I've finally decided to go completely lossless with my 30GB Zune, but I'm having some issues. First of all, I realized that when I put lossless files on my Zune, they were being converted to 192 WMA. Got that default setting changed, but I have another issue now. Playback is gapless, but not perfectly seamless in all cases. I noticed this the most on the transition between Speak To Me/Breathe and On The Run on DSOTM. This transition, as well as all others, play perfectly when I listen to them through Winamp. Any ideas on how to fix this? Is it even possible to fix this? My Zune firmware and computer software are updated to the latest versions. For my lossless music, I am ripping with dBpoweramp in Windows Media Audio 9.2 Lossless and then I just drag and drop folders onto the Zune software screen. Please don't threadcrap with Microsoft vs. Apple and iPod vs. Zune arguments. Thanks for reading.
I use Windows Media Player to rip my CDs and then fire up the Zune software to sync them on. I just listened to the exact same tracks as you on my Zune 30 and the transition from STM/Breathe was perfect and from Breathe to On the Run there was a very very slight tiny click. I probably wouldnt have noticed unless I was listening hard for it. Might be as good as it gets. Have you tried ripping in WMP and seeing if that makes a difference?
Yeah, and half of the albums I ripped had diginoise. Same thing with iTunes (when I used 128 AAC). That got extremely annoying, so I switched to something with error correction. Both of those weren't much better than the Zune software. I guess I'll just live with it until they fix it with an update. Maybe I should go complain about it in the Zune forum. I would've posted it there first, but the members here are more helpful and far more mature.
I think the problem is that, comparatively speaking, not very many people own Zune players, so you probably won't find much help for your problem here--and if you do, it'll be something not very useful like "sell your Zune and get an iPod." I'd post on the Zune forum and see if they can help you there. Good luck!
Like I said earlier, the members here seem to be more helpful and more mature, so I figured I'd try here first. I do realize that not many people own Zunes. In fact, I'm the only person I know with one. Thanks for the input so far guys. Looks like I'm probably stuck with this issue until they do a firmware update or something.
Wait, why is there noise? What kind of computer are you ripping with? Do you think it could be your PC or CD Drive?
That's exactly what I was thinking. Pretty much every computer I've ripped music with has done this (Dell, HP, Gateway). It could be the hardware, but I honestly think it's a software issue. Windows Media Player, iTunes, and Winamp have done this to me. EAC has NEVER done this to me. dBpoweramp gave me one slight tick until I put it in secure mode instead of burst mode. Winamp was the absolute worst software I've used for CD ripping. I've ripped the same CD (can't remember what title) on two different laptops (one when it was about three years old, the other one was my current laptop when it was brand new), and it still was full of errors and didn't rip the last few songs. Based on all the different equipment I've used, I'd definitely say it's a software issue. One Dell I used did have an absolutely awful CD drive, but all the other stuff I've used was fine.
That's really weird. There shouldn't be any issues like this and especially across multiple computers.
Wait... do you have the latest software? Do you ever run windows updates? WMP11 is the current. How many programs are running in your tray...bottom right screen. Sound like the computer could be running out of resources.
Yes, I update regularly, have pretty much all the latest updates, yada yada... I NEVER have any other programs running at the same time when I rip music (just AVG anti-virus, no internet, AIM, or anything like that). Winamp has made me a few coasters for trying to use AIM while burning CDs. Do you not believe me when I say it's a software issue? One of my friends has an iPod, and some of his stuff has diginoise on it too. BTW, I've got 1GB of RAM in my Gateway laptop, and task manager hardly ever shows me using more than 60% during stuff like surfing the web and using AIM. For tray icons, I've got: AVG, PowerISO, battery life, wireless status, and volume. Those few aren't going to make that much of a difference.
I don't know. Just running through all the possibilities of what it could be..... hmmmm Have you tried using the Zune software to rip just to see if it would affect the gapless playback on speak to me/breath? Maybe rip at wma 192 to see if it works right to kind of narrow down what's causing it.
What bitrates are supported for gapless WMA? I got a Zune as a gift but I'm happy with my Kenwood player so I haven't powered it up yet. Ripping at a lower rate may be the issue. I honestly don't know.
Not sure which bitrates, but I know 192 WMA is supported. I'm surprised it sounded way better than 128 MP3 and 128 AAC. I don't think the bitrate is the issue, because I've had similar problems before with different formats (MP3, AAC, WMA). I think it's just a small issue that I'm letting get to me. No, but I hated ripping stuff with the Zune software, so I'm not going there again. It was extremely annoying, and it added diginoise every once in a while too. The diginoise thing was basically one "flub," "tick," or "skip" on one song out of about every 5th or 6th album I ripped. Not a huge deal, but it got pretty annoying. Sometimes re-ripping albums worked out perfectly, sometimes it didn't fix the issue at all. On a side note, I am enjoying my Zune soooo much more with lossless. My rip of a West German copy of Rainbow's album Rising sounds just as amazing as it does on my CD player.
I would rip with zune with wma lossless and wma 192 just to see if it can fix the gapless playback. The Zune and Zune software are made for each other and it could fix the small playback issue you are having.
Nope, didn't help one bit. It's the EXACT same transition issues. I removed it from my Zune first, ripped it with the Zune software (in WMA lossless), then synched it up again. For what it's worth, I've used the same copy of DSOTM on both tries: Capitol CDP 7 46001 2; matrix: DIDX 226 111A3; "Made in USA - Digital Audio Disc Corp." printed in plastic hub; smooth sided jewel case. That enough details for you ?
I posted on the Zune forums, but no help. The only responses I got were that the Zune doesn't support lossless. Then I found out that it does in fact support lossless. Now I realize that I'm one of very few people who actually uses my Zune for lossless music. Thanks again for the input.
Bummer. Must be some software quirk along in the chain. Perhaps a future firmware update to the Zune could fix it.
Sounds completely possible. My next objective should be to complain about it to Microsoft and ask them to fix it. FLAC support, customizable equalizer, and the ability to view albums chronologically would be mighty fine features too.
Just to confirm I rip all my CDs in WMA Pro 192kbps. Works very well. Tried a few other albums that have joined tracks and they sound fine so far. To be honest Zune ownership has been entirely painless for me. I will be picking up a Mk2 in October on my trip to Canada.
Are you still ripping the majority of your stuff at 128k? If so then maybe try higher bitrates? That could be why you are not happy with a lot of the rips you have done. Appreciate you are now usiing lossless but is that for everything? On my Zune I have just over 300 albums at 192kbps and still have around 6Gb left to play with. In WMP did yo have the digital extraction/error corection options ticked? Sorry if this is suck eggs.
Wiped my Zune, started over with everything in lossless. Other than lack of space, I'm pretty satisfied with my decision. Didn't even know it existed. But I never use WMP anymore, so it doesn't matter as much now. Glad you are having a good Zune experience. Mine hasn't been all that great at some points. Had to reinstall Vista just to get it to work when I first got it (I needed to reinstall it anyway), and there was the issue of diginoise. The Zune software was a big pain in the butt, especially when it came to editing album info. Extremely glad they fixed the software, and I'm much happier with it. If I didn't get mine for so cheap, I would've returned it the first day. When you say Mark II Zune, do you mean an 80GB one?
