Is gapless playback just a matter of firmware update?

[Spermicide]

Is gapless playback just a matter of firmware update? I mean is it a software or a hardware issue?
I know that Sony players support gapless playback of WAV/Atrac files only, but I'm curious if there's a chance that someday I'll be able to play gapless MP3s on my NWZ-S739 after a firmware update? Or should I consider buying a new player?

[CrowdAds]

[WalkGood]

Gapless playback is achieved via a firmware update and properly encoded files. That said at the rate Sony releases new players, I doubt they arre going to upgrade the firmware to support gapless for mp3’s before the NWZ-S739 has ended it’s product life cycle or it’s replaced by another newer Sony player.

[lestatar]

Hey, I am with WG here. I have been told [and observed] that Sony rarely updates their DAP FW. I think they feel they pretty much won't release devices until they get everything right. I too tend to doubt that any FW updates to support true gapless would ever be coming. Sad, but prolly true....

[meetooman]

Sony updates firmwares only in case of bugs.
Some people also count on US firmwares to bypass the EU volume limitation? I don't know if it is possible. My Walkman was already delivered with the latest FW 1.02 seen for the model. I wonder if anybody has already succeeded in modifying this region setting.

[Spermicide]

Thanks for your responses!