Does the Apple Shuffle support Apple Lossless?

[Willaim]

I was about to order a Shuffle but after reading the specs I'm not sure. It does not say it supports Apple lossless. Most of my music is in Apple lossless so it is a must that the Shuffle can play it. Surly any Apple player would support Apple lossless. What I'm I missing here? :confused:

Audio specs
MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store, M4A, M4B, M4P), Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4) and WAV

[canyonblue737]

It does not directly support Lossless or AIFF. However it will automatically convert your Lossless files to 128 kbps AAC files when you sync, without altering or adding to your iTunes library which is slick, it is all done for you behind the scenes during the sync itself.

[FallN]

NO! The iPod Shuffle DOES NOT support Apple Lossless or AIFF. You're going to need to do some converting and God help you if you have a HUGE Lossless/AIFF library. :(

[Willaim]

This makes NO sense whatsoever. Apple does not support Apple. Even Microsoft fully supports Microsoft. How can Apple release a product that is not fully supported by their own proprietary format? :confused:

[Boilerblues]

The new version of iTunes will automatically convert your lossless format to the aac format, so you don't have to convert your whole library.

If you loaded your shuffle with lossless files you'd get 2 CD's on it. I'm guessing Apple didn't see the point of taking the time to enable it to do something they figured that most people would want to do.

[biozombie]

Well, but AIFF is raw uncompressed audio, and seconldy Apple Lossless is the compressec to what near half of AIFF? Lucky to get 5 songs on the GIG and one and a half on the 512MB, The Shuffle wasn't designed for AIFF or Lossless. It's designed for AAC or MP3.

[TommyMagic]

What about if I have 320 AAC but on my shuffle want 128 AAC for space (seeing as it would limited use, I dont mind the loss of quality!)

Will it convert that? Is it an option or just something for Lossless?!

[Willaim]

Originally posted by biozombie
Well, but AIFF is raw uncompressed audio, and seconldy Apple Lossless is the compressec to what near half of AIFF? Lucky to get 5 songs on the GIG and one and a half on the 512MB, The Shuffle wasn't designed for AIFF or Lossless. It's designed for AAC or MP3.
Not sure where you get you figures (or how long your songs are) but... The 1 GB model would give about 2.5 hours of Apple lossless playback. This more than enough for what I want it for (running). I use my 20 GB model for longer playback times. I don't want it converted to ACC but played back in native Apple lossless format.

[-James]

No it doesn't. This makes sense because of the small capacity of the iPod shuffle, namely you'd only be able to get a pathetically small number of songs on one if you were using that audio type.

[Willaim]

No it does not make sense because the "pathetically small number of songs" of about 2.5 hours is more than I need it for. Let ME decide (not Apple) if Apple lossless 2.5 hours is adequate for my needs or let ME choose not to use it.

The option should be there for the user to decide what is best for their situation. Plus not supporting Apple's own new codec is like saying "we're not sure after releasing it if it's worth supporting"

[-James]

Originally posted by Willaim
No it does not make sense because the "pathetically small number of songs" of about 2.5 hours is more than I need it for. Let ME decide (not Apple) if Apple lossless 2.5 hours is adequate for my needs or let ME choose not to use it.

The option should be there for the user to decide what is best for their situation. Plus not supporting Apple's own new codec is like saying "we're not sure after releasing it if it's worth supporting"

Ok tough, coz it ain't there. Maybe Apple should have given people the choice, but personally i think most people are intelligent and wise enough that they will accept losing some quality in order to be able to get more songs on their iPod shuffle, and therefore take full advantage of what space it does have.

[-James]

Originally posted by TommyMagic
What about if I have 320 AAC but on my shuffle want 128 AAC for space (seeing as it would limited use, I dont mind the loss of quality!)

Will it convert that? Is it an option or just something for Lossless?!

Yes it will convert that as well. I read somewhere that it gives you the option "Convert to 128kbps AAC for this iPod", or something like that, when you try to put larger bitrate songs onto it.