iPod - mp3 or Apple Lossless

[admin_exported]

My music collection has been ripped into iTunes in mp3 256 format for the time when I had a Sony mp3 player. I have now bought an iPod Classic, so my music on there is also in mp3 256 format. Would it be worth re-ripping my collection in Apple Lossless format, sound quality-wise, and if I did, upon synchronisation of the iPod to iTunes, would the synch remove the mp3 version on the iPod and replace it with the AL version?

Thanks,

Terry

 

[Dan Turner]

Apple Lossless will be much better than 256kbps mp3, although that benefit is likely to much more clearly demonstrated on a hifi at home than it is on an ipod used with headphones. You would still be able to tell the difference, but it won't be so big. I'm used to listening to lossless or uncompressed files at home but am perfectly happy with 128kbps AAC files on my iPhone, which is enforced upon me due to the iPhone's capacity. Does your iPod have the space for your whole collection at lossless quality (Apple lossless files will take up about 3 times the space of 256kbps ones in my experience)?

If you're going to use the files for replay at home I'd say it's definitely worth it, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Why don't you re-rip one track or disc in lossless and compare?

If you sync the ipod to a new library it will overwrite the old contents with the new.

 

[Gozaradio]

As Dan says, you're less likely to hear enough of a difference between ALAC and AAC on your iPod to justify the amount of space the files take up. You would definitely hear the difference on a decent hi-fi at home.

If you listen to your library at home (or have plans to) and you have plenty of HDD space, I would rip music in as lossless, and then use the new-ish feature in iTunes to transcode tracks on the fly to AAC 128Kbps as you copy them to your iPod. If you decide that this isn't high enough quality, you can copy the lossless tracks across to your ipod.

It's always worth trying some sample rips with different formats on a few of your favourite tracks before you re-rip your whole collection though, your ears and kit may briung you to a different conclusion!