[euclid]

i just got my first DAP a 4g 20gb ipod. couple questions

can i rip directly from cd to ipod or do i have to first rip to itunes, then drag and drop to ipod?

can i have gapless playback between tracks in a given cd so i dont notice track transitions?

besides lossless(huge) what is the best quality setting to rip my albumns?

thanks

 

[davidd]

no, it can't play gapless. you could rip the cd as one huge track though, but then you can't chose specific tracks

you have to rip the cd to your pc's hardrive first, then use itunes or other software to transfer music to the ipod. Apple doesn't let you simply drag and drop music files to the ipod's hardrive

and for the ipod, besides lossless, the highest bitrate AAC, but I would rip a track into a few different bitrates to see what you can tell the difference of

 

[Jahn]

the only way you can fake gapless other than the above is to set crossfade on your itunes - but then it will only work on itunes, not the ipod, which is stupid. and it still sounds wrong for opera, which really should be seamless/gapless. one reason why i have no full operas on my computer, what a shame.

 

[nikongod]

i could never hear the gap on my creative nomad zen xtra.

NOTHING made the gap audible, unless it was present in the actual recording. songs that were split played superbly. pink-floyd's ubersmooth transitions from song to song were ubersmooth. no click/pop/silence.

last i checked there was a 60gb nomad in the for sale section.

 

[euclid]

thanks for answering my questions

i wouldnt mind ripping certain cds to one track, pink floyd or tool for example, i usually listen straight through and i could always select a spot by scrolling within the entire cd.

can anyone go into alittle more detail on how this is done?

thanks again

 

[blessingx]

Make sure the track number column is selected in iTunes (is by default), then go to taskbar and click Advanced, then 'Join CD Tracks'.

Also a bit of a pain, but if you're on OS X, you can have a single gapless track and have chapter/track marks. See here.

 

[euclid]

thanks,
i am on home windows xp system now but im also getting an ibook for travel, its nice to know that option exists with os-x tiger.

 

[Hier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidd ...........and for the ipod, besides lossless, the highest bitrate AAC, but I would rip a track into a few different bitrates to see what you can tell the difference of

I've just bought my first DAP, which is also the new iPod 20GB Colour.

The first thing I did was try recording with MP3, AAC, Lossless & WAV.

I'd definitely agree that AAC would be the best alternative to Lossless. I wouldn't use anything less 320 kbs (44.100KHZ) though.

For what its worth I found AAC to be an acceptable compromise, if your looking for more storage capacity. Having said that, I find the AAC recordings a little airy and lacking in drive/punch. The recordings also lack the bass definition present in the lossless recordings.

These comparisons were made with Senn 497's - straight out of the headphone jack. All comparisons were made with the same song: ‘The 5th Exotic’ by Quantic.

Interestingly, in spite of what other head-fiers have said, I found that I could hear a difference between lossless and an uncompressed WAV. The difference is however only noticeable with particularly challenging music, so Lossless is an acceptable compromise. AAC is however a step too far in my opinion.

I also auditioned the above recordings with a s/hand Super Mini Moy, which I received this morning. The differences between the MP3, AAC and WAV became even more obvious. The Lossless recording however benefited from amping, bringing the quality closer to the WAV and making Lossless my compromise of choice.

 

[blessingx]

The audible difference between iTunes/QT 224 AAC and 320 is slight, and the battery hit is huge. I'd say start with 192/224 and move up and see what you think.

Hier, the only way lossless and uncompressed could sound different (lossless uncompressed should be bit identical to uncompressed) is if the decoder is in error. Do you think the iPods decoder has an issue?

 

[Hier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx Hier, the only way lossless and uncompressed could sound different (lossless uncompressed should be bit identical to uncompressed) is if the decoder is in error. Do you think the iPods decoder has an issue?

I tried blind testing the recordings and each time I managed to spot the WAV recording. Rhythms were more controlled and dynamic and the bass was more controlled and less woolly.

I even tried a blind test with a couple of friends. One could hear a difference, the other couldn't tell the AAC, Lossless or WAV apart.

Is it possible that my iPod is faulty? How would I tell?

 

[blessingx]

Well if it sounded different than WAV/AIFF it would be. Now is it your iPod, all iPods, or your imagination is the question. Most are gonna say the latter (especially with 497s), but who knows. Do a test with iTunes and see if you found the same thing.

 

[TheSloth]

You can play gapless on 4g ipods, but it requires a little bit of fiddling, using the new podcasting features. Do a forum search and you'll find the full description with links - can't remember how it's done off hand.

 

[Hier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx Well if it sounded different than WAV/AIFF it would be. Now is it your iPod, all iPods, or your imagination is the question. Most are gonna say the latter (especially with 497s), but who knows. Do a test with iTunes and see if you found the same thing.

Blessingx,

I've tested the different versions in iTunes. I posted the result in a new thread as I was beginning to go Off Topic.

You will find the new thread at: http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=133964