Cdex and EAC WAV comparisoin shows that samples are different

[Wedge]

I compared a single track that I ripped first with Cdex then again with EAC. In WAV comparisons (both the Cdex analyzer and the EAC one) it's showing there are different samples.

How can I determine which file is most accurate to the original cd?

[MurderOne]

the only way you can compare quality of your rips is to do this.

1. burn a wave file from your hard disc to create an audio cd
2. extract the wave file to a new name
3. invert the phase of one of the wave files (in a prog like sound forge).
4. add the two signals together

if you have a perfect rip, the signals will cancel each other out completely.

if you still hear the full track but it sounds weird then you need to shift one of the waves left or right (an offset was probably added on extraction at the beginning of the wave, i.e. empty space).

if you see or hear small glitches then the extract is not perfect

obvioulsy you can compare different ripping progs this way.

its not a true guarentee of testing rip quality though because it also depends on the speed the audio was burned at / extracted at and the quality of the cds. most errors should be corrected upon extraction though. if the extractors use the same extraction engine then they should always give the same result.