Recommendations for a digital audio player

[GaryG45]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Paul,
I Googled NW-A45 and Album Art and found the following on the HeadFi forum in a thread for the NW-40 series. It goes along with what Dat Ei mentioned. The Sony devices can only read baseline jpgs and not progressive jpgs. Someone also mentioned potential problems with ID3 V2.4 tags. Here is a link to the thread. Pages 29-31 had the cover art info that I found, and I didn't look further into the thread.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-nw-a40-series-nw-a45-a46-a47.854779/page-29

Gary

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

It is very easy using the tag editor (right click) with dBpowerramp) to copy the folder.jpg art and embed it as a tag in the audio file. Try that with a few albums and see if the art is now visible.

Great, cheers schmidj. I will test this either later or tomorrow ...

[Dat Ei]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

I do not have any mp3 files anymore I am afraid. I wiped the whole lot, including WMAs, when I purchased 'dBpa' last year.

And what keeps you from converting some flac files into mp3 files for a test?


Dat Ei

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

If your artwork is only a "folder.jpg" file in the same folder as the audio files, and not embedded in the files. it is very possible that Sony's software only reads and copies the audio files, and never even looks for the folder.jpg file.

Hi schmidj,

Cheers.

In viewing the FLAC folders (via my PC) contained on the Sony Walkman SD-card, the folder.jpg files are all copied/present alongside their respective albums.

Paul

[schmidj]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

If your artwork is only a "folder.jpg" file in the same folder as the audio files, and not embedded in the files. it is very possible that Sony's software only reads and copies the audio files, and never even looks for the folder.jpg file. It is very easy using the tag editor (right click) with dBpowerramp) to copy the folder.jpg art and embed it as a tag in the audio file. Try that with a few albums and see if the art is now visible.

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

What do I always say about customer support.

Yes, quite; it seems that members on here, who don't even own a Walkman, know more than the Sony Team!

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

it's better to use jpg than png, but the problem is that there exist several kinds of encoding jpgs. If the decoder is a very limited one, then the decoder might not be able to decode some kinds of jpg encoding. So jpg is not jpg...

Did you check if the Sony can read the album art of mp3s, generated from your flac files?

Hi Dat Ei,

And so the plot thickens regarding jPegs!

I do not have any mp3 files anymore I am afraid. I wiped the whole lot, including WMAs, when I purchased 'dBpa' last year.

Paul

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Is there a user group forum for these players? More likely to have a user with good info on this problem.

Hi Garym,

Yes, I have been posting on the Sony Forum as every time I email Customer Services they just keep on sending me a link to this webspace. One person per thread, per every other day, seems to be the typical rate of response.

Below is the most recent reply from Nic. The implication is that artwork needs to be 'embedded' rather than 'folder' type:

"This makes me think, that the covers aren't correctly embedded in the files.

There is a software called mp3-Tag, which let's you add covers to mp3 and FLAC files."

Maybe give this a shot.

[Dat Ei]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Hey Paul,

it's better to use jpg than png, but the problem is that there exist several kinds of encoding jpgs. If the decoder is a very limited one, then the decoder might not be able to decode some kinds of jpg encoding. So jpg is not jpg...

Did you check if the Sony can read the album art of mp3s, generated from your flac files?


Dat Ei

[garym]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

I can't remember if I said so on Wednesday but Sony's advice was - to combat this issue - to d/l and use iTunes instead!!!!!! And so I totally flipped out on them again.

What do I always say about customer support. Is there a user group forum for these players? More likely to have a user with good info on this problem.

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Does it display any album art? Is your album art embedded?
I saw in the Help Guide on page 34 in fine print in a Note section at the bottom of the page that it says "The Walkman may not display cover art depending on the file format", but there is nothing further about the file formats. If your album art isn't embedded, can you check the SD card using Windows File Explorer to determine if the album art folders were copied? Sony may manipulate the files to put them in their format, so this may not prove anything. I didn't see anything to indicate that they look for album art with a particular filename such as folder.jpg. I've seen where some players only look for that filename.

Hi GaryG,

Thanks for your suggestions.

