What is EAC Codecs?
EAC Codecs is a component-selectable Windows installer that places supported command-line audio encoders and specialist CD audio tools in Exact Audio Copy's Encoders directory.
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Frequently asked questions
Does EAC Codecs include Exact Audio Copy?
No. Exact Audio Copy is a separate third-party application. EAC Codecs supplies external encoders and CD-audio tools for use with EAC; it does not install or replace EAC itself.
Which audio formats are included?
The current package covers MP3 with LAME, FLAC, AAC, ALAC, Opus, AC-3 and DTS Core, plus specialist DTS-CD extraction and HDCD decoding tools.
Why are x64 encoders installed when EAC is a 32-bit application?
The encoders run as separate external programs rather than being loaded into EAC's process. On 64-bit Windows, native x64 encoder builds therefore work normally with 32-bit Exact Audio Copy.
Which LAME build should I choose?
Performance is recommended for most modern systems and uses SSE2, AVX2 and multithreading. Solid State is a compatibility-focused alternative with minimal CPU-specific optimisation. The installer allows either build, or no LAME installation at all.
Should EAC's Add ID3 tag option be enabled for LAME?
Yes. For the supplied LAME EAC setup, enable Add ID3 tag so EAC writes the MP3 metadata. Several of the CW encoders instead receive metadata directly in their command lines, so their individual guides specify the appropriate tagging setting.
Can I install only some of the encoders?
Yes. The installer is component-selectable, so you can install only the formats and specialist tools you actually use.
Does CW-AC3 accept normal CD audio?
Yes. Standard 44.1 kHz CD PCM is automatically resampled to 48 kHz for AC-3 encoding.
Does CW-DTS resample CD audio to 48 kHz?
No by default for the EAC CD workflow. CW-DTS supports native 44.1 kHz DTS Core encoding from standard CD-rate PCM.
What is CW-DTS-WAV for?
CW-DTS-WAV is a specialist DTS-CD tool for extracting multichannel DTS-CD audio to DTS, WAV or FLAC. DTS-CD rips must remain bit-perfect: do not normalise, resample or otherwise process the carrier WAV before conversion.
What does CW-HDCD produce?
CW-HDCD decodes compatible HDCD audio to 24-bit WAV or FLAC output. For the normal EAC workflow, use FLAC output with Delete WAV after compression enabled and EAC return-code checking enabled.
Can EAC delete the temporary WAV after encoding?
For the normal workflows documented on this site, the individual encoder guides state whether Delete WAV after compression should be enabled. It is enabled for the LAME and tested HDCD-to-FLAC workflows.
Does uninstalling EAC Codecs remove Exact Audio Copy?
No. The uninstaller removes the EAC Codecs components it installed. Exact Audio Copy itself is not removed.
Should I use FLAC or ALAC with Exact Audio Copy?
Both are lossless. FLAC is a strong general-purpose archival choice, while ALAC is useful when Apple M4A compatibility is a priority. See the codec comparison for more detail.
Does EAC's Bit rate dropdown control every external encoder?
No. When bitrate or quality is already specified in the external encoder command line, EAC's Bit rate dropdown may have no effect. The individual EAC guides identify command-line-controlled setups explicitly.
Where can I find the exact command lines for EAC?
The EAC Guides page lists the verified executable, output extension, tagging choice and command line for each supported encoder or specialist tool.
Exact Audio Copy itself is a separate project. Visit the official EAC website for the EAC application and its own documentation.