lossless mp3 player vs. cd player

[uzziah]

i wonder, if i play my tunes in a lossless such as apple lossless on a dig player vs. a regular portable cd player, how might they compare?

 

[Luke]

It's my understanding that there is no difference between music from lossless audio files and music from cds -- except for perhaps a tonal difference depending on what DAP you're listening to the lossless file from.

 

[blessingx]

As Luke said. Assuming a non-problematic decoder, it's just about the hardware at that point.

 

[Gojira]

Well, define a "regular" pcdp. It all comes down to the design of the music player. Most PCDPs and HDD music players are so bad that I don't think even lossy compression could make things much worse. Pair them up with the typical stock headphone and it is unlikely that any of us could tell the difference between lossless and even a 64 kbps MP3.

 

[aaroncort]

It is my opinion that there are no mp3 players out there that even amped that come close to the vintage sonys that we hear so much about.

 

[bangraman]

Your opinion would be... debatable.

 

[breez]

Unfortunately gapless playback is supported only on one DAP (Karma) while the others with lossless support lose to CDP because of this.

 

[uzziah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gojira Well, define a "regular" pcdp. It all comes down to the design of the music player. Most PCDPs and HDD music players are so bad that I don't think even lossy compression could make things much worse. Pair them up with the typical stock headphone and it is unlikely that any of us could tell the difference between lossless and even a 64 kbps MP3.

did you lose an auction on ebay or something? cuz you are one cranky sob.

 

[Oliver :)]

Well, with Lossless your Player might have a little hickup every once in a while when it runs out of memory, but (to me) this, while still distracting at times, a price I willingly pay for not having to lug any CDs around.

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman Your opinion would be... debatable.

Indeed, if I being the self crowned king of PCDP reviews no longer use a PCDP, because of both convienience, and overall sound quality of an HDAP... then that says something really

I think the only PCDP I have that could give this iPod a run for its money (if only sonically) is the Philips AZ6832... even then, thats debatable...

...and then you think how much some of the classic PCDPs still go for... might as well go HDAP in the first place...

My eyes have been opened

 

[episiarch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duncan I think the only PCDP I have that could give this iPod a run for its money (if only sonically) is the Philips AZ6832... even then, thats debatable...

I'm sort of relieved to hear this. I always thought I was "supposed to" like my D303's line-out better than the headphone-out of my 2G iPod, yet I didn't at all. Heresy! I thought I had either a defective D303 (which is possible; it also seems to pick up hum, even when not plugged into the mains), defective taste in sound, or both.

 

[ChickenScrtchBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gojira Well, define a "regular" pcdp. It all comes down to the design of the music player. Most PCDPs and HDD music players are so bad that I don't think even lossy compression could make things much worse. Pair them up with the typical stock headphone and it is unlikely that any of us could tell the difference between lossless and even a 64 kbps MP3.

Before I call you deaf and lash out on you, let me encode a Van Halen FLAC I have handy with 64kbit lame. I'll need to grab my crappy aiwas which I replaced the cable for too... lead/tin only solder, rosin too...

BBL with results

OK well i put the phones on, threw up.
I listened to the FLAC files of "Jump" and "Panama" threw up.
I listened to the LAME encoded 64kbit mp3s, threw up, but slightly more.

Seriosly, I could hear loads of distortion(some crackling), it sounded as if i was listening through a layer of hard plastic or somthing. The highs were cut off to a jagged sounding peak. Bass was in consistant aswel. Vocals, highly distorted.

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gojira Well, define a "regular" pcdp. It all comes down to the design of the music player. Most PCDPs and HDD music players are so bad that I don't think even lossy compression could make things much worse. Pair them up with the typical stock headphone and it is unlikely that any of us could tell the difference between lossless and even a 64 kbps MP3.

Gojira (btw, must ask, are you the same Gojira that is a member of the MUHQ forums?) You say 'most', where do you draw the line on that? Just curious... I know i've now defected from team PCDP, but that doesn't mean that I think they all sound bad... just that there is little in the way of convienience with having a player with no anti-shock that eats batteries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you're talking mainstream, then I pretty much agree entirely... or if you mean, sweepingly, pretty much across the board, then - consider me intruiged...

As ChickenScrtchBoy has done, i'm 110% definite that I could determine the difference between a 'classic' PCDP, a decent HDAP, and a 64k mp3

 

[Peter v]

On the Naim forum someone who works, i belive, selleing high end audio reported a test with the Ipod thorugh a multi thousand dollar Naim setup.

When playing uncompressed files, the Ipod was not embarresed by a Naim Cd 5.

Than means that the Ipods hardware (depending upon interconnects) should leave NAD,s Sonys, Arcams, MArantz, Cambridges and the rest of the better cheap brands in the dust.

oh. and the Naim forum is sceptical of fancy design stuff from the US.. But the ipod seems to have quite a few fans among the naimpeople.

regards
Peter

 

[photographlondon]

Mmmm, let's not get carried away here, my Linn Classik is a much better source than my iPod and it is not a high-end player. I would imagine most decent standalone sources will be better than an iPod.

Having said that the iPod does still sound good, and it's unbeatable for a portable. I would also add that iTunes is a major factor in my appreciation of the iPod, it's a fantastic piece of software with very versatile playlisting abilities.