FLAC player?
Author
Discussion

percy

Original Poster:

677 posts

297 months

Monday 13th May 2019
quotequote all
I'm thinking of buying one of these FLAC players https://www.richersounds.com/sony-nwa45-16gb-black... and wondered if it would play through the USB port of my 997.2? I can't find much info about this anywhere - has anyone tried a similar device?
I have a feeling that I'll probably have to use Bluetooth or the Aux cable - I assume that the Aux option means that I won't get any info up on the PCM screen?
Cheers

Cheib

25,329 posts

203 months

Monday 13th May 2019
quotequote all
percy said:
I'm thinking of buying one of these FLAC players https://www.richersounds.com/sony-nwa45-16gb-black... and wondered if it would play through the USB port of my 997.2? I can't find much info about this anywhere - has anyone tried a similar device?
I have a feeling that I'll probably have to use Bluetooth or the Aux cable - I assume that the Aux option means that I won't get any info up on the PCM screen?
Cheers
It will via Bluetooth, I have a Bluetooth dongle (if that's the right term) in the car which my phone picks up so this would work in the same way.

ab8

210 posts

168 months

Monday 13th May 2019
quotequote all
Totally pointless playing FLAC through bluetooth - you lose any benefit from the lack of compression

PJM2

1,187 posts

88 months

Tuesday 14th May 2019
quotequote all
aptX bluetooth devices are at least CD quality capable.

ab8

210 posts

168 months

Tuesday 14th May 2019
quotequote all
OK, let me re-phrase that - in my view it's pointless.

I think from what I've read on other forums that the 997.2 doesn't support AptX and instead relies on SBC, but I may be wrong (and am very happy to be corrected).

In any event, AptX purports to support 16 bit 44.1 kHz audio over bluetooth (under ideal conditions) - ie CD quality (AptX HD is marketed as better-than-CD is and is really good in my view - see https://www.qualcomm.com/solutions/voice-and-music... but it still relies on compression so there is processing of the FLAC which impacts on the quality of the sound. There is further processing in most Porsche Head Units which introduces further variables.

But that's all my non-expert and probably ill-informed view and probably not helpful to the OP. Enjoy the music regardless!

legzr1

3,885 posts

167 months

Tuesday 14th May 2019
quotequote all
ab8 said:
OK, let me re-phrase that - in my view it's pointless.

I think from what I've read on other forums that the 997.2 doesn't support AptX and instead relies on SBC, but I may be wrong (and am very happy to be corrected).

In any event, AptX purports to support 16 bit 44.1 kHz audio over bluetooth (under ideal conditions) - ie CD quality (AptX HD is marketed as better-than-CD is and is really good in my view - see https://www.qualcomm.com/solutions/voice-and-music... but it still relies on compression so there is processing of the FLAC which impacts on the quality of the sound. There is further processing in most Porsche Head Units which introduces further variables.

But that's all my non-expert and probably ill-informed view and probably not helpful to the OP. Enjoy the music regardless!
Quite the opposite, that is quite well informed.

Hi-res material (> 44/16 redbook CD) may have a place in a well-set up, top end hifi with correctly placed speakers in an ideal acoustic environment. In a car? Pointless imho.

Bluetooth is excellent at what it’s designed for - wireless transmission of compressed MP3 over short distances and is probably ideal in a Porsche (which aren’t reknown for really good incar sounds anyway - I’ve an 03 C2 and sound quality is pretty dire. I’ve listened to the Bose system fitted to similar age C4S and a 996 turbo and it’s really not much better).

percy

Original Poster:

677 posts

297 months

Tuesday 14th May 2019
quotequote all
Thanks for the comments so far - all welcome. I don't like bluetooth for music anyway. My main query is whether I'd need to use the headphone/aux or the USB.
I currently have a shedload of MP3 files on a memory stick in the USB port, but the sound quality is starting to bug me (all low res 128 or 256 kbps if I remember correctly) I have recently stored most of my CDs as FLAC files on my NAS, so wanted to make use of them.

JonChalk

6,469 posts

138 months

Tuesday 14th May 2019
quotequote all
I have the Sony NWZ-15 (? I think), anyway the next one down.

If it's the same (i.e. with a proprietary Sony connector), there IS a cable you can buy (from Japan or the US, not sold officially in Europe as far as I could find), that will allow USB data / music connection, rather than just power.

Never bothered, as it was something like £45 or so.

legzr1

3,885 posts

167 months

Tuesday 14th May 2019
quotequote all
percy said:
Thanks for the comments so far - all welcome. I don't like bluetooth for music anyway. My main query is whether I'd need to use the headphone/aux or the USB.
I currently have a shedload of MP3 files on a memory stick in the USB port, but the sound quality is starting to bug me (all low res 128 or 256 kbps if I remember correctly) I have recently stored most of my CDs as FLAC files on my NAS, so wanted to make use of them.
It shouldn’t be that difficult to set up a batch conversion for your flac files to 320 kpbs - that should be perfectly adequate in the car. The vast majority can’t here a difference between 320 MP3 and CD anyway. Stick them all on a memory stick and use as you are.