[ADD]

Hi,

I just purchased an iriver X20. It has a rather strange problem. It plays files encoded with the Fraunhofer, WMA and LAME codecs without any problems at all. However, it cannot play any file encoded with the Ogg Vorbis codec without producing a distinct buzzing noise through the headphones. The buzz is about 30 dB below reference, so unless you listen to music with quiet dynamics, you might not even hear it (assuming this effects all units).

I have tried a whole heap of different settings when encoding with Ogg Vorbis, but all files play back with a buzzing sound through the X20. These files all work absolutely perfectly through my iriver T60. But then again, the exact same files encoded as MP3 or WMA files play perfectly through the X20 too.

Strangely, I recorded a 30 second test file of absolute silence then encoded it as an Ogg Vorbis file. This time around there was absolutely no buzzing when playing it back on the X20. This has me thinking there is a specific decoding issue with the X20 and that my unit is no different to anyone else's.

Does anyone else have this particular problem?

This is a very disappointing X20 ownership debut. I bought the thing specifically because it was supposed to work perfectly with Q10 Ogg Vorbis files and that with the micro SD expansion slot, I'd never run out of room for them!

 

[ADD]

Hi again,

I've just uploaded a very small test file encoded in Ogg format. In this particular file, the buzzing is is very audible on my X20, though you may have to turn the volume up to hear it well, since it is a quiet passage of classical music.

http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~cmkxf9

This same extract encoded in MP3 and WMAformat causes no buzzing on my X20.

 

[majkel]

So, you've just discovered another "ogg buzzing" player. The other two I know are: Cowon D2 and iRiver clix2. I guess it's a bug in the Telechips TCC7801, and maybe some other Telechips SoC's.

 

[ADD]

Oh dear. I guess it is not officially faulty then. I was actually hoping it was. I did know that the Cown D2 had the same chip, but I did not know it buzzed too. Infact, there does not seem to be any info I could find on this ogg buzzing phenomen. I never knew of it until today. I typed "ogg buzz" into Google earlier today and got nothing at all related to the topic at hand.

Are there any resources about the other players that buzz? I'm curious now. In any case, this is a real pity. I am really happy with the sound of this player, but the ogg files really seem to sound especially good on it if you can ignore the constant electric shaver noise going on in the background.

I guess we live and learn - I could never have predicted this sort of problem out of the box. I thought of dozens of other potential issues, but not shaver accompaniment to ogg files music

Hopefully some other users will play the test file and confirm the problem, but since you say the Cowon and Clix do it, I'd be willing to bet what the results are. Interestingly enough, the advertising blurb and the box say Ogg compatible, but the user manual only says MP3 and WMA compatible. Hmmm....I guess I have just bought a glorified 4GB flash drive. I don't really have any real reason to use this over the basic T60. To make matters worse, I did not even know it wasn't HCSD compatible until today. So the expansion slot will only take 2 GB. Bummer, I did not buy well today at all

 

[majkel]

ogg Vorbis is not so popular and people actually could not realize the bug. Also, D2 supports FLAC, so it makes people feel better when they go lossless and don't even think of any lossy alternatives that might provide the same level of pleasure. Also, I'm not sure if it's the same volume of the buzz in each of the players. In clix2 it was a bit louder than in the D2. If you didn't use seensitive headphones, you wouldn't probably realize it at once on the D2.

 

[ADD]

Yes, and it does not help that I listen to classical, where the average recorded level is about 22 - 26 dB below that of popular music.

I just wonder if there are actually any other players on the market that are going to satisfy my purchasing requirements:

1. Easily replaceable non-proprietary battery

2. Memory expansion slot

3. Ogg support (that means proper ogg support)

4. Very good sound quality.

The X20 seems to meet 2.5 of the above. It misses point 3, and I'll give it only half point for non HCSD micro compatibility

 

[majkel]

Meizu M6 is Samsung/NXP based which means (proven!) clear ogg reception and a bit of hiss when you use IEMs.
Teclast T39 is another good sounding, based on Telechips 8xxx series and there is negligible buzzing on ogg which I totally accept and actually don't hear even on classics.
Maybe wait for upcoming Teclast with expansion slot, T39 sounds really good.
clix 1st gen is another Samsung based, ogg ready player, no slot again.

 

[xollox]

Not that it helps at all, but my rockboxed iriver h120 played it without issue. Although it does appear to have a "sneeze" problem

 

[ADD]

Yes, well it plays perfectly on my iriver T60 as well, but in the other hand the sound of my T60 can't hold a candle to the sound of my X20. I guess unless someone actually posts that their X20 works perfectly with the test file then I will now assume they all share this affliction. At least the X20 sounds almost as good when playing WMA 9.2 encoded files as it does with Ogg (less shaving sound). Interestingly my T60 doesn't really show how Ogg shines - I guess it is not revealing enough to be able to demonstrate the differences between codecs, but the X20 shows the differences between various codecs quite distinctly. It is certainly quite a significant step up from the T60 in terms of SQ.

It's probably worth hanging on to this X20, despite it's Ogg allergy, since by the time I end up filling the memory up, hopefully portables will be out that support HCSD micro memory and will be equipped with 24 bit chips that support the WMA 10 Pro codec. At that point, I expect the best portables will reach a new level of sound quality.