A1 Audio Ripper

Though it performs its basic job of ripping CDs without a hitch, A1 Audio Ripper has a stingy trial restriction that keeps us from fully evaluating or recommending it. Like other similar programs, this one encodes tracks as MP3, WAV, OGG, or WMA files. When specifying audio quality for MP3, you can either choose from a list of presets or tweak the bit rates, including VBR settings, yourself. The well-designed interface won't confuse most users, as it boasts an intuitive layout with clearly labeled buttons. In our tests, the program demonstrated average ripping speeds when set to near-CD quality, although we wish the trial version let you rip more than the first three tracks of any given CD. Worse still, the demo won't let you query the online CDDB for track information, so we can't verify that this feature works. All told, it's hard to get very excited about this program, especially when you can easily locate a less-restrictive competitor.