Wma Lossless Audio Compatability

[confitesprit]

I currently own a 2003 GS300, and am thinking about an upgrade to a 2006 or a 2007 GS350 with the Mark Levinson system. I have more than 100GB of music in wma lossless format, and would like it to be accessible via a personal audio device (probably a 3rd gen Zune once available, but am open to options). MP3 files just don't have enough sound in them for me. Do the newer audio systems in these cars accept wma lossless format? Are there limitations to the ML system that would keep me from having all my music (assuming a 160GB device) available? Anybody been down this road yet? Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Martin

[Gaugster]

I currently own a 2003 GS300, and am thinking about an upgrade to a 2006 or a 2007 GS350 with the Mark Levinson system. I have more than 100GB of music in wma lossless format, and would like it to be accessible via a personal audio device (probably a 3rd gen Zune once available, but am open to options). MP3 files just don't have enough sound in them for me. Do the newer audio systems in these cars accept wma lossless format? Are there limitations to the ML system that would keep me from having all my music (assuming a 160GB device) available? Anybody been down this road yet? Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Martin

That is an interesting question. I have verified that the IS250 ML system can play .MP3 and .WMA (lossy) when these files are burned onto a CD. You get the tracking information, song title etc... I don't use the Lossless codec so I can't help with that. The Lexus or ML websites don't seem to reference Lossy vs. Lossless.

The audio systems use an analog RCA input for any portable device. Therefore, audio compatibility is kind of a mute point. The digital to analog conversion is performed by the portable device (IPOD, ZUNE, Cell Phone etc...) and the vehicle just plays the analog signal. You might want to see what type of mounting kits are available for GS and buy a audio device that uses the kit. Some of the kits use the SAT radio input which allows for use of the vehicles controls etc...

I have a cell phone that I store music on when I travel. It is possible that track information can be communicated over the analog input but I do not know if our vehicles have this capability.

Regards,

[confitesprit]

Gaugster,

Thanks for the info. Wma lossy and lossless are actually pretty close I think, lossy is just a couple of steps down in file size. I'm going to take that this means the newer systems will probably play the larger file format, but if anybody has any further advice on that issue, it would be appreciated. I'm far from an expert on this stuff. What about maximum drive content (again >100GB)? Do you think that the meta tag file data for that much content on a handheld device will still come up on the Nav screen? I've seen some reference to maximum play lists sizes in other posts here, and don't know what the limiting factors may be (i.e., the handheld or the ML audio system or something entirely different).

The content I have currently represents about 500 CDs (and that's increasing, of course), and in lossless format this is just over 103GB (I've put in a separate 750GB internal harddrive on my pc, which is direct wired to my home stereo system for just this purpose). I guess it's my fantasy that all of that will be available and searchable (consectutive multi-disc or shuffle play by artist, genre, etc.), in the higher quality file format from a portable plug-in device. I also wouldn't think that I'm the first schmoe out there to wonder about this. There's gotta be at least some audiophiles out there that have either already figured out this is only a fantasy, or have been doing something similar for years. Anybody?

Again, thanks for the help.

Martin