[hwanmeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by isamu WHAAAA???? What if you want to empty or format the drive someday, and/or store your music on something else?

Nono, what I meant by that was: when you transfer music to HD20GA7, the software converts the files so that, when you transfer the files back to your PC they become unplayable. You can of course empty the player or format it or back up the (converted) files to another hard drive.


Quote:

Originally Posted by isamu Interesting...are one of the alledged improvements, a 60gig HD and the ability to transfer tracks to your PC, by any chance? 360 streaming?

60 gig is not on the cards AFAIK; I would also think that the conversion of files by the software will still be in place; streaming with 360 would be unlikely, though it would be cool if it did work

 

[halcyon]

Slightly off-topic:

Why, oh why do these moronic companies keep including WMA and WMA-DRM?

AAC (even with no support for iTunes obviously) or ogg support would get me in an instant.

Why would I want to use an inferior encoding technology that produces worse sound quality (i.e. WMA) or has brain dead DRM (WMA-DRM)?

I guess I'll just have to stick to iriver and/or iPods.

The Kenwood player does look tempting, it's just that 20GB and no AAC or OGG... <sigh>

 

[Lsportline43]

Quote:

Originally Posted by halcyon Slightly off-topic: Why, oh why do these moronic companies keep including WMA and WMA-DRM? AAC (even with no support for iTunes obviously) or ogg support would get me in an instant. Why would I want to use an inferior encoding technology that produces worse sound quality (i.e. WMA) or has brain dead DRM (WMA-DRM)? I guess I'll just have to stick to iriver and/or iPods. The Kenwood player does look tempting, it's just that 20GB and no AAC or OGG... <sigh>

They do it because the majority does not care. It is easy to download music and put on your player. Easier than buying the CD and then converting to MP3.

Hopefully one day the internet will offer high quality tracks.

 

[halcyon]

Yes, I know :/

Still, looking at the volume of usage, people use either mp3 or aac.

Wma is a distant third.

Oh, the humanity. Oh the Microsoft. Now I truely wish they would have trumped everyone with a superior codec. I wouldn't mind using it, if it actually was so much better.

 

[isamu]

So what's the latest on this player? And can someone explain what features this supposed "on board amp" offers that make the DAP stand out from others?

 

[root]

Quote:

Originally Posted by isamu So what's the latest on this player? And can someone explain what features this supposed "on board amp" offers that make the DAP stand out from others?

I would like to know as well. I'm still waiting for a DAP which will have enough high-end audio juice to substitute my Rockbox'ed iHP 140. None in sight as of now (iPods don't count). Sadly, it probably won't be iRiver to create it as all they have been doing since the production of iHP 1xx series was crappy crap IMO. Will it ever be possible to achieve a similar high-end quality audio of a true high-end, stationary audio player in a DAP? I truly hope so...

 

[isamu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by root I would like to know as well. I'm still waiting for a DAP which will have enough high-end audio juice to substitute my Rockbox'ed iHP 140. None in sight as of now (iPods don't count). Sadly, it probably won't be iRiver to create it as all they have been doing since the production of iHP 1xx series was crappy crap IMO. Will it ever be possible to achieve a similar high-end quality audio of a true high-end, stationary audio player in a DAP? I truly hope so...

What is a Rockbox'ed iHP 140? Is that some sort of car stereo or something?

 

[no1likesme]

it is a iriver hp 120 with the rockbox firmware update that incorperates flac, ogg, and gappless

 

[lanz]

i suggest you go for the GA9 not the 7
it has many more improvments than this model, white noise limiting being the most improved. I am hanging out for the GA9 but it never seems to come
if i cant hunt it down by end jan im going with the creative microphoto

 

[isamu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lanz i suggest you go for the GA9 not the 7 it has many more improvments than this model, white noise limiting being the most improved. I am hanging out for the GA9 but it never seems to come if i cant hunt it down by end jan im going with the creative microphoto

Good post. I just did some research on the Kenwood HD30GA9 and it sounds like it's gonna be right up my ally, but I'm worried about lack of a stateside release. Think it'll be out here in the States by March?

Do you speculate it will have better sound quality than the good 'ole Nomad Jukebox 3 from Creative? I could have bought a zillion other DAPs by now to replace my Jukebox 3, but none of them appear to surpass its SQ. This Kenwood appears to be the first canidate that could do just that.

 

[FenderP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by isamu Good post. I just did some research on the Kenwood HD30GA9 and it sounds like it's gonna be right up my ally, but I'm worried about lack of a stateside release. Think it'll be out here in the States by March? Do you speculate it will have better sound quality than the good 'ole Nomad Jukebox 3 from Creative? I could have bought a zillion other DAPs by now to replace my Jukebox 3, but none of them appear to surpass its SQ. This Kenwood appears to be the first canidate that could do just that.

There is also the JVC XA-HD500 which I am selling. It's another "audiophile" player, but much smaller capacity. It's nice, just not gapless.

The HD30GA9 will most likely not be released in the US ever - you'd have to use an importer. Kenwood really doesn't have a portable presence here.

 

[catscratch]

I've asked this before but got no replies. I guess not too many people own these players or know enough about them, but here goes again:

Do you think the HD30GA9 will have compatibility issues with US XP-based PC's? Do these players have english support natively, and does the companion software support english? I don't know any Japanese and don't know anyone who does, unfortunately.

I'll email Kenwood about this, but I don't know if they'll ever get back to me.

This is the only thing that's keeping me from ordering the HD30GA9 right now. You actually can get this player right now through importers, if you have a spare arm and a spare leg.

 

[FenderP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch I've asked this before but got no replies. I guess not too many people own these players or know enough about them, but here goes again: Do you think the HD30GA9 will have compatibility issues with US XP-based PC's? Do these players have english support natively, and does the companion software support english? I don't know any Japanese and don't know anyone who does, unfortunately. I'll email Kenwood about this, but I don't know if they'll ever get back to me. This is the only thing that's keeping me from ordering the HD30GA9 right now. You actually can get this player right now through importers, if you have a spare arm and a spare leg.

The JVC installed the English manual, and the display language of the Kenwoods can be made English, and the NW-A3000 which can be had from Japan installs English sw on an English PC. So I'd say your chances are pretty good of it working just fine and dandy on an English-based PC.

If not, the SW can't be that hard to figure out. All importing SW generally is about the same GUI-wise.

 

[Chri5peed]

When are manufacturers going to make their DAPs in sizes above 20GB? 20 will never again be of any interest to me.

No hardship to stick in a 40 or 60GB drive.

 

[hwanmeister]

catscratch, amazingly enough my HD20GA7 provided full English language support: the installation process was in English, the software for the player is in English, and when they even give you English-language manual (on paper and in Adobe Acrobat). So yes, HD20GA7 (so logically HD30GA9 also) is fully English XP compatible, and you won't have any problem using either the player or the software (or even the installation process) because they all support English natively.

chri5peed, HD30GA9 is 30GB. But I really do wish they'd come out with a 60 gig model.