Here is an idea list all your favorite audio programs.
I'll start off
I like MP3-Info Extension 3.2 first off. It is a shell extension program. When your in windows explorer it changes the icon of your mp3's to a bit rate icon and when you place the arrow over the mp3 file it shows you the id3 tag nfo. very cool FREE program.

As for ripping I am tossed up. I have tried so many. I'll look here to see what everyone likes.
For playing I like CoolPlayer 1.0b
very small file and no real install. Just put the coolplayer.exe file where you want it. It will easily fit on a floppy. It has a good playlist maker and skins. Download is only 150K

as for ripping once again I am undecided. I am using recordnow max at the moment.

For burning I am using once again recordnow max

Fuerio and EAC are the only ones i use........to rip and burn

of course with Lame3,92 mp3 codec

For ripping, I mainly use CDex, from www.cdex.n3.net
Free, supports ogg, mp3, mpc, etc etc.

Other good free rippers are dbpoweramp and of course EAC.
And Lame 3.92 is THE mp3 encoder to use, IMHO.

There is only one player as far as I am concerned, Winamp.

I use mainly Nero, but also Feurio for burning.

Also, to keep track of my growing collection of mp3 cds, I use a great, free tool called MPEG audio collection. Get it from: www.jfaul.de

ripping: Musicmatch Jukebox (cd->mp3 @25x and faster) 192kbps
editing: CooleditPro
burning: Feurio and Nero
playing: windows mediaplayer or Virtual Turntables (mixing proggie)

has anyone tried this program. I mean really it is cool. you can get it from cnet. Thanks for the input on ripping software. You know a piece of software I would like to see? I want one that rips mp3s and zips or aces them all in one program. With cddb access as well so you got a nice zipped cd to share. O also I really like filetopia for sharing files. It is cool and there is no porn only music and software. No spyware either and the people are friendly. Not that I don't like porn but if you got some people hog up all your bandwith downloading it.

Editing & Normalization: Cool Edit 2000
MP3 Encoding: Music Match Jukebox
Burning: Nero
DivX Audio: Lame/Azid 5.1 to Stereo MP3 conversion from .wav
Player: MP3 Music Match Jukebox. All others: windows media player.

I've used Music Match for ripping, but it only rips up to 160 kbs. I like CDex because it rips and encodes up to 320 kbs. You also have a lot of flexibility as far as where the files go, and how they are named. Great for sorting later!

Does anyone know of a good easy tool for renaming multiple files using tags? I've used Dapyx and like it a lot, but they make it extremely difficult to send them money for a code to get past the trial period.

I've used MAC, and it's good for making lists of albums if you have your files sorted correctly. Anyone know of another program that will spit out reports the way you want them to?

Update: Just downloaded Tag Studio. Found it on the MP3 site. If you are looking for a good tag/filename manipulator, this thing is awesome. It out-performs Dapyx by a long shot. Here's a link....

http://www.magnusbrading.com/mp3ts/

EAC, Feurio, Nero (in this order)

For normalizing mp3's, MP3 Gain is the absolute best. It sets the volume as your ear hears it, the results are great. It can do whole folders if you like.

For a player QCD (Quintessential CD) is really nice, the most polished free software I've seen.

To decode mp3 to wave I use the winamp mp3 plugin v2.22, or the audio codec l3codecx.acm from FHT (both are giving equal results). For normalizing I use Cool Edit or the command line tool normalize. For recording I use CDRWIN.

Feurio to burn, with Lame encoder I never rip so I couldn't say.

Alam

For ripping : EAC
For encoding : LAME with Razorlame front-end

For normalising and clipping removal : MP3Gain
For tag handling and file renaming : MP3 Tag Studio

For decoding : Again LAME with Razorlame
For editing wavs for silence, clicks etc : Cool Edit
For burning : Nero

nwpsys

For ripping I used to and still do sometimes (especially with older cd's) use EAC. I often now use MediaJukebox as well for ripping my CD's and it will encode them using LAME or also Monkeys Audio (lossless compression) or ogg. It seems to offer secure mode ripping whereby it double checks the ripped data in a similar manner to how EAC does.

LAME is the only encoder to encode the mp3's.

To create the .sfv, .nfo and .m3u I use CDTag (www.cdtag.org).

To organise and look after my mp3's I use Media Jukebox v8 beta (final is almost ready). (http://www.musicex.com/mediajukebox/index.html)
Best Jukebox on the internet by far that I have found after YEARS of looking.

To burn them I used to use Nero but I now use MediaJukebox as it has burning capabilities built in and so I can just create playlists easily in it as I go along and then just burn the playlist I like.

Cakewalks Pyro MP3 CD maker does it all, it has a wave editor, uses the database, converts to mp3 or wave upto 356kb, and then burns them, even puts the text on the cd................

Ripping & Encoding: EAC with either the LAME or OGGenc executables. EAC automatically does all the tagging I ever need, and also supports FreeDB. For any additional tagging needs I use MP3-Info Shell Extension V3.2.13 Compatible with XP as well.

Editing: EAC's built-in WAV editor or CoolEdit Pro. Whatever the situation requires. Usually EAC.

Archiving: Monkey's Audio (on highest setting).

Listening/Converting: Winamp and its plugin friends.

Burning: Nero.

EAC to rip, Fuerio to burn. Simple!

EAC with Lame encoder

Zlurp

EAC & LAME are the best.
end of discussion.

I have tried to use Winamp many times, but have found it plays poor quality, compared to Microsoft Media Player.

I'm sure the issue is one of getting the proper add-ins for Winamp, but there are sooo many, I don't know what is most effect to play MP3s and/or Wav files.

As far as I know, Winamp plays what it reads. If 320kbps mp3's and 16-bit 44kHz wav isn't good enough, I don't know what is.
I'm also 99.999% sure that its waveout has been tweaked by more and smarter people than WMP's. You don't need any winamp plugins to listen to any of its supported file types, either....
What makes you think that its playback is low quality?

BTW...
* EAC for ripping and encoding using LAME as a plugin with either --r3mix for great VBR or 256kbps CBR

* No need to edit the filenames or tags because EAC does it all automatically

* Winamp to play (if you hadn't guessed )

* EAC or Nero to burn

* RazorLAME in the rare event that I need to decode

use the DFX plugin for Winamp. It improves the sound quality a lot. Its a must. Makes Sound sound different.
www.fxsound.com

To Farad,

I have three computers, with two sons and myself at home and work listening to MP3s or CDs. We all have had problems with Winamp where the sound would be "scratchy", "jumpy" on tracks and just of low quality when it did work.

Loaded up Media Player 7.1 and played the same MP3s or CDs and no more jumpiness, scratchiness. Plus the sound is much fuller.

I'm sure there are add-ins to fix this, and Winamp is such a slick little problem, but have spent a lot of time trying to analyze this and finally gave up. Will need to check a couple of the add-ins mentioned here.

Love to hear other experiences with Winamp.

Has to be Fuerio all the way used it for about a year now never a problem only great sounding cd's