the best CD ripper out there is called EAC (exact audio copy). Besides being free, for years it is the flagship ripper and all other rippers try to mimic. Its the only ripper with extensive ripping, encoding, and drive control features, and is the only ripper that can do a 100% accurate rip. When combined with the LAME mp3 encoder using VBR (variable bitrate) settings, you will be able to (freely) create the highest quality mp3s possible...MUCH better than anything that itunes crap can do. We have a guide on how to install, setup, configure, and use EAC and LAME. You can find the link to the guide in my sig below... edit 4 typo
