[elmer_42]

I can't seem to find anything that goes from FLAC -> ATRACL, but I guess you could go FLAC -> WAV -> ATRACL if you really had to.

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmThor /img/forum/go_quote.gif just found that the A828 plays the ATRAC Advanced Lossless format, ...

Where did you hear that?

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmThor /img/forum/go_quote.gif just found that the A828 plays the ATRAC Advanced Lossless format

Have you got the Japanese model? As far as I know, they're the only ones still using Atrac and SS.

 

[EmThor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you got the Japanese model? As far as I know, they're the only ones still using Atrac and SS.

No, just googled it, I live in Central Europe (still hesitating between 4 models, in the term of price: A282 < Cowon D2 < Ipod Classic 80gb < Touch 8gb and needed lossless

.

But anyway, we should ask a user in NA or Europe to test the Atrac playback (converting with sonicforge?!) it seems pretty simple to me...

EDIT:

just converted a 50mb flac with foobar 2000 to a 80mb wav. Man, with 8gb its 100 files only O_O

 

[tds101]

Does ATRAC work with the US version? I'd jump on that as it's actually a better codec for compression.
I've downloaded Sopnic Stage and I'm converting some tunes (Korn - Untitled) to check.

As I thought - ATRAC is definitely NOT compatible with the US/EU players. Doesn't even show up on the player.

 

[shigzeo]

i would say a good mp3 codec is better than atrac but atrac and sonic stage do gapless which is worth it. atrac has had such rubbish marketting that has no truth attached to it. in almost everyblind test put forth by non sony-aligned groups, it has performed in the lowest half of performers. it is good that finally sony are supporting mp3 at least

 

[tds101]

Well, no worries - I'll stick w/my crappy MP3 format ripped to the highest VBR setting and be satisfied as ATRAC is DEAD!!!

Was worth a few minutes of my time though

.

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmThor /img/forum/go_quote.gif No, just googled it, I live in Central Europe (still hesitating between 4 models, in the term of price: A282 < Cowon D2 < Ipod Classic 80gb < Touch 8gb and needed lossless .....

All the specs I've seen on Euro models do not have ATRAC. If you can post a link that would be great.

AFAIK there aren't any portables that support ATRAC Lossless. Only Lossy ATRAC. (I don't know about Japanese only models). Personally when I got to 192/256 I couldn't hear any difference between Lame and ATRAC. But as it much easier (space - compatibility between players) to keep a library in High quality Lame MP3 thats what I stuck to.

 

[dura]

Quote:

AFAIK there aren't any portables that support ATRAC Lossless

All recent ATRAC-devices support ATRAC lossless, f.i. my A808 does.
But it works a little peculiar; even if you choose lossless you stil also choose a bitrate, f.i. 256 Kbs. 2 files are made, one with the 256 kbs and one containing the rest of the data; they are merged when playing.

 

[Nocturnal310]

How is the SQ of this beauty NW-A828 compared to iPodtouch?
I am looking to buy one of them so pls let me know ..

thanks

 

[tds101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturnal310 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is the SQ of this beauty NW-A828 compared to iPodtouch? I am looking to buy one of them so pls let me know .. thanks

The SQ, providing your talking about HP out and un-amped, is MILES ahead of the touch. Better sound stage and presence of vocals, more bass (and CLEAN, no muddy characteristics), just an all around better sound. The Touch, on the other hand, may have lower SQ BUT it makes up for it in all around features. I'd have settled for a 32gb Touch if I could have afforded it myself. The fact you can hook the Touch to an amp using LOD is also a plus if you prefer that setup. The A82X series isn't so much better that I'd tell you NOT to get the Touch - the difference really isn't so great.

Personally, if I could, the Touch would be my BEOUCH!!! It's really a great device IMO (but being financially challenged SUCKS!!!).

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dura /img/forum/go_quote.gif All recent ATRAC-devices support ATRAC lossless, f.i. my A808 does. But it works a little peculiar; even if you choose lossless you stil also choose a bitrate, f.i. 256 Kbs. 2 files are made, one with the 256 kbs and one containing the rest of the data; they are merged when playing.

I guess it depends on what you mean by recent. The 808 was (more or less) replaced by the 818 and now the 828. So I wasn't really thinking of that as a "recent" player. They've been gone from my local stores for 6 months. But I guess it is kinda recent.

ATRAC Lossless stores 2 versions of the track. A Lossless version and a Lossy version. All contained within one file within the SS library. But as far as I know only one of them is transfered to the player. It was buggy though. If you encoded as Lossless 256, and then decided you didn't want to use 256 lossy, but 356 for example. SS would in error encode from the 256 part not the Lossless part. I don't know if they ever fixed that. I last used SS 4.3 and never used the lossless. SS also supports WMA Lossless which might be more useful. I never played that much with it though.

But you're right, the 808 does support ATRAC Lossless and Gapless.

 

[shigzeo]

i own both the touch and the sony 828 and 615. the touch is a more powerful beast surely which i feel shows its resolution better with headphones that require more power. with low ohm phones like most canals and iems, the sony is better at driving but sounds stretched with anything but them.

both are amazing players and sound great. the main problem with the sony is that it hisses much more than the touch, a fact which dampers the usefulness of it with low ohm high sensitivity phones. sony i think were careless to not include a line that is not windy.

i love it paired with the er4p to s adapter as most of the hiss is gone but without it, i cannot listen to buds, canals or iems. so the only thing left are headphones that will sound better from a more properly powerful player like the touch or others. gapless is hit and miss it seems as if you are coming from mp3 files to atrac for the player, it does not do it correctly but if you first rip to atrac it seems okay.

my touch is gapless unless you use really careless files downloaded from internet or something with too much header footer information.

i love both but the selling point for the sony is recording ability. not sound quality. that is too subjective and takes into account too many variables to be a good classification.

 

[kite7]

Does anyone know if the japan models have a full english menu? And is sonicstage really that bad? I really want the silver version but it's not coming to NA

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kite7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anyone know if the japan models have a full english menu? And is sonicstage really that bad? I really want the silver version but it's not coming to NA

The earlier versions of SonicStage were considered to be really unpredictable, but I have SS 4.3 and it works perfectly with XP and Vista. Never had any problems with this version at all. But people still remember the horror of the earlier versions, and so any mention of SS is still likely to be met with a

and a

and a

And I think (but can't be sure, maybe shigzeo can chime in), that there's no full English menu on the Japanese model.