What's the best music format?

So I noticed I seem to be able to just copy music onto the watch myself, no Spotify needed (first time with a music Fenix).

So what's the best audio format? My music is in Flac so I have to convert anyway (Garmin is sadly not accepting the Flac files).

So what's easiest on the CPU for decoding but gives the best possible sound quality. Is the lame mp3 encoder with eVBR still a thing?

0 GaryHawke over 5 years ago

Most of my recordings are flac between 24-44 and 24-192 - I use a Fiio and Astel and Kern dap. With the Fenix 5 plus, I have the same issue with the fenix 6. I had to convert or make Mp3 copies as bluetooth is only sbc and found that the best I could get was mp3 at 320, as although I could convert flac to wav the sbc could not out put the quality. What seem best to me was to go for sony's DSEE HX, which upscaled the mp3 to near high res.

0 DanZi over 5 years ago

I just copied mp3 (320 bitrate) on my Fenix 5 Plus. Have not yet tried it with the 6, but I never had an issue. Only using upbeat music and about a dozen tracks for running though...

0 KrapfenKringel over 5 years ago in reply to GaryHawke

Whats that DSEE HX? A special feature just in Sony Headphones? Well Sony needs to bring out decent earplugs with aptx (to listen to my flacs with the phone) and ANC and I'll buy them, so far they don't have that.

0 GaryHawke over 5 years ago in reply to KrapfenKringel

You do what you feel is best, I am just offering what I did to get as close to hi-res as possible, through the bluetooth on the fenix 6. Which is what I thought you were asking.

0 Former Member over 5 years ago

how are you copy files?

Wondering because i saw only to sync with iTunes Playlist.

Thanks

0 KrapfenKringel over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

The Express software on the PC offered that. Also just noticed Spotify works only with a premium account, so that option is out.

0 tickerguy over 5 years ago

Yeah that's very unfortunate -- most of my music is in FLAC, and I refuse to downconvert it just for this, since my phone will sync and run with it (along with the playlists referencing it.) Oh well.

If you insist LAME does a good job, and VBR works as far as I can tell.