After countless hours ripping my compact discs and tracking down cover art (and often scanning the art myself), I have finally completed ripping my cds to mp3’s. According to my iTunes, I have 5105 albums, which breaks down to 64,793 songs. To do the actual ripping, I used Exact Audio Copy, set to V2 quality (192 kbps VBR). My encoder was LAME v3.98.2.
My intention from the beginning of this project was to convert my music library to mp3’s that I could play on a portable device or my computer. That’s why I didn’t use a lossless format like FLAC. So I’m keeping all of my compact discs. However, at 192 kbps, I really can’t tell much difference between a cd and an mp3.
Right now, I use two mp3 players. My main one is a 16Gb 4th generation iPod Nano, given to me by my wife and daughters (I love you!). It’s a beautiful machine, and I still can’t get over how much music it holds. 
When I’m out running or working in the yard, I use a 8Gb Sansa Clip. It is so small that it is practically weightless, and it comes with a built-in clip that is perfect for running. 
I’ve gone through probably a dozen sets of earphones, and I have finally found an excellent pair: Radius Atomic Bass: 
They have the best sound of any pair I’ve used, and they are a real bargain, comparable to $100+ earphones, but costing much less. They fit in-ear, and I have been able to listen to music or podcasts while mowing the lawn.
One last thought: all of my music files reside in a 1Tb external drive that is approximately the size of a hardcover book. All of my cds cover two walls of our den. If you consider how much plastic and aluminum was used to make those cds, compared to the materials used to make the hard drive, it seems that technology is the solution to many environmental issues. We can do so much more with so much less natural resources.
FracTad's Fractopia 