iPod Hesitation Between Tracks?

In the itunes preferences you can set the time between tracks, if you set it to zero it defaults to the speed of gap on the CD.

I think this carries over to the ipod.

Never been able to cure this problem, I assumed it was an intrinsic fault with the encoding process.
John

Thanks for the quick response, garyi.
I set that option earlier noting that it was in the "burning" section of the preferences. Didn't seem to affect my iPod.
I tried Apple help, but it was not helpful.
Anyone else notice this hesitation?
David

And just noticed you post, John.
You may be right and I'll guess it had to do with the internal file handling. I believe that it reads tracks from the hard drive and immediately loads them to internal RAM. Hence the claim "25 minutes of skip protection".
I remember early CD players having this same trouble and for a while it seemed that recordings were arranged so that track changes happened during silent passages.
Once that problem was more or less universally fixed then they started it again.
David

I thought there was an option when ripping cd's that you could mark tracks and they would be merged or something. I think when I got my iPod (approx 1 year ago) this meant the 2 (or more) tracks would be placed into the same mp3/aac file, not sure if this is still the case.

Welcome to the non-joys of the iPod; little battery life, daren't take it out in case it gets scratched, needs some godawful case to stop scratches and provide a modicum of useability eg a belt clip, throwaway earbuds require instant upgrading, updated every few months so yours is instantly out of date, bizarre headphone limiter on UK models, peculiar clicks and gaps between all tracks however accurately burned during playback and, as all mp3 etc codecs are pretty dire, lousy sound quality and a vast range of mostly useless and certainly overpriced accessories.

Thanks for that, j8hn.
Yes, it scratches easily but a $17 case is on its way to me.
I didn't expect anything spectacular from the earbuds. Yes, they suck and won't even stay in my ears unlike the dancing silhouettes in the ads. They must use tape or some sort of glue. No, I don't dance around like that. Too old.
I waited until I could get a 20MB version at an affordable price, I expect some of my purchase dollars to go to improving the state of the art and advancing the technology. Just like Naim gear but on a shorter timetable.
Seems like you folks in the UK have over-regulated yourselves with the limiter, that is just silly. If people want to deafen themselves then they should be allowed. Buy one from the good 'ole USA where we allow you to set the volume you desire.
My experience with MP3 codecs is less than stellar; I get "digititus" anytime, it seems, I hear it. Only cure is an album side with my LP12.
I knew I could record my stuff with a lossless scheme and 20GB is plenty big enough for my mobile excursions.
As to the accessories, I'm allowed to purchase what I want so they can charge all they want for the "useless" ones and those that find value in them can buy.
My issue is the surprise gap between tracks. I didn't have any experience with this and think there must be a way around it. Maybe on a firmware update in the future Apple will address it if they get enough complaints. I doubt that will happen, most of the iPod users (I assume) don't care.
David

I don't see that option, two-sheds. If I can figure out how to do it I'll encode my albums that way. I really prefer to listen to something all the way through.
Must be stuck in the "album-oriented" 70's.
David

It would appear john has an axe to grind.

I have never had clickes or pops on tracks.

The volume limiter is because of arcaic UK law and is very very easily circumvented (Select the music tracks in itunes and get info, increase the output to 140%, job done)

It scratches, so does cars/houses/windows/plastic things/paper things/glass things/metal things.

If of course you decide that you don't like the ipod return it and get a lovely iriver, it looks like a brick and has a full nine buttons for you to play with, displaying pointless information and also scratches

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I don't see that option, two-sheds. If I can figure out how to do it I'll encode my albums that way. I really prefer to listen to something all the way through.

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In iTunes, stick your cd in and then when all the tracks appear, you select the ones you want to be joined, then select form the top menus Advanced -> Join CD Tracks.

I think this will record the selected track as 1 mp3/aac file so then you lose the ability to skip to the joined tracks immediately (I think I haven't tried this for a while).

