Just wondering....if I create an image of an original audio CD, using Nero's NRG format (the only ISO option it allows for creating audio CD images) is this an exact, unaltered copy of an audio disc? Is it virtually the same as if I was copying to another blank CD, just creating an image file of the disc, saved to my HD? Any drawbacks or hesitations in using this method to archive audio CDs exactly? I know it takes up more space than EAC or Monkey's, but just wondering if it is perhaps a more precise way to copy audio CDs.

Thanx in advance for your feedback


Tyler j.

The NRG image should be an exact replica - or at least as exact as Nero will be. If you choose to copy a CD from Nero, but not "on the fly", this is what would happen anyway - i.e.: Nero would copy the CD to an NRG image and then immediately burn that to your blank CD.


If I were archiving in this manner I would use CloneCD, as I prefer it to copy CDs.

However, I have opted to archive to lossless format (Monkey's Audio) in conjunction with a cuesheet and PAR2 recovery. This should save me 100-200MB per CD, and still have better recovery options than archiving to an NRG image.

If you archive to a lossless format, and have the cuesheet to enable you to burn back to CD with complete indexes, I don't see any problem - i.e.: I don't believe it to be any less precise than creating a disc image (either in Nero, CloneCD, BLindWrite, etc.)

Certainly, using CloneCD or Nero might yield in a almost identical copy of the CDDA as you say but there's also much to prevent this.
For example scratches would be poorly handled by any of them as EAC would be able to handle this alot of times.

Copying a CDDA is not the same as copying a CD DATA, it is a different format and requires different tools for optimal extraction, using non-secure extraction as Nero or CloneCD is suboptimal but would yield in an acceptable copy anyway unless there's something bad with the CD such as scratch, bad pressing, erroneous drive etc.

So in the end it's up to yourlsef and your own preferences.

I only want to highlight that using EAC, PlexTools or even CDex is both practically and theoretically much more secure and reliable as method of CDDA extraction.

Archive discs in NRG format ? !
It makes little sense: Ahead changes the NRG format randomly, so I wouldn't do it.
You might find some day that you can't read your old discs...

The correct way is WAV+CUE, or with lossless compression like FLAC, APE, etc.

There's no difference in quality between NRG or WAV/FLAC/APE...

If your reading drive is able to read audio without errors, you might have an exact copy if the discs are not too scratched.