Will be interesting...

Never had any problems with my portables etc (so voted no). But I have had problems with a friends portable Sony CD MP3 player.

edit

devices include:
iRiver IMP400
Alpine MP3 Car CD Player

I'm having problems with --alt-preset-standard in LAME 3.95.1 and 3.96 with the RioVolt SP-100 MP3/WMA CD-player, which I hear is a Rio-branded version of the iRiver IMP-100. I've flashed it to the current firmware, and still there are clipping problems. Oddly, no problems with VBR with the Philips Expanium MP3-only CD player (the first model out - don't remember the model number).

That's interesting. I used to have that exact same player (until it was stolen ), and never had any problems with it. But that was with LAME 3.90/3.92 MP3s. I don't know if that makes a difference.

My cheap MP3 player has problems with everything which is not CBR 128.

I suggest trying MP3Gain. Clipping errors might not be due to hardware failiure or defects but rather scaling in the files that should be adjusted no matter the version used for encoding.

My DVD player is a JVC XV-s302. It pukes on VBR in general or anything greater than 224 CBR.

Very garbled sound.

vbr isnt new and most hardware support it very well!
never had any problem with --aps/ape encoded files on any mp3 player (ipod, creative, iriver, pine, nexII...). however time is sometimes displayed poorly on some players which isnt an issue as long as file play fine.

Two cheap mp3 players (one Napa MP3-CD; one very cheap USB-MP3 key), and no problems with --preset standard (on the few files I've already tested with my USB player).

My Ipod and JVC car stereo play --preset standard files without any problems... Although