I'll give that a try, Two-Sheds. Thanks!!!
Just took a quick listen to AAC, AIFF, several different MP3 settings, Apple Lossless and WAV using the same track ripped under those methods.
AIFF and all versions of MP3 were unacceptable with my 102/NAPSC/Hi/250/Briks. AAC was barely better. Apple Lossless and WAV were clearly superior with the WAV being the most involving.
Very unscientific testing on a cold system (been unplugged for a couple of weeks due to a storm and some travel) so I can't swear by any of these subjective measurements.
I'll let it all warm up for a week and try it again.
It was funny looking at that iPod plugged into my Naim electronics. Mullet anyone?
David

Spot on, Two-Sheds!
Makes one big track of the CD.
I'll have to select which tracks are that way and join them. More labor than I anticiapted but at least there is a work-around.
Thanks again,
David

Certainly look worth getting!
I ain't that desperate for "music" on the move so I'll just hang on to my pennies I think. Fortunately I only have to survive for about 5 hours max per day without my home system. Car radios fill the blank till its home time.

Howard

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Originally posted by NaimDropper:
AIFF and all versions of MP3 were unacceptable with my 102/NAPSC/Hi/250/Briks. AAC was barely better. Apple Lossless and WAV were clearly superior with the WAV being the most involving.
David

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AIFF is the same as WAV but with a Mac OS resource header [bundle] -- there should be literally no difference between formats - if you don't believe rip the same track as both WAV and AIFF [with same options set] and then open in a music editor...

if the IPOD is primarily used to play through NAIM then you are right the Apple Lossless is the best bet, if the IPOD is actually used as an IPOD then don't give up on AAC or MP3 - try ripping AAC at 256 and compare against lossless on decent headphones [etymotic, shure or grado spring to mind] and you might be surprised - plus AAC at 256 gives files at roughly 12-15 % of original size rather than 50%[ish] with lossless, that is a lot of extra music...
also try using LAME MP3 encoder, available on web as apple script plugin for itunes - even better [at high or extreme settings] than AAC at 256 but with disadvantage of much longer [really long] rip times [it isn't optimsed for g4 or g5 like itunes default encoders]

the gap between tracks is the worst thing about the IPod - yes you can join tracks when ripping [or even join tracks after they have been ripped, you need another apple script plug-in for this] but the downside is much longer tracks [which you can't individually select] and the Pod has to acces disk more often and therefore it uses more battery power - someone who uses his Pod almost exclusively for downloaded grateful dead shows [therefore very long joined tracks] I think I get about half my supposed 12 hours battery life - wish apple would fix this but don't think they will...

all the same the abilty to select your own level of sound quality is what really makes the Ipod special.

Leopold

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Originally posted by NaimDropper:

AIFF and all versions of MP3 were unacceptable David

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David

As Leopold has said, if AIFF is unacceptable, you must also find CD pretty hard to listen to!

If you are really having problems with AIFF files (these are uncompressed by the way) there may be something weird going on with the iTunes rip or your optical drive.

Regards

Stephen

David sorry if you have mentioned this but insure you output via the line out on the dock, if you do not have a dock you need one. Output from the headphones socket into the hifi is not an acceptable solution as it has passed through one amplification stage before it hits the hifi pre amp.

From line out the results are very pleasent, but I do agree that even uncompressed the results are not going to match CD.

I have output uncompressed from the mac via optical into a dac anf out the hifi and you do lose the very soul of the music, it sounds great but something is missing.

I agree with garyi. If AIFF is sounding bad through the hifi it's the iPod electronics that are at fault. Pity it doesn't have a digital output...

Regards

Stephen

Thanks for all the input, folks.
I just turned on my system after being off for more than 3 weeks, so it was in the process of "warming up" and me getting used to everything again. No real conclusions can be drawn from this.
I was listening for tuneful bass and complex HF stuff like cymbals etc. And it was a VERY uncontrolled experiment.
I do have troubles listening to CD for a long time, it just fatugues me.
Using a dock and the line output for sure. Headphone outputs turned down and plugged in to line inputs are almost always a bad bet.
I didn't know that AIFF was uncompressed, all the formats I tried will get a fair shake again soon. I liked the Apple Lossless setting from this first, quick test so I re-imported a stack of my CDs in that format. Now the files are HUGE but I have plenty of room left on the iPod at least for now.
I'm using a PC rather than a Mac and have not done any exploration of plug-ins other than iPod Rip (which wouldn't properly load on my PC).
My primary intentions for this iPod was headphones on airplanes (I've got quite a bit of traveling to do in the next months) and to use in my multiple vehicles as the source. I'm experimenting around with a FM transmitter but it sounds pretty bad so far. Likely I'll use the line out into the various car amplifiers.
I ran my system most of the day yesterday as background music and will try my listening experiment again there. And if I have time I'll try it at work in my old Sony dynamic phones too.
David