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The Radio 3 Boards > Collectors Resource > Audio and Hi-Fi Equipment > mp3 player capacity
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Author Topic: mp3 player capacity  (Read 325 times)
IgnorantRockFan
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« on: 22:30:25, 21-07-2008 »
Can somebody tell me how much music you can store per gigabyte? Manufacturers' specs quote number of songs, which is meaningless to me when a rock song can last anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes. Even more so when I'm thinking about classical music -- how many songs per symphony? Plus I have no idea what bitrate they assume you would use when they quote those figures.

Some practical, real-world guidance would be much appreciated. Thank you  Smiley
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #1 on: 22:41:44, 21-07-2008 »
It seems to even-out to around 1mb of space per minute of music, if you are using a reasonable quality of burn?
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #2 on: 22:49:51, 21-07-2008 »
So a 2GB device should be 2048 minutes... 34 hours? That's not my full CD collection by a long shot but it's quite a lot...

Hmmm.

Thanks, Reiner  Smiley
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perfect wagnerite
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« Reply #3 on: 22:59:48, 21-07-2008 »
Reiner is correct, assuming a bit-rate of 128kbps.

However, whether you want to use that rate depends on which format you use, how sensitive your ears are and how much music you want to cram on to your player.  An MP3 file at that bitrate would be of no more than moderate quality and might have compression artefacts (noise caused by compression - I find that choral music is particularly susceptible as, in opera, are certain singers (Alberto Remedios, for some reason  Huh).   I personally wouldn't use MP3 at less than 192kbps, which means that the files are in effect around 50% bigger, if you're using a fixed rate encoder; but it's a matter of the extent to which you pick up the loss of quality.  If you want to go down the iPod route*, Apple's AAC format is in IMO much better at 128kbps and this represents a reasonable compromise between quality and file size.

*which I would personally recommend, not least because it's the only way to get the gapless playback that I regard as essential for opera, although there are plenty of people here who shun iPods.
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #4 on: 23:14:25, 21-07-2008 »
Entirely agreed, PW - but to put that in context, the 128kbps rate I usually use is considerably higher than you'll get, for example on FM Radio Wink

Although I have a player with heaps of space (and the option to use 4Gb-SD cards for infinite expansion),  I somehow forget to carry it with me when needed.  As a backup I habitually wear a tiny Samsung player on an earphone-cord round my neck, under my shirt... so it's always there for when the Stewardess insists my handbag (with the larger player in it that I've forgotten to take out) has to go in the overhead locker, or when I have unexpected moments of hanging-around time Smiley   But space is at a premium on this tiny device Wink
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"I was, for several months, mutely in love with a coloratura soprano, who seemed to me to have wafted straight from Paradise to the stage of the Odessa Opera-House"
-  Leon Trotsky, "My Life"
Andy D
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« Reply #5 on: 23:54:35, 21-07-2008 »
I've done a quick bit of maffs based on some mp3s I've got on the PC and I reckon that this is a good approximation:

size in MB = 0.91 * T * R / 128

where T = time in mins, R = bitrate in Kbps

Hence the total time in hours per GB is

128 * (1000 or 1024) / (0.91 * 60 * R)

depending on how whether a GB is 1000MB or 1024MB.
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #6 on: 08:44:52, 22-07-2008 »
Quote from: perfect wagnerite on 22:59:48, 21-07-2008
If you want to go down the iPod route*,

I don't really want to. I'm looking at devices which include an FM radio, and that doesn't seem to be included on any iPods.

I'm also wary of being tied to the iTunes software, though I'm not exactly sure of the restrictions. I'm reluctant to install unknown software -- which may limit what I can listen to -- when the functionality I need is already built into Windows.
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thompson1780
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« Reply #7 on: 08:54:05, 22-07-2008 »
IRF,

In case you missed my previous warnings, please avoid the Iriver H10.  It has an FM radio, and 5Gb, but the software to convert CDs to .wav files and then put them on the player is rubbish.  I have been chasing for 3 months now for a reply from the Iriver "support" team about a problem with my player.  It's just about as useless and frustrating as you can get.

