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Topic: What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide (Read 2590 times) previous topic - next topic
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What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide

Hi all

I am about start ripping my entire collection of over 2000 CDs. Will be ripping to FLAC and mp3, and will want to add metadata and all that kind of stuff.

I bought two drives for the job; both Plextor PX-716AL. They came bundled with Plextools. I have heard great things about DBPA (and have just downloaded the trial). But I have also heard great things about using Plextools with Plextor drives.

So I wondered if anyone would care to offer their general opinion on what their preference would be, but also on what DBPA can offer that Plextools can't (and vice versa if applicable).

Many thanks

Max

What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide

Reply #1
To list a few:

Better metadata (dbp uses 5 databases), Plextools uses just one
AccurateRip support - as good as Plextools works with Plextor drives, it will not be able to say with a certainty a rip is error free, because the CD drive on its own (every CD drive) cannot tell 100% of the time if the rip has errors or not.
Better codec support, rip to multiple formats at the same time
Album art support

What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide

Reply #2
AccurateRip is a must in my book. 

Back when I did my ripping a few years ago, I had a look at EAC and dBpoweramp, and purchased the latter for its metadata capabilities. Worth every penny to me, but I would also have considered CUETools if I were to do the same job over again ($DEITY forbid!) -- it is a ripping suite which wasn't available back then, and offers a correction database (not only detection) in case the rip is bad but not too bad. EAC has more features now too, including the CUETools database.

I also have PlexTools installed. For CDs where dBpoweramp would fail (some badly scratched discs would make its secure mode abort) then I fired up EAC and PlexTools -- but first and foremost a different drive.

What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide

Reply #3
Thanks for the replies chaps. 

One thing I would be interested in would be to have a snout around the AccurateRip database.  I have a lot of non-mainstream music.  I suspect some of it will definitely not be in there.  But just how much won't be there is tough to say.  So is there anyway I can access and search within the database (without ripping or anything like that; I mean simply just take a look)?

What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide

Reply #4
So is there anyway I can access and search within the database (without ripping or anything like that; I mean simply just take a look)?


Browsing by artist name / album title? The AccurateRip database does not contain anything such (nor links to it).

If you have the exact TOC of the CD, then fine - meaning, you can get the information by putting the CD in the drive without ripping (but then you might as well hit the rip button).

What can dBpoweramp do better than Plextools? I'm trying to decide

Reply #5
CUERipper (part of CUETools) will query both the AccurateRip and CUETools databases when you insert a CD then displays the number of possible matching records based on the TOC of that CD at the bottom of the GUI. Actual number of accurate matches requires ripping of the CD.
korth