[BenGast]

One thing I am finding annoying with the A55 is it does not show the total number of tracks on the Now Playing screen. It shows for example 54/---- when playing through all songs. Is it because I have over 9999 songs or am I missing something. I didn't format my card in the player, it was already exfat with a Music folder. Creating the database found all of my songs and all albumart is displayed. I find it hard to believe Sony would limit the total track count to cut off at 9999. Anyone else having this issue?

I am glad that you mention! It is one among many little details that, in total, I find really frustrating with this device. It can receive up to 1TB micro SD but can't display a number higher than 9999? I find in elegant that the volume display at the top goes like 001, ..., 009 - > 010, ... - > 099 -> 100. Why do we need these zeros on the left? Also why isn't it capable to distinguish distinct albums from different artists but with same title? ... Not essential stuff but irritating for a device from 2018 (or 2019 actually I dont know) as it would take a few days of work for them to fix.

 

[nc8000]

I am glad that you mention! It is one among many little details that, in total, I find really frustrating with this device. It can receive up to 1TB micro SD but can't display a number higher than 9999? I find in elegant that the volume display at the top goes like 001, ..., 009 - > 010, ... - > 099 -> 100. Why do we need these zeros on the left? Also why isn't it capable to distinguish distinct albums from different artists but with same title? ... Not essential stuff but irritating for a device from 2018 (or 2019 actually I dont know) as it would take a few days of work for them to fix.

Neither is any issue for me as I always browse my music via Genre->Artist->Album and always just play a given album end to end

 

[Vamp898]

I am glad that you mention! It is one among many little details that, in total, I find really frustrating with this device. It can receive up to 1TB micro SD but can't display a number higher than 9999? I find in elegant that the volume display at the top goes like 001, ..., 009 - > 010, ... - > 099 -> 100. Why do we need these zeros on the left? Also why isn't it capable to distinguish distinct albums from different artists but with same title? ... Not essential stuff but irritating for a device from 2018 (or 2019 actually I dont know) as it would take a few days of work for them to fix.

You can setup the album thing (it's the first I always change)

I think the reason is that not a lot of people have more than 9999 songs.

An average 96kHz/24bit Song is 150mb

So 9999 Songs would be already 1.5TB

 

[Vamp898]

Neither is any issue for me as I always browse my music via Genre->Artist->Album and always just play a given album end to end

Artist --> Album for me.

I never heard of anyone using the Song list

 

[nc8000]

You can setup the album thing (it's the first I always change)

I think the reason is that not a lot of people have more than 9999 songs.

An average 96kHz/24bit Song is 150mb

So 9999 Songs would be already 1.5TB

The reason I have 55.000 tracks is that it is about 2.500 ripped cd’s and then my hires tracks down sampled to 16/44 or 16/48. Red book still sounds great so I’d rather have my whole collection available than some hires

 

[BenGast]

Well I am not from the HD audio generation but rather from the CD generation. And 1Tb is a lot of CD's !

Regarding the Album issue, I dont think there is a setting for that. If you go to the list of albums and if you have the 'Very Best Of' of two different artists on your card then you will see only 1 album mixing the songs of the two.

It is not to say that it is a bad device but that details are not well thought.

 

[BenGast]

For me the an essential point for having a DAP today is to ba able to carry my entire CD collection. Which was not possible/affordable only a few years ago.

 

[Vamp898]

I have mostly CD quality too.

Sometimes hi Res audio songs are mastered/mixed different so I get them when they are available. But often times there is no hi Res audio version anyway

 

[nc8000]

Well I am not from the HD audio generation but rather from the CD generation. And 1Tb is a lot of CD's !

Regarding the Album issue, I dont think there is a setting for that. If you go to the list of albums and if you have the 'Very Best Of' of two different artists on your card then you will see only 1 album mixing the songs of the two.

It is not to say that it is a bad device but that details are not well thought.

That is because it is based on the tags in the files. I’m not aware of any dap that in album mode won’t collect all tracks with the same album name tag

 

[fish1050]

Well I am not from the HD audio generation but rather from the CD generation. And 1Tb is a lot of CD's !

Regarding the Album issue, I dont think there is a setting for that. If you go to the list of albums and if you have the 'Very Best Of' of two different artists on your card then you will see only 1 album mixing the songs of the two.

