[burtomr]

Just ordered an X5 for $225 on amazon, here's hoping I like it!

 
Please post your link.....it sure isn't $225 now 41 minutes later??

 

[Saoshyant]

I ordered it used in very good condition, so I'm assuming I got the only one.  Still a good price as far as I'm concerned

 

[kawaivpc1]

  I ordered it used in very good condition, so I'm assuming I got the only one.  Still a good price as far as I'm concerned

That is an amazing deal. I couldn't find one for that low price. Hopefully, it shows up again few weeks later! 

 

[Saoshyant]

I'm quite excited about it  I'm just so tired of the button setup on the X3, this looks far more promising to me.

 

[kawaivpc1]

  I'm quite excited about it  I'm just so tired of the button setup on the X3, this looks far more promising to me.

Of course. Also, 225 dollars is price of an iPod classic. 

 

[aangen]

To those of you who are doing FLAC to WAV to FLAC conversions to solve issues with tags and such I am going to suggest that instead of encoding to FLAC level 8 you try FLAC level 3 or 5. Some folks here believe it takes no additional decoding computer bandwidth to read and play a level 8 file over a level 3 file but my experience has shown otherwise. The space you give up to go from level 8 to level 5 is minimal, but the amount of work you put your device through to read the more compressed file may not be. Especially with 24/96 files. I am using FLAC -5 as a default for all my files and skipping is not a problem for me on my X5 or X3. (Oh sure, I'll bet than changes after I post this)    
 
I agree that HDTracks are all over the map when it comes to tagging. I also agree that this is most likely a QOS issue from the various labels that supply HDTRacks. But still, come on guys.. I'd have to say that in general I am not a fan of HDTracks as a source. For me the labels themselves are starting to get involved directly and some of my favorite labels are now offering music in FLAC format at a discount over a CD or an LP. Some are including FLAC with the purchase of a CD or LP. Overall I think HDTracks could step up their game quite a bit.

 

[uzi2]

  To those of you who are doing FLAC to WAV to FLAC conversions to solve issues with tags and such I am going to suggest that instead of encoding to FLAC level 8 you try FLAC level 3 or 5. Some folks here believe it takes no additional decoding computer bandwidth to read and play a level 8 file over a level 3 file but my experience has shown otherwise. The space you give up to go from level 8 to level 5 is minimal, but the amount of work you put your device through to read the more compressed file may not be. Especially with 24/96 files. I am using FLAC -5 as a default for all my files and skipping is not a problem for me on my X5 or X3. (Oh sure, I'll bet than changes after I post this)    
 
I agree that HDTracks are all over the map when it comes to tagging. I also agree that this is most likely a QOS issue from the various labels that supply HDTRacks. But still, come on guys.. I'd have to say that in general I am not a fan of HDTracks as a source. For me the labels themselves are starting to get involved directly and some of my favorite labels are now offering music in FLAC format at a discount over a CD or an LP. Some are including FLAC with the purchase of a CD or LP. Overall I think HDTracks could step up their game quite a bit.

FLAC by design requires the same resources to decode at any level, it is the encoding process that will slow down as the level increases. As the FLAC level 8 requires less memory to be stored, it may well use less resource of the X3/5 to decode. I've used level 8 by default with zero issues.
If you want to "reduce the amount of work you put your device through", then why not resample your 24/96 to 24/48 or 16/44, it's going to sound the same.
HDTracks tagging is woeful - they need to be checked and cleaned up prior to transfer to your X3/5 as well as removing or reducing the size of any embedded artwork.

 

[Commander Keen]

  To those of you who are doing FLAC to WAV to FLAC conversions to solve issues with tags and such I am going to suggest that instead of encoding to FLAC level 8 you try FLAC level 3 or 5. Some folks here believe it takes no additional decoding computer bandwidth to read and play a level 8 file over a level 3 file but my experience has shown otherwise. The space you give up to go from level 8 to level 5 is minimal, but the amount of work you put your device through to read the more compressed file may not be. Especially with 24/96 files. I am using FLAC -5 as a default for all my files and skipping is not a problem for me on my X5 or X3. (Oh sure, I'll bet than changes after I post this)    
 
I agree that HDTracks are all over the map when it comes to tagging. I also agree that this is most likely a QOS issue from the various labels that supply HDTRacks. But still, come on guys.. I'd have to say that in general I am not a fan of HDTracks as a source. For me the labels themselves are starting to get involved directly and some of my favorite labels are now offering music in FLAC format at a discount over a CD or an LP. Some are including FLAC with the purchase of a CD or LP. Overall I think HDTracks could step up their game quite a bit.

I disagree. My recent post which mentioned Level 8 FLACs was meant to demonstrate that it solved the problem I had. It wasn't just one album either, it was more like 20-30.
 
Additionally, for those with tagging problems, and I don't know how many are aware of this, but Foobar has a slightly hidden function whereby it will delete all tags from a file, including those which are hidden from other tagging programs. You can use this to start tagging from a 'clean' file to reduce the chances of the tags being the problem.

You can access the function by highlighting the files in the playlist, right-clicking, selecting 'Properties'. Then when the new box pops up click the 'Tools' bottom (bottom left) and select 'remove tags'.
 
