I have always used Plextools for ripping (using Ogg Vorbis at Q8). I am thinking about switching over to using MP3 instead of Ogg and haven't made up my mind yet. The main reason I may do so is because relatively few flash players support Ogg and all players support MP3. I have tried to...

My computer has an EMU 0404 sound card, which is connected to a Gilmore Lite headphone amplifier with Sennheiser HD 580 headphones and a Logitech Z300 2.1 computer speaker system. Sometimes I notice the EMU 0404 seems to be clipping (the sound becomes harsh and scratchy) at certain high...

Just got an E4.... Any recommendations for shortening the cord? I also have an E5 and have "shortened" it by bundling a small section and spiral wrapping it with electrical tape. This works quite well but the tape is black and so it doesn't match the cord... Any other kinds of methods...

Where can you get a good deal on Tri-Flanges for the Shure E5 / E4c? I had one pair that came with my E5's, but cut the smallest tips off (because they seemed too large), and now they don't fit well. Maybe I should have cut the largest flanges off instead. I noticed a pair of Tri-Flanges...

I'm ripping and encoding with Plextools, using Ogg Vorbis set at Q8. My question is: is Q8 overkill? Would Q7 sound just as good? The average bit rates are well above 200K - probably about 215K average. So far, the average album size is about 98 MB. This seems like a reasonable average...

I've been looking at the various offerings of CD-R media at Media Supply: http://www.mediasupply.com/cd-r-media.html The selection of choices is bewildering. Supposedly, two of the best brands of CD-R are Taiyo Yuden and Mitsui MAM-A. I've read the Mitsui MAM-A Gold are predicted to...

I recently purchased Nero and tonight had error after error when backing up CD's, ruining about 5 or 6 blank CD-R's. I still had problems even after installing updates and reducing writing speed to 32x. I am using an Asus CD/DVD reader and a Plextor 712A CD/DVD writer. Plextools did the...

What are the best tips to use with the UM2? Can you use all Shure and Ety tips with these? Where is the best place to order them? Thanks.

I'm trying to figure out what media player/organizer to use and am mainly looking at Foobar 2K (due to wide acceptance) and J. River Media Center. It seems like 90% of people recommend Foobar 2K as the best - but I must say this program looks VERY difficult, and VERY time consuming to set up...

I read somewhere that Plextools is just as good for secure ripping as EAC, and that it's much faster than EAC with Plextor optical drives. I'm experimenting with using it right now, and so far it looks really slick. Unless there is something bad about it I dont' know about, I may switch to...

I heard the Iriver has discontinued Ogg Vorbis on one of their new HDD models.. What do you think, is Ogg Vorbis going the way of the dinosaurs? I am trying to decide between ripping my collection in Ogg Vorbis or MP3. I can't hear much of a difference between Ogg Vorbis Q6 and MP3/Lame...

I'm trying to learn how to use Ogg Vorbis with EAC... Previously I learned how to rip Lame/MP3's with EAC, but Ogg Vorbis looks like a better choice since I use flash players and want to maximize sound quality while minimizing file size. I don't care too much if Ogg drains batteries faster...

I have a few questions for those of you who have tried both the Shure E5 and the Westone UM2.... I have read in many threads that the Shure E5's have a more rolled off high end, and the UM2's have a flatter frequency response, but I have been able to address this issue with my E5's by...

What's the best program for copying CD's? I have Roxio Easy DVD copy...is that a good one? Is EAC the best for copying CD's like it is the best for ripping? I have tried to use it but always get errors and problems. Would EAC do a better (more bit-perfect) job than other copiers, or are...

Because everyone seems to recommend it, I installed EAC according to the instructions on www.bestmp3guide.com and ripped one CD using it. I was very surprised tha it took nearly one HOUR to rip the CD. Is this normal? I have synced the files to my Iaudio U2 and I must say they sound very...

I've noticed a strange problem with Windows Media Player 10 when ripping certain multi-CD sets. Today I tried to rip Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro (a 3 CD opera) to Windows Media Player 10, and it keeps writing the second and third CD's over the previously ripped tracks on CD1 and CD2 when I do...

I'm new to portable amps... What's the best choice for a small portable amp to be used with a flash player outdoors? I'd like to use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770-80's with an IAudio U2 flash player for evening walks but the U2 doesn't have enough power to really drive the 770's properly...

I'm wondering, is there a "pro" and a "non-pro" version of the DT 770 80-ohm headphone? What exactly does this terminology mean and which Beyerdynamic headphones does it apply to?

Where can you buy the DT 770-80 ohm version, and what's a good price for one?

I'm just wondering if the E-bay Glass Optical toslink cable is one of the best to use. I have one that is one meter length. The price was very reasonable, only about $40. Would I get better performance from using a more expensive one? Or would spending more just be a waste of money

I've been thinking about possible system upgrades for later in 2005. Most likely I won't be buying anything for six months (aside from swapping cables and interconnects) but I may buy a universal player sometime toward the end of the year if I can find a good deal on one. The reason I want...

What does "a DBT-free forum" mean? Also, I have an unrelated question about acronyms in common usage. What does "LOL" stand for? I can't figure that one out. Here's some ones I think I've figured out: IMO means "in my opinion" right" IMHO means "in my honest opinion" right...

Lately I notice I'm hearing a very faint buzzing (not transform hum) sound coming through the HD 650's when listening to my MPX3. Is this a sign my 6cg7 RCA Cleartops (of unknown age) could be going bad and may need to be replaced? Where can you buy RCA cleartops (6cg7 type)? I'd like to get...

Now that the main stereo has been set up and now that the computer is up and running, it's time to open up a whole new can of worms and learn a little more about the EMU 404. I'll do some searches to learn more about setting the EMU 404 using the supplied driver/settings screen (the patchmix...

Any recommendations for reducing static electricity? The winter air is pretty cold and dry and it seems like everytime I walk into the room and touch my Gilmore Lite I get ZAPPED pretty bad. I worry if this happens enough times it might damage the amp (probably not but who knows), or...