[jermmd]

Does the Creative Zen or any other Ipod like digital music players work with Flac? I don't want to have to convert my Flac files to mp3/itunes.

Thanks,

[duff138]

iAudio X5L

[jermmd]

Thanks Duff. I'll look it up.

[gooberdude]

You can install Rockbox on your Ipod too....  it'll play FLAC files.

[ctviggen]

How many Flac files could one fit on an iPod? 

[dwk]

I have the iAudio X5L and for the most part am quite happy with it. FLAC support was a big reason I got it, but to be honest I've switched to 320k Vorbis for use on the portable. Much better compression and I highly doubt there is any audible difference in the context of a portable rig.

[robert1325]

meizu m6

[gooberdude]

I haven't compared file sizes lately, but it seemed like way back when the FLAC & SHN files i was dealing with were about 30% smaller than WAV.

If you have a 40gb or larger Ipod it souldn't matter too much...

[Scott F.]

I'm on my second iAudio X5. The first one was the 30 gig which I promptly killed when I slipped on wet pavement on the way out to my car. I went ahead and bought the 60gig version this time. For an extra $20 bucks, it was a no brainer. Don't have a clue how many songs are on it but it's a ton.

I use mine all the time. I strap it on when I'm cutting the grass or use it as a source for the portable system I use on my deck (Sonic T amp and Niles speakers), plus I use it on flights and in hotels when I travel for work or pleasure.

It seems the new version sounds a bit cleaner than the old version. I can't confirm but I wonder if they've changed the DAC or the opamps? It definitely sounds better than my old one.

[BobC]

I also have the iAudio X5L and am very happy with it.  Sound quality of FLAC files on this player through my Etymotic ER-4's is really really really good.  I primarily use it when cutting the grass and during airline flights.  The Ety's double as ear plugs that block out the background noise.  Don't really use it for working out (maybe because I dont work out enought  ) due to size and weight....for work outs I'd probably buy a small cheap MP3 player.

[BobC]

Using it as a second source is good too.  I took mine with us on vacation to Cabo last summer loaded with lots of "island and beach" music.  Hooked up to the music system in the condo and it worked great.

I also bought the optional "docking station" for I think $50.  It's ok, but not necessary.  I'd put that extra money into the headphones.

I guess my only complaint is the little adaptor that you need to use to charge and sync the player.  No big deal as it's just sitting on my desk connected to the computer all the time...but it's just one more thing to lose. 

[ctviggen]

I haven't compared file sizes lately, but it seemed like way back when the FLAC & SHN files i was dealing with were about 30% smaller than WAV.

If you have a 40gb or larger Ipod it souldn't matter too much...

I have a 20gb.  The reason I asked is because I have about 110gb of Flac-encoded music, but the (about) same songs in iTunes are under 14gb.  In other words, if I encode using the standard iTunes compression, I can fit my entire current collection on my iPod, with gb to spare.  If I use FLAC, I can only fit 1/5 of my collection on the iPod.  Thus, I go to great lengths to synchronize the two systems.  If I could figure out a way to not worry about syncing the collections and still put a large quantity of songs on my iPod, that'd be great. 

[gooberdude]

Its tough to be fully satisfied with a 20gb, this forces you to compress it it all down.

I had a similar situation but the other way around.  I only wanted full WAV files but that limits me to less than 2,000 songs on my Imod.

i simply transfer songs off & on regularly.   i doubt i even need more than 500 tunes on it at a time, but the beauty of Ipod is having it all at your fingetips.

if you keep everything in playlists its easy to remove and/or load large lists of songs...

[ctviggen]

Maybe I just need to upgrade to the 80gb.   I've seen the 80gb, and the screen is much nicer.  It's amazing how good programs/videos look on that tiny screen.

[gooberdude]

Dude, get a 60bg Photo Imod from Vinnie @ RedWine.   performancewise its much closer to a high end cd player than what you've come to expect from your Ipod.

the new ones are super cool and much slimmer than mine, they sound pretty bad though, real mechanical.
But, i've seen so much porn on Video Ipods now its hard to resist buying one.     

i've only purchased 2-3 songs ever on itunes but if I had a Video 'pod mine would be loaded with South Park & The Office episodes for sure...   these would be killer for long flights.

[Loftprojection]

I second the Ipod modded by Red Wine Audio into an Imod with Rockbox software to play flac files.

Probably the best possible sound quality in a portable source you can find at this moment on the market.  The only "problem" is you need to by a portable amp as well.

[JDUBS]

Yep, iMod is your best bet here.  I've got mine setup with Rockbox and the only file format I play is .flac.  It deals with gapless playback with NO issues...and the sound quality coupled when coupled with a good amp and headphones is something else!

-Jim