Tommo
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #8 on: 09:14:11, 22-07-2008 »
Noted, Tommo.

I'm currently looking at a Samsung:

http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=homeentertainment&type=mp3digitalaudio&subtype=yp_k3&model_cd=YP-K3JQB/XEU

which has the features I want and seems to have pretty good reviews.

I'm just wavering over a 2 or 4 GB version. I don't want to spend tons of money, but I don't want to buy the 2GB version (still a lot of money Sad ) and regret it later.
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...trj...
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« Reply #9 on: 10:25:51, 22-07-2008 »
If you can reasonably afford it, IRF, always buy the bigger size - you'll never regret it (but you might regret only running out of space on the smaller size). That would be my general advice for all harddrive purchases.

You'll be amazed how quickly 2GB gets used up - I have 30 on my mp3 and it hardly seems enough  Sad
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #10 on: 11:13:48, 22-07-2008 »
That's why I always liked my minidisc player -- capacity wasn't an issue, I just had to choose which discs to put in my bag that day.

Now my minidisc has developed a fault and I need a replacement, and I feel I ought to abandon what has essentially become a dead-end technology Sad

I've been using my minidisc less and less over recent months, anyway, mainly due to becoming concerned about my hearing. Hence not wating to spend a huge amount on the replacement.

2GB (about 25 hours by Andy's helpful calculations -- coincidentally the same as the battery life of the unit I'm looking at!) should be more than I ever need at any one time. My thinking is that, at USB transfer speeds, I can quite easily copy new items in off my computer's hard drive when I feel the need for a change. Or is that a silly idea?
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #11 on: 11:31:47, 22-07-2008 »
I'm not a big fan of mp3's, as I'm sure you know by now, though I have a cheap 2GB player which is for long journeys and holiday use. If it gets lost or stolen, it's no great problem, and I can change what's on it at will. It has about three operas and ten symphonies on it, and seven eight of my favourite rock/folk/other albums: my portable MiniDisc machine sounds better, but I'd rather not lose that, and there's a question of space, too, since a few discs are needed for variety.
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Bryn
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« Reply #12 on: 11:33:56, 22-07-2008 »
Why not try one of these. They are very basic in terms of display and navigation, but the sound is remarkably good and despite what the original specification I was quoted claimed for it they can handle up to 2GB SD cards (I was quoted 512MB). At the price you can't go too far wrong, though I would forget about the earphones they provide.
« Last Edit: 13:03:23, 22-07-2008 by Bryn » Logged
IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #13 on: 11:41:49, 22-07-2008 »
£7.99  Shocked

Doesn't have a built-in radio though. A few years ago (when I got my minidisc) that wouldn't have mattered, but these days I would like the option of R3 listening sometimes.

That's awfully cheap, though...  Undecided
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Andy D
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« Reply #14 on: 12:15:36, 22-07-2008 »
Quote from: IgnorantRockFan on 11:13:48, 22-07-2008
That's why I always liked my minidisc player -- capacity wasn't an issue, I just had to choose which discs to put in my bag that day.
Exactly, I have an MD box which holds 10 which I take travelling with me. At Hi-SP, that's c23hours on old 80mins discs or c80hours on 1GB discs. But I use Hi-LP for making copies of my own CDs which are more than good enough to listen to on a noisy bus or train - 34hours on a 1GB disc.

Quote from: IgnorantRockFan on 11:13:48, 22-07-2008
Now my minidisc has developed a fault and I need a replacement, and I feel I ought to abandon what has essentially become a dead-end technology Sad

I know MDs are on the way out Sad but I've committed myself to them for some time, at least, by buying two MZ-RH1's - they're not cheap at £200+ each and they're not really designed to use like an iplayer, I use an older machine (MZ-NH1) for travelling. The MZ-RH1 will play back mp3s, though you can only updownload them, it won't record in that format. But I can well understand why now is probably the right time to abandon MD IRF.
« Last Edit: 13:17:00, 22-07-2008 by Andy D » Logged
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