It doesn't just delete standard tags, it actually searches through the file for anything that looks like a tag and then deletes it so that there's only binary information left.

 

[uzi2]

  I disagree. My recent post which mentioned Level 8 FLACs was meant to demonstrate that it solved the problem I had. It wasn't just one album either, it was more like 20-30.
 
Additionally, for those with tagging problems, and I don't know how many are aware of this, but Foobar has a slightly hidden function whereby it will delete all tags from a file, including those which are hidden from other tagging programs. You can use this to start tagging from a 'clean' file to reduce the chances of the tags being the problem.

You can access the function by highlighting the files in the playlist, right-clicking, selecting 'Properties'. Then when the new box pops up click the 'Tools' bottom (bottom left) and select 'remove tags'.
 
It doesn't just delete standard tags, it actually searches through the file for anything that looks like a tag and then deletes it so that there's only binary information left.

MP3Tag has a similar function, but it will allow you to keep the tags you require. Simply choose extended tags from the context menu and delete the rubbish.
If you want to remove all tags then choose Remove Tag from the File menu (Ctrl+R).

 

[Commander Keen]

 
MP3Tag has a similar function, but it will allow you to keep the tags you require. Simply choose extended tags from the context menu and delete the rubbish.
If you want to remove all tags then choose Remove Tag from the File menu (Ctrl+R).

I wasn't actually referring to extended tags. Sometimes different programs put the standard tags in different places, e.g. EAC puts the tags at the beginning of the file and Tag&Rename puts them at the end. Sometimes when a program screws up it doesn't 'see' the first tag and duplicates the tags, one at the end and pone at the beginning. I had a problem with some files once where every tag program I used would show one set of tags, but when I imported the files into JRiver another set of tags would be displayed. It was only when I discovered there were two sets did I realise what the problem was. Foobar removed both sets even though it could only get the info from one of them. It did this by a general search rather than just deleting the tags it knew about.

 

[uzi2]

  I wasn't actually referring to extended tags. Sometimes different programs put the standard tags in different places, e.g. EAC puts the tags at the beginning of the file and Tag&Rename puts them at the end. Sometimes when a program screws up it doesn't 'see' the first tag and duplicates the tags, one at the end and pone at the beginning. I had a problem with some files once where every tag program I used would show one set of tags, but when I imported the files into JRiver another set of tags would be displayed. It was only when I discovered there were two sets did I realise what the problem was. Foobar removed both sets even though it could only get the info from one of them. It did this by a general search rather than just deleting the tags it knew about.

The sets of tags are ID3v1,Id3v2,APE and APEv2 and the problems you have seen with other tag editors is that they have not removed all of these varieties. By default, both Foobar and MP3Tag will.

 

[Commander Keen]

  The sets of tags are ID3v1,Id3v2,APE and APEv2 and the problems you have seen with other tag editors is that they have not removed all of these varieties. By default, both Foobar and MP3Tag will.

Again, no, that wasn't what I was referring to. In the aforementioned tags they were both ID3 v2. They resulted from a glitch in one of the tagging/creation programs. What I'm ultimately trying to get across is that Foobar will nuke any and all tags whether correct or occur due to various glitches. It doesn't even have to know that they are there.
 
Admittedly I don't have much experience with MP3Tag (I find it too cumbersome) preferring to use Tag&Rename, JRiver and Foobar (in that order of preference).
 
My original comment wasn't meant to tout one tagger over another, merely to point out the aforementioned function in case anyone might have a need to use it and didn't know it was there.

 

[uzi2]

Any dedicated Tag editor should have the option to "nuke any and all tags". It simply deletes the Metadata. This option is hidden away in Foobar because it is far more than just a tag editor. I was simply pointing out that you don't have to use the sledgehammer approach. A good tag editor such as MP3Tag will allow you to repair the tags rather than simply destroy them, although it does give you this option.

 

[Commander Keen]

  Any dedicated Tag editor should have the option to "nuke any and all tags". It simply deletes the Metadata. This option is hidden away in Foobar because it is far more than just a tag editor. I was simply pointing out that you don't have to use the sledgehammer approach. A good tag editor such as MP3Tag will allow you to repair the tags rather than simply destroy them, although it does give you this option.

In my experience few have the facility to delete 'any' whereas most can delete 'all' but only if they know of them, ie can recognise that they are there.
 
Very few have the "nuke from orbit" function which can be the only way "to be sure".
 
Sometimes the nuclear option is the correct option!

 

[Brooko]

The tags are stored in the metadata (not the binary code of the track) - so mp3tag can handle it fine. You can choose to delete all tags, or simply list all tags (extended) and delete the ones you don't want.
 
I've found the easiest way to do it is to put in your preferences what tags you want to keep - then choose delete all and then undo.  Only the tags you want should be restored.  I always do a double check (using the extended tags search) as well - and sometimes some do get left behind.  Some of HD Tracks stuff is really bad.  Best to nuke all except what you actually want.
 
But again though - mp3tag will do all of this.  And if you choose to delete all with mp3tag - they all get deleted.