would go.
For example, currently playing, Michael Jackson. That never would have crossed my mind had it not been playing right before I walked into an antique store. There it was, for a buck. And this old school rock and roller is actually digging it.
dbPoweramp forums have a list of CD and DVD drives listed by rip accuracy. I was lucky to find a NOS TSST drive from way back that lists at 99.8 accuracy. It handles even scratched disks well.

 

[elcoholic]

+ 1 for dB Power Amp

 

[gusaudio]

I created WAV files in windows media for the car, I really don't care about artwork or metadata, I am driving dammit, and it is a lossless file.

It also did manage to rip some discs that were unlistenable due to damage. Grinds away for a long time, and in some cases they are still unlistenable.