<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>I have started ripping CD's with mp3 VBR with a minimum bit rate of 192 Kbps. For me, this difference between this and 128 mp3 is flat out amazing. Use a visualizer like vTunes-Skyscraper and compare the same track ripped different ways - it's amazing to see and hear what's been thrown away in the lower bitrate-encoded tracks. I bought a retrospective album by Swervedriver that I ripped this way - since I had many of the tracks already (ripped at 128 Kbps mp3) I thought they had remastered the audio! So much richer, definitely worth the extra hard drive space.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Peter<BR><BR><DIV> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">A little computer haiku:</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">I can't remember<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">the last time I restarted</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">I love OS X</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Helvetica; min-height: 16.0px"><BR></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica">This message sent with Mail.app 2.0 on Mac OS X 10.4</FONT></P> <P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Helvetica"><A href="mailto:pkrug@mac.com">pkrug@mac.com</A></FONT></P> <BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>