Max Number of Files

[namrehs]

Hey,

I was looking at the manual and it stated that the max # of files is 12,000! Now, this can't be correct can it for a 32gb player. I have a nice Sansa View - 8gb that has over 4,000 files on it. That means that a 32gb player should store 4x as many at least which is 16,000 files.

Would someone please let me know if there's a file number limit on the S9 asap - I just ordered one today and I can cancel and get something else if this is so. It looks like such a great player and would be perfect is if was expandable but I can't have a file number limit of 12,000.

Thanks!!!

[CrowdAds]

[namrehs]

OK - got an official response that the file amount limit is still in effect. This is really a fatal flaw. I have the smallest Sansa View (8gb) and that is filled with over 4,000 songs. A 32gb shouldn't have a file amount limit, or it should be sufficiently large so that it won't matter. Your files would have to be at a larger than average bitrate not to go over the limit if your player were filled.

Oh well - if only the Zune HD could be mounted as a hard drive - maybe I'll look into the Archos 5 IMT but that battery life isn't so great.

[RoloJam]

What bit rate are you using? That's something like 2MB a song. I looked at a few of my older 192kbps files. A 3 minute song is something around 4MB. I doubt you'd get the best sound at that bit rate. I'm thinking you're something like half.

My old files while ignoring system space would get me 8000 3 minute songs. So, 12,000 seem quite sufficient to me anyway. A lot of use use 320kbps or even flac which is double that size. That "12,000 files" isn't the constraining factor for those of use who use higher quality files.

[namrehs]

Originally Posted by RoloJam

What bit rate are you using? That's something like 2MB a song. I looked at a few of my older 192kbps files. A 3 minute song is something around 4MB. I doubt you'd get the best sound at that bit rate. I'm thinking you're something like half.

My old files while ignoring system space would get me 8000 3 minute songs. So, 12,000 seem quite sufficient to me anyway. A lot of use use 320kbps or even flac which is double that size. That "12,000 files" isn't the constraining factor for those of use who use higher quality files.

I'd say my average file size is more like 3 mb but I have a lot that are somewhat less. For example I have a lot of ska (pre reggae) and those songs usually ran right around 2 minutes and the bitrate is about 80-96kbps wma files (wma files are about half the bitrate of mp3 files, more or less).

The reggae folder in general is 7.3gb and has 3,763 files. You can see how this would add up. I have higher quality mp3/flac files but for the player I used (Sansa View) I just converted them to 80-128kbps wma files which is more than adequate with no artifacts. I'm not an audiophile but 80 and above is roughly equivalent to 160+ mp3 files which is perfectly adequate for a portable player. Hell, I can listen to a scratchy 78 record and enjoy it immensely.

Anyway, you can see how if you multiply this by 4 for a 32gb player that the files will easily exceed 12,000 and I looked at the guide again and the file limit is actually 8,000 for music files! Just checked the manual.

It seems the player is optimized for 128kbps files which works out to ~8000 for a 32gb player which in mp3 format is barely passable b/c you can hear artifact and tinniness. I know this is subjective but I've found that generally wma does offer the same quality at roughly half the bitrate. Check this out: Link

Besides, a player simply shouldn't have a file number limit. If you're into mono recordings made from 78's then even in mp3 format you're wasting space by encoding at anything higher than 80kbps mono which is a very tiny 40kbps wma file. It's a flaw regardless.

[ghandi2000]

i also hate file limits, even if they seem sufficient.

now i just browse by folders and ask myself if i'm also concerned by the file limit? or is it just the tag-based browsing by artist/album/title/genre?

i have just under 8000 files on my 32gb s9, but will upgrade the minute a 64gb successor comes out. when that one has also a 12000 limit i'll have a problem.

[namrehs]

Originally Posted by ghandi2000

i also hate file limits, even if they seem sufficient.

now i just browse by folders and ask myself if i'm also concerned by the file limit? or is it just the tag-based browsing by artist/album/title/genre?

i have just under 8000 files on my 32gb s9, but will upgrade the minute a 64gb successor comes out. when that one has also a 12000 limit i'll have a problem.

I don't know about the 64g but the 32g definitely has the 10,000 file limit (confirmed in an email reponse from cowon). I'd check the manual when the 64g comes out. I cancelled my order and got the archos 250 imt instead and I think it even has a file limit of ~32,000 (although that's only with tag browsing - file/folder browsing is unlimited)! That should be able to be fixed with a firmware upgrade but I'm OK for now b/c I only have ~15,000 files (96-128kbps wma's). I think the cowon has an 8,000 or 10,000 file limit regardless if it's tags or file browsing - they didn't give me an answer on whether it was 8 or 10 but it doesn't matter now. I'd duplicate a few albums and see if your player can recognize over 8,000 (curious). I think the manual said something like "10,000 limit of which 8,000 can be audio files" or something like that. Not good.

[ghandi2000]

thanks for the input, i think i'll investigate further.