If you like your Coverflow - DONT upgrade to iTunes 11 !!!

Posted by: totemphile on 29 November 2012

Just done it and it's gone, no Coverflow in iTunes 11.

 

One of the best things about iTunes and they erased it from version 11??

 

How disappointing!!

Posted on: 10 December 2012 by Gavin B

There seems to be one issue with letting iTunes convert your loseless files to lower bitrates on the fly for your iPod - this won't allow you to use the volume equalisation option within iTunes.  That only works for lower quality files.

 

I have to reduce the quality of my loseless files to fit them all onto my iPod to go into the car, and the volume differences between tracks is annoying.  As soon as I can figure out how to creat a new library and export all the files to it, I'll give it a try!

Posted on: 10 December 2012 by Disposable hero

On the issue of iTunes 11 as it is (i.e. without additional bit enhancements) has anyone else found it sounds different, such as more lively, energetic? Then with BitPerfect I personally don't notice any difference in sound quality when it is either enabled or disabled, even after adjusting its various settings and preferences.

Posted on: 10 December 2012 by Guido Fawkes

> personally don't notice any difference in sound quality when it is either enabled or disabled, even after adjusting its various settings and preferences.


Mostly there won't be any difference ... as the output will be the same, it is only when you do things like switch around between different sample rates or thrashing the disk that BP comes in to its own. BP stops unnecessary over-sampling on the Mac and leaves that to the Naim DAC ... whether you can hear the effect ... well I think I can - preferring to leave the task to Naim. Memory playback stops disk thrashing (if that ever happens: I used tp get it, but less on the Mac Mini than on an Apple server). 


I don't think iTunes 11 sounds any different for iTunes 10, I just think it looks better ... however, when I use Apple Remote I can't see iTunes 11 good looks anyway 


Posted on: 10 December 2012 by JWM

What is this 'bit perfect' business, and is it an option I can click to select on iTunes?

Posted on: 10 December 2012 by Cbr600

Jwm,

   Naim readers ( and I am sure others) take multiple reads of the CD when ripping, to ensure every bit of data is captured and to remove any errors, hence bit perfect, whereas other CD drives would read a disc only once and risk possible data loss.

i think I read the HDX for example takes 6 reads of a disc when ripping

Posted on: 11 December 2012 by Disposable hero
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:

> personally don't notice any difference in sound quality when it is either enabled or disabled, even after adjusting its various settings and preferences.


Mostly there won't be any difference ... as the output will be the same, it is only when you do things like switch around between different sample rates or thrashing the disk that BP comes in to its own. BP stops unnecessary over-sampling on the Mac and leaves that to the Naim DAC ... whether you can hear the effect ... well I think I can - preferring to leave the task to Naim. Memory playback stops disk thrashing (if that ever happens: I used tp get it, but less on the Mac Mini than on an Apple server). 


I don't think iTunes 11 sounds any different for iTunes 10, I just think it looks better ... however, when I use Apple Remote I can't see iTunes 11 good looks anyway 


 

Okay thanks for explaining, I'm a total novice with proper computer to hi-fi playback so still getting to grips with the setup. Actually after further listening and doing enable/ disable toggling, with BitPerfect active there is some more overall clarity to the sound, not so much individual identifiable improvements, such as hearing more cymbal, guitar or bass) just more of a cleaner sound.

Originally Posted by JWM:

What is this 'bit perfect' business, and is it an option I can click to select on iTunes?


BitPerfect (displayed as one word) version 1.0.4 is available from the Mac App store, do a search and read all about it

Posted on: 28 December 2012 by JeremyB
Originally Posted by RaceTripper:
Originally Posted by JeremyB:
Originally Posted by RaceTripper:

I convert back to compressed AAC for my iPod/iPHone/iPad but let iTunes do it on the fly as it syncs. That way I don't have to store and manage low res audio.

Thanks Race Tripper that's a good solution. I'll need to get a third disk array to do it though as I have no other need for AIFF (the other 2 are both storing replicated WAV).

I don't think I follow your reasoning for getting another drive. Maybe you misunderstood to think it only works with AIFF files.

 

Whatever you have now in iTunes -- be it AIFF, WAV, ALAC, etc. -- iTunes will convert that audio on the fly to mp3 format when you sync to your i-device. You just have to check the option for it on the iTunes summary page for the device. It applies only to the selected device, so you need to select the option for each device you want to sync with on-the-fly conversion.

Just getting back to this now - a bit late I know. iTunes doesn't recognize dbpa wav metadata so need to convert to aiff in dbpa first so that iTunes can convert to AAC with metadata. Also this solution doesn't work for me because max resolution converting while syncing to iPod  is 256k AAC not 320k AAC which is what I use on the iPods. unless I missed something.

Posted on: 28 December 2012 by RaceTripper
Originally Posted by JeremyB:
 

Just getting back to this now - a bit late I know. iTunes doesn't recognize dbpa wav metadata so need to convert to aiff in dbpa first so that iTunes can convert to AAC with metadata. Also this solution doesn't work for me because max resolution converting while syncing to iPod  is 256k AAC not 320k AAC which is what I use on the iPods. unless I missed something.

I am skeptical that will be a discernible difference between 256K and 320K on an iPod.