I have checked and my artwork is FOLDER and in jPeg format. Please see screenshots:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1J7...slB_wOp0-PeL3H

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Kv...v0s0FYq70z1Ri1

Your helpful quotation from 'page 34' is something which the Sony agent said could be brushed over. Basically, as long as it's jPeg or PNG (or any other widely accepted format) then there should be no issue.

I have now tried using 'Beyond Compare', 'Sony Music Media', and 'Windows File Explorer' to transfer the albums from my PC to the Walkman SD-card. The artwork is being transferred, but is not showing on the playback device.

Incidentally, my artwork does not even show in the 'Sony Music Center' s/w! Please see screenshot ('Album Cover Art'):

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cT...9qU56rW8sRacUa

I can't remember if I said so on Wednesday but Sony's advice was - to combat this issue - to d/l and use iTunes instead!!!!!! And so I totally flipped out on them again.

Cheers.

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

I've tested the Sony NW-A45 in a shop and have encountered the same problems with album arts. I didn't like the Sony for its Sound performance so I did not buy it and didn't care About that problem. Maybe there is a firmware update for the Sony NW-A45.

On the other hand I've seen problems with my Sony TV to display jpg files. Sony seems to use very sensible algorithms to decode jpgs. Sometimes they have problems with special jpg compression rates and jpg encodings.

Hi Dat Ei,

Regarding the quality of sound, although I have not set up the 'aptX' facility as yet (I only got to test the device out recently due to the recent FLAC playback issues I have been trying to resolve), I do have to say it is quite excellent. Personally, I would find it extremely difficult to test such an item in the store unless I was able to play tracks from my OWN collection of music on it.


I am using the 'A-45' in conjunction with a new pair of Sony wireless headphones. My only criticism, regarding the 'sound' factor, is that I find the combination of the two devices to be lacking in 'high-end' somewhat (eg. the sparkle of the high-hats can be a little lost). But the 'bass' is very punchy and clear. I would say - in their DEFAULT state - that the set up I now own is more suited to music which uses 'electric' instruments, and less so for 'acoustic'. 'Miles On The Corner', which has many idiosyncratic electronic instruments of it's era, sounds superb; whereas Miles's 'A Kind Of Blue' falls a little short in sounding like the genuine article. In saying all of this, there are many parameters for manipulating the 'sound'. I flicked through some of them quickly and each one affected the tone significantly. Therefore, one has the option to switch (say, EQ) between these depending on the GENRE being listened to. Again, I have left everything 'flat'.

The 'High-Res' and 'aptX' (though battery hungry) are two settings I am interested in exploring ...

I have the latest firmware v. thanks.

I have used jPeg for all of my folder-art. I did originally use PNG as embedded-art for the first handful of rips I made last year; but then someone, somewhere along the way, highly recommended me to switch to the former mentioned method.

Paul

[Dat Ei]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Hey there,

I've tested the Sony NW-A45 in a shop and have encountered the same problems with album arts. I didn't like the Sony for its Sound performance so I did not buy it and didn't care About that problem. Maybe there is a firmware update for the Sony NW-A45.

On the other hand I've seen problems with my Sony TV to display jpg files. Sony seems to use very sensible algorithms to decode jpgs. Sometimes they have problems with special jpg compression rates and jpg encodings.


Dat Ei

[GaryG45]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Hi Paul,
Does it display any album art? Is your album art embedded?
I saw in the Help Guide on page 34 in fine print in a Note section at the bottom of the page that it says "The Walkman may not display cover art depending on the file format", but there is nothing further about the file formats. If your album art isn't embedded, can you check the SD card using Windows File Explorer to determine if the album art folders were copied? Sony may manipulate the files to put them in their format, so this may not prove anything. I didn't see anything to indicate that they look for album art with a particular filename such as folder.jpg. I've seen where some players only look for that filename.

Gary

[monsterjazzlick]

Re: Recommendations for a digital audio player

Hi,

btw - The new Sony Walkman has bags of volume and there is no 'capping'. The EU model stops at '80' but the US one goes all the way up to '120'. Depending on the album/genre, I listen to music between '75' and '90'. Listening at the latter level has been quite seldom; and I have never exceed this level as yet.

The issue I am having at present is getting the Walkman to display 'album art' of any description?

Cheers,

Paul