[jmelcer]

In my search for optimal sound quality on a portable setup, I am looking into using a Nomad Jukebox to store .wav files.

If anyone is already doing this, I have a few questions:-

1) Battery life. Surely this must be appalling! Disk access must be more or less continuous. Or am I missing something?

2) Spin-up times from idle. This is apparently already longer than comfortable with MP3 files. Would it not be far longer with much larger wav files?

3) Sound quality. I use Etymotics (ER4p, but sometimes with the converter cable and amp). I would imagine that there would be a noticeable difference between 320kps MP3s and the .wav files with these phones - can anyone comment from experience?

Many thanks

Jerome

 

[gloco]

.wav=.cda

Your basically going to have a couple of cds copied into a portable harddrive, so yes, disc access will be continuous, and yeah, i assume its gonna suck batteries dry quickly, unless one of these players has some sort of external battery pack to help out?

Sound quality is the same as the cd itself, so there's no worries there.

Why not look into a Minidisc portable setup?

 

[jmelcer]

Yep, I'm using a NetMD device (Sony 505). Sound quality when using SP is significantly better than MP3s (at 320kps!) on my PJB-100. But the disc swapping routine is bugging me, especially picking up a few each morning for my commute to work, and then changing my mind on the train!.

The Nomad 40Gb jukebox seems to offer the best of both worlds (sound quality, plus storage space) but the battery life issue seems to be a problem. I was hoping to hear that I was wrong from someone who has a Nomad.

Thanks

Jerome

 

[fredpb]

Uhhh. You have a PJB100 and your are considering a Nomad?
Madness!!!!!! Madnessssssssssssss...........

If you are referring to the NJB 40gb, which is the same as the 6 GB NJB but with bigger disk, you are correct in assuming battery life problems. My guess for .wav files and playing them on that type of device, well, your battery life might be 1 hour. Their ideal specs are with 128kbs MP3, and 4 hours. That 4 hours is with new batteries with intermittent use and high capacity batteries.
I am happy with 3 hours out of it.

To be very honest. 40gb NJB with wav files is not smart. A good CD player with copies of regular CD's is. I am happy with 320kbps or 256kbps LAME encoding MP3. For my portables, I don't expect perfection (I would like too, but can't really afford it).

If you want that quality of sound, you best bet is CD player. Regular CD player. But with the PJB100, you should be happy, I would be.

 

[jmelcer]

My problem (if you can call it that!) is that I was very happy with the PJB100 until I bought the etymotics! They revealed the shortcomings of MP3 compression. Atrac, on the other hand, passes the etymotics test with flying colours (SP only, although LP2 isn't bad at all, and stil better than 320kps MP3 - IMHO).

What I would love is a hard-disk based player with Atrac technology! However, it looks as if Atrac and the Minidisc format will never be separated. Shame.

Jerome

 

[Flasken]

Sony Mp3 players have atrac... But they also have SDMI

ugh......

 

[jmelcer]

Point taken.

I was thinking of a really big hard drive (say 20Gb plus). The Sony players max out at around 128Mb, don't they? Also, aren't you limited to LP2, rather than SP recording?

Jerome

 

[grinch]

decent mp3 compression can lead to some pretty amazing results sometimes. it's all about encoding mp3s correctly. goto www.r3mix.net for more on this but..

use exact audio copy to rip and encode the cds. it's really amazing program, nobody comes close to it. then use lame 3.92 to encode and go to here: http://66.96.216.160/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl...num=1004134851
to pickout a lame setting. i use --alt-preset extreme and it sounds damn good.

 

[jmelcer]

Thanks for that. I had actually ripped all of my MP3s using Lame, with the alt preset insane setting! Even then, the etymotics revealed a lack of clarity in the encoding (if that makes sense).

Switching from my MP3 player to Minidisc was like night and day, as far as I am concerned. Tracks that had previously sounded muddy (e.g. The Verve's "Unfinished Symphony" or "Lucky Man") now sound clearer. I now have many more of those "lost in music" moments sitting on the train!

Jerome

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Yo, just listen to your CDs. Cheap and cheerful and smaller than a Nomad to boot

I gave up on the mp3 player scene after I bought two duds

CD players are just so much better established, better sound too. Sony and Pana all the way

If you want convenience get the slot-load Sony D-EJ01!