Player stutters between tracks (??)

[xerxes991]

Well, I can't think of a better way of describing it CD's sometimes have track breaks in the middle of a piece of music. CD players cope with that without a break in sound. When I convert to MP3 files using Yahoo Music! and play the tracks on my Zen Vision M (30GB), I get a discontinuity in sound when it moves from one track to the next. It's very annoying.

Interestingly, I don't get this "stutter" when I play pack the MP3 files using Yahoo Music! on my PC. So I don't think it's a problem with Yahoo Music!. It seems it's a "feature" of the Zen.

Anyone else seen this? Is there a solution? Do other players suffer from this? What about "the one that can't be named"?

My friend has just got a Cowon D2 and says he has the same issue.

Steve

[CrowdAds]

[BobbyRS]

Does this happen with new files, existing files, or just with any music files? What kind of music files? It may be a long shot, but have you booted into Recovery Mode yet and done a Cleanup to ensure that the database is running optimally?

[xerxes991]

Thanks for note. I think it's any music file (I only have MP3). I tried the same files on my wife's Zen+, and it does the same thing, perhaps not quite as badly.

Just to be clear, I am talking about a gap of only a few milliseconds, probably, but it is enough to be very clearly heard.

No, I haven't tried Recovery and Cleanup, but I may well do that. I may also take the opportunity to change software from European to American, to remove the sound level limit. But I am a bit nervous about that, especially if it may affect the FM Radio or FM Recording. Oh well, I suppose I coudl always change back if necessary?

Steve

[BobbyRS]

Perhaps try ripping some new MP3's to test....

Don't worry about the switch in firmware. Make sure you follow directions (and remove the existing firmware first by selecting Reload Firmware from within Recovery Mode). If you are using the latest US firmware (like you probably should), you won't have any issue with the Radio or it's recording feature. Tha recording feature was added back into the US firmware a few firmware releases ago..... and yes, you can always revert back.

[xerxes991]

Thanks - I'll do the US firmware switch when I've got the time to sit down and concentrate for a little while!

Back to my track issue. It does the same for any CD I have ripped to MP3, where the music runs through a track break.

Is there anyone out there who has seen this? Just find a CD where the music runs through. More likely to be a classical recording where long movements may be split into several tracks. I'd be interested to see if you get a discontinuity in sound across the track break when you play the MP3's back on your Vision M.

[coachop94]

Unfortunately the creative players don't do gapless playback(:. People been asking for it forever. That is a shame since the (poopod) does.

[BobbyRS]

<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Thanks - I'll do the US firmware switch when I've got the time to sit down and concentrate for a little while!

No problem. You'll be alright. It's pretty easy.

Yeah, now after reading your explaination, I would have to side with coachop here on the no gapless playback issue. Yes, it would be nice and it is a shame. Maybe someday.....

[xerxes991]

Thanks, both. Mmm, that will give me a dilemma when I buy my next device. I wonder how I could find out which players do have "gapless" playback - it's pretty much a critical issue for me, given that I listen to a lot of classical music.

Steve

[BobbyRS]

No problem, Steve!

I wonder how I could find out which players do have "gapless" playback - it's pretty much a critical issue for me

The funny thing about the word "research" is that, within it, exists the word "search". There is a ton of information on this site and in the Forum. It shouldn't take long to find the answers to your questions.

[xerxes991]

Agreed, but very often it's a question of knowing what the accepted vocabulary is for the subject. Now I know it's "gapless" (which is not intuitive) I can start checking it out. And you're right, there is more info than I can get my mind around at the moment :-)

Thanks for your help
Steve

[BobbyRS]

I'm just messing around. This may help: Gapless Playback