[ezkcdude]

My music server PC died recently, and I'm thinking about getting an iMac to replace it. I run SqueezeCenter. The only things that cause me to hesitate switching to OS X are: 1) Is there a good OS X equivalent to EAC for ripping? 2) Will I be able to play FLAC files? There's a program called Max that looks pretty good. Anyone use that? Or have alternatives to suggest?

[Yonzie]

While it's not really comparable to EAC, the equivalent software on OS X is Max, which you have found yourself. It supports pretty darn close to every format out there, and also has an option to read the CD multiple times to check that the data returned is the same. If you're planning to use your files in iTunes, don't forget to check the "iTunes compatibility" checkbox.

Regarding FLAC, yes you can play it, no problem. From the author of Max you can get Play, or you can get Cog.
TBH though, unless you have some specific reason to use FLAC, I'd just go ahead and use Apple Lossless instead. Works with iTunes and most newer iPods, so it's just less of a hassle really.

[bmorley]

I've been using Max for ripping and tagging since I found it. I like the setup and it is a nice all in once solution. I had been using EAC previously but that required me to boot the 'other' computer. There is an option to use 'cdparanoia' for more certainty with the ripping process. The author includes a script to use the tag information from iTunes which can be added to the script function under iTunes which I like better than the native Musicbrainz info.

The nice thing about Max is you can set it to encode a number of different formats at the time of ripping. I have it output both an AAC version for the iPod and FLAC version for my Squeezeboxes.

@Yonzie. I assume he is wanting to use FLAC for lossless since the Squeezebox can natively decode it as opposed to having to transcode from ALAC if that is being used.

As for playing FLAC on an iMac, there is a plugin to be able to play from iTunes. Fluke

[ezkcdude]

Originally Posted by bmorley @Yonzie. I assume he is wanting to use FLAC for lossless since the Squeezebox can natively decode it as opposed to having to transcode from ALAC if that is being used.

Yeah, you nailed it here. I haven't used iTunes for years, so don't really care about compatibility there. Anyway, I went ahead and made the purchase today. I should be getting my new 20" iMac in a few days. It looks for now that Max will be the program I go with to start. Thanks, guys!