Thinking of (re)buying a Zune 80.. but a few questions for the Zune Pro's first

[fonsecanj]

Peoples of the Zune World, I humbly seek your assistance!

After years of ipod usage, I decided to go the route of the Zune 80 back in December.

I was very pleased with the audio quality compared to my then current 80gig ipod (the one before the "classic" with the speedy UI) and I really really liked the interface on the Zune. I also have a general dislike for Apple stuff because of the way they lock down everything totalitarian style and then tout is as the hippy freedom system. Anyway...

The lack of gapless support (at the time) really bothered me. I'd gotten used to that on the ipod and it was annoying to have lost it. That ended up making me decide to bring the unit back before the extended holiday return period was up. I then bought a 160gig ipod and proceeded to re-rip my entire collection as Apple Lossless, since I now had the space for it.

The ALAC files take up about 106 gb.

Now that I see that MS release a firmware update that alledgedly includes gapless playback, I'm thinking about getting another Zune. The ipod 160 sounds ok, a little thin compared to the Zune. The sluggish UI is bugging me, though. Probably more than the lack of gapless did with the Zune.

Anyway, I have two questions for all of you:

1. Definitively, does the gapless feature actually work? I've read conflicting posts here that it does work, it only works with WMA (not my first choice for audio format), it sometimes works with MP3, and it doesn't work at all. Now that the update has been out for a while, is there any actual empirical data as to what this feature provides?

2. What's the highest actual bitrate that the Zune 80 will play back?
I batch recoded my library today while I was at work to 384kbps VBR WMA 10 Pro, but one thing I read afterwards said that the Zune and Zune software only supports up to 355. The Zune software played it back fine, though. I did some ABX testing comparing ALAC to the WMA on both my Tannoy System 800's and my Shure SE530 phones and there was a noticeable difference (in favor of the ALAC). It could possibly have been due to the difference in playback software because Zune can't play the ALAC and iTunes can't play the WMA.

I guess what it comes down to is this: what's the best possible audio quality I can get out of the device in terms of encoding and bitrate short of WMA Lossless?

If only MS would get on the ball and do a midlife upgrade on the current hd-based Zune and put a 160 gig drive in it....

Thanks for reading my lengthy post and for any insight any of you can provide.

John

[sid3000]

yeah gapless is great. works just fine for me..especially with albums that are meant to be played with gapless in order to appear as one continuous track.

as for bitrate, i know theres been problems with lossless in the past before, im sure its possible to get w/e you want on the zune...somehow...but Im happy with 320kbps mp3's =PP

[fonsecanj]

Thanks, Sid.

So, you've been able to get gapless to work with 320k MP3 files?

Maybe I'll recode my collection again today and do some more tests tonight (and buy a Zune, too).

Thanks,

John

[Gregory]

1. Definitively, does the gapless feature actually work? I've read conflicting posts here that it does work, it only works with WMA (not my first choice for audio format), it sometimes works with MP3, and it doesn't work at all. Now that the update has been out for a while, is there any actual empirical data as to what this feature provides?

I am 95% sure it only works with WMA. I would recommend 320k WMA.

2. What's the highest actual bitrate that the Zune 80 will play back?
I batch recoded my library today while I was at work to 384kbps VBR WMA 10 Pro, but one thing I read afterwards said that the Zune and Zune software only supports up to 355. The Zune software played it back fine, though. I did some ABX testing comparing ALAC to the WMA on both my Tannoy System 800's and my Shure SE530 phones and there was a noticeable difference (in favor of the ALAC). It could possibly have been due to the difference in playback software because Zune can't play the ALAC and iTunes can't play the WMA.

It supports WMA Lossless.

[fonsecanj]

Gregory,

Thanks for the responses. I'll try some more test recoding with WMA @ 320 and see how it fares.

I know that there's a WMA Lossless, but my library is currently at 106 gb as Apple Lossless. The same files as WMA Lossless seem to be roughly equivilent in size. If Microsoft made a 160 gig Zune, then this would be a no brainer for me. At this point I'd be willing to give up gapless if the Zune could handle my entire library at lossless. With only an 80 gig hard drive, it can't.

Regarding the gapless... See? Even in this thread there are conflicting reports. Sid3000 seemed to indicate that it was working with his MP3's @ 320 but you're saying you're pretty sure it only works with WMA. I'm not saying that either of you is providing an inaccurate report, but it just seems like this feature works differently for different people (I guess depending on the individual files).

Thanks,

John

[HipHopScribe]

Gapless doesn't just work for WMA, I know it works for MP3 also, and I haven't tried it personally, but I've seen people say it works for AAC. WMA likely will work more consistently, because there are a variety of MP3 encoders out there, while there's only Microsoft's own encoder for WMA, naturally they're familiar enough with it to deal with the gapless issue. If you convert your ALAC files to MP3, encoded with the latest version of LAME, you shouldn't have an issue with gapless, but you can test this yourself with the Zune software, it's supposed to be gapless too I believe.

[Devhux]

I can guarantee that gapless works on MP3 files as well (I don't have any WMA files, and I listen to a lot of nonstop dance compilations).

[fonsecanj]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

I bought another black Zune 80 the day before yesterday and recoded my library to LAME MP3 256k VBR. Sounds great and gapless definitely DOES work. Total size went from 106gb as ALAC down to 49gb.

One thing I noticed that I didn't remember from the first Zune I had: it seems like the max audio output isn't as hot as I remember it. When I listen to it in the car, I use the car's aux input. Even with the Zune up to 20 I have to have the volume on the car stereo cranked.

Do you guys that use the Zune in the car with an aux in use any sort of inline amp?

Thanks again,

John

[Pierce28]

I think the Zune is kind of quiet when plugged into speakers, like in a car. I know with my X-540 speakers, I have to turn them to about 1/4 - 1/3 volume to get the loudness I want with the volume on 20 (I don't dare turn these past 1/2 or they get LOUD). I plugged it into my dad's Jeep, and I think we had to do similar.


I have to admit, I love the gapless playback. In many of the albums I listen to, the songs flow together. Back without it, it would sound bad with a gap in between. Now, it is just pure perfection.