It is not to say that it is a bad device but that details are not well thought.

I have gotten in the habit of just adding the bands name with the album name in this case for example Very Best Of Van Morrison etc.. A bit of an annoyance but I have very few albums with the same name.

 

[fish1050]

Well I am not from the HD audio generation but rather from the CD generation. And 1Tb is a lot of CD's !

Regarding the Album issue, I dont think there is a setting for that. If you go to the list of albums and if you have the 'Very Best Of' of two different artists on your card then you will see only 1 album mixing the songs of the two.

It is not to say that it is a bad device but that details are not well thought.

If you think about it what was the largest microsd card back in 2018? I think back then I had a 128 GB card so maybe 3 or 4 thousand songs. Sony released the last firmware update back in 2019 I think when cards larger than even 256 GB were crazy expensive and even that would hold less than 9999 songs. Still it would be nice if Sony could release one last firmware for the A55 to address these minor issues. Call it a thank you to all of the loyal customers who have been buying the A55 for the last 4 years and still using them today.

On another note I have been listening to the A55 with WM1Z tuning and Plus V2 mode with Source Direct for a few hours now and that seems to be the right combo for me. Just listened to a HiRes vinyl rip of Adele 21 and that blew me away.

 

[Mr Trev]

If you think about it what was the largest microsd card back in 2018? I think back then I had a 128 GB card so maybe 3 or 4 thousand songs. Sony released the last firmware update back in 2019 I think when cards larger than even 256 GB were crazy expensive and even that would hold less than 9999 songs. Still it would be nice if Sony could release one last firmware for the A55 to address these minor issues. Call it a thank you to all of the loyal customers who have been buying the A55 for the last 4 years and still using them today.

On another note I have been listening to the A55 with WM1Z tuning and Plus V2 mode with Source Direct for a few hours now and that seems to be the right combo for me. Just listened to a HiRes vinyl rip of Adele 21 and that blew me away.

Digging throught the cobwebs of my memory, I think my Fiio X3 never cracked the 5K track limit. I don't remember what the limit on my M2S is, but way less than 10k
Sadly, it seems like there will always be compromises when it comes to DAPs. The big missing feature for me is replaygain (and I'd really like to see somebody, anybody, implement a one-click random album play). Even the Android players I've tried suck in their own ways. IMO, Sony still has the best FW. By far.

I originally started with WM1Z too. Sound good. Recently switched to neutral(?) Has a bigger SS which I like. Too big initially, almost a 3 channel presentation (left-centre-right). The I remembered it defaults to normal mode, and switching to plus v2 made things gel together nicely. Also switched to Japan region. Because… why not

 

[fish1050]

Digging throught the cobwebs of my memory, I think my Fiio X3 never cracked the 5K track limit. I don't remember what the limit on my M2S is, but way less than 10k
Sadly, it seems like there will always be compromises when it comes to DAPs. The big missing feature for me is replaygain (and I'd really like to see somebody, anybody, implement a one-click random album play). Even the Android players I've tried suck in their own ways. IMO, Sony still has the best FW. By far.

I originally started with WM1Z too. Sound good. Recently switched to neutral(?) Has a bigger SS which I like. Too big initially, almost a 3 channel presentation (left-centre-right). The I remembered it defaults to normal mode, and switching to plus v2 made things gel together nicely. Also switched to Japan region. Because… why not

The Q1 handles all 13000 of my tracks without issue and displays the full track count. If a $100 DAP can do it then a $300 DAP shouldn't have a limitation and the Q1 even displays the time. Really Sony how hard is it to have the A55 display the time like every other DAP I have owned, oh yeah and a battery life meter while you are at it. Not sure the reasoning for not including such basic features.

 

[WilcoRoger]

Artist --> Album for me.

I never heard of anyone using the Song list

I sometimes do - this is the easiest way to listen to the same song, covered by different artists.

Or if you really want to play random music, go to songs and set shuffle. I sometimes find music this way that I don't even remember I have.

 

[WilcoRoger]

Really Sony how hard is it to have the A55 display the time like every other DAP I have owned, oh yeah and a battery life meter while you are at it. Not sure the reasoning for not including such basic features.

The FUNNIEST thing is, that you can even set the time display to be in 12 hrs or 24 hrs format - but there is no time display!