2 questions about the new NWZ-A829

[Mehedict]

Hi.

NWZ-A829

I've recently bought this device and, shortly, I'd like to ask two questions:

1) Is there any lossless format I can play with it? WMA lossless doesn't work, AAC is not supported by WMP, and I don't know much about it. What format and which audio converting software do you recommend? The Sony MEdia manager offers only conversion to MP3, what's pretty poor.

2) How to turn Clear Bass off? Seems like they tried to avoid bass distortion, but now, when the dynamics is messed up, it sucks even more, imho.

thx for replies.

[Tinderbox (UK)]

Hi.

1 : I dont think it does lossless, but mp3 to 320kbps should be sufficient!

2 : The amount of clear-bass depends on what equalizer settings you use, either select none for EQ or you have 2 customisable EQ prersets.

regards

john.

Edited May 25, 2008 by Tinderbox (UK)

[metal]

I think it can do LPCM files

[Mehedict]

I think it can do LPCM files

Yes, but that's not a compression, is it? 700MB per CD is quite much.. What's the difference between PCM and LPCM?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lpcm

I really can't see there any exact statement about the average bitrate of LPCM, or if it is a compression. I also haven't seen LPCM in any audio converting software yet.

[dura_]

Reading that interesting article PCM just seems a general soundencoding type and LPCM is a more specific name; in the context here, they are the same I think.

so it seems you're stuck on 700 Mb (or rather about 450, which seems to be the average CD-size).

Í dream of a 64 gb Sony flashplayer that does FLAC...

[metal]

Í dream of a 64 gb Sony flashplayer that does FLAC...

Me too....

[Mehedict]

Summary:

No Atrac support, only 400kbps AAC instead. That's a good format, but:

Sony MediaManager does only 256kbps AAC (reason?). BTW the cover art quality in SMM is poor.

Windows Media Player doesn't do AAC at all. There are plugins to play it, but I can't get it to the goddamn library.

Winamp - absolutely perfect namager, transfers all the formats I need, but no cover art.

And, I haven't tried to get some video to it yet. I guess that's going to be real pain.

Here's a little recipe for wealth and fame I made myself:

Manufacture a good portable audio device that will do flac, WMA lossless, MP3 and other common formats. Include a simple software that's able to manage music the way Sonic Stage was, to change the music tags in both PC and the device, automatically download cover arts, rip audio CDs into all of mentioned formats and convert any video into 320x240 Divx or AVC. At least the most common formats.

Now, would this be so complicated?

[fredman22]

Summary:

No Atrac support, only 400kbps AAC instead. That's a good format, but:

Sony MediaManager does only 256kbps AAC (reason?). BTW the cover art quality in SMM is poor.

Windows Media Player doesn't do AAC at all. There are plugins to play it, but I can't get it to the goddamn library.

Winamp - absolutely perfect namager, transfers all the formats I need, but no cover art.

Ugh. Me too. I thought I had it licked using dbPoweramp to rip & tag but: dbpoweramp rips to .m4a files which, as you say can be made to play, but transfering or playlisting is tough/non-existant. I'm back to Walkman Media Manager since it creates its AAC (256) files in .mp4 format so it and WMP will recognize and allow playlisting. The caveat is v. slow/tedious ripping/loading, and I seem to have lost the ability to add/modify tracks to appear in the same folders in proper order, etc. Whew. I'm still looking forward to a >32GB importable (from Japan) ATRAC/SS flash DAP, and screw these formats...