Apple releases iTunes 11
- Thread starter Steve Williams
- Start date
Yep. People seem to expect to have to download and install drivers and plug-ins to get most mass market computer software to do anything specialized, but are somehow offended when Apple doesn't serve the tiniest slivers of niche markets with their (free) most mass market products. What's up with that?
The greatest service apple could do to fidelity would be lossless, he'll, even 320kbps, downloads.
Tim
First impressions: iTunes 11 is the overhaul you’ve been waiting for
http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2012...es-11-is-the-overhaul-youve-been-waiting-for/
http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2012...es-11-is-the-overhaul-youve-been-waiting-for/
Blockey, inelegant..the Grace note database/tagging is horrendous (try comparing it to XLD)...sounds horrendous without a premium
plugin/program like Pure Music.
McSoftware. Windows Media is no better, to be fair.
Audio quality wise they should be identical.
But ALAC is proprietary, and not supported universally.
FLAC is supported universally, and is open source.
90% of the lossless downloads available for sale are FLAC for this reason.
Also, FLAC tagging is superior.
Just read the Post link. I can't see how this is anything but good news for iTunes users. As it has bulked up over the years, I've taken to just using the list view. This is a welcome cleaning that will probably get me deeper into the program again. Of course if you are among those who believe in the audibility of digital music players, and further believe that iTunes doesn't "sound" good, it won't mean squat. Hobble a perfectly good PC, install some Linux-based player that's about as friendly as DOS, and have fun with that.
Tim
Tim
ALAC went open source last year:
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/27/apples-alac-codec-is-now-open-source/
and for CDs ripped to iTunes, I hear no difference between it and, say, using Amarra, with a good DAC. Main thing to me is having a program that automatically switches the sample/bit rate to match the file being played, which iTunes does not. You have to manually do this in the Midi preference pane. A pain. Logitech Server switches automatically (and feeds to Squeezeboxes) and integrates virtually any file type, FLAC included, into one master library that includes whatever you have in iTunes. It's a painless solution.
But yeah, I do wish they'd incorporate FLAC. However, more than any other system/brand, Apple stuff just works, and works like you expect it to. And part of that comes from not playing every format out there, audio and video. It's a tradeoff I'm fine with.
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/27/apples-alac-codec-is-now-open-source/
and for CDs ripped to iTunes, I hear no difference between it and, say, using Amarra, with a good DAC. Main thing to me is having a program that automatically switches the sample/bit rate to match the file being played, which iTunes does not. You have to manually do this in the Midi preference pane. A pain. Logitech Server switches automatically (and feeds to Squeezeboxes) and integrates virtually any file type, FLAC included, into one master library that includes whatever you have in iTunes. It's a painless solution.
But yeah, I do wish they'd incorporate FLAC. However, more than any other system/brand, Apple stuff just works, and works like you expect it to. And part of that comes from not playing every format out there, audio and video. It's a tradeoff I'm fine with.
BTW, Tim, just focusing on sound..I was in the Vienna Acoustics room at CES this year. The rep had a beautiful system set up
and his source was a Mac/Itunes/Pure Music. It sounded ravishing.
I asked him, totally out of curiosity, to disengage Pure Music.
The difference was absolutely mind blowing. He was playing a very well recorded violin piece.
With Pure Music, the violin and strings were sweet, seductive..all wood and resin.
With iTunes, it sounded harsh, grainy, absolutely horrible.
It literally emptied the room out.
SBT=Painless solution. Exactly right, and why it is my solution as well.
iTunes lacks the basics. period. Manual sample rate switching? Shoot me now, I might as well spin vinyl.
ALAC went open source, but so far very little has been done with it. Nobody trust Apple enough to invest anytime in it.
I'll bet the house they had the midi setting wrong if the difference was dramatic. Have done this comparison with many experienced people, and in the Ayre room one year at a show -- nobody could ID which was which.
Should add that I would love it if a $50 or $250 piece of software made a solid difference -- given the cost of my system, it would be a no brainer.
I agree Bob
I just haven't found the same with itunes but do agree that manually changing the midi settings is a PITA
I just haven't found the same with itunes but do agree that manually changing the midi settings is a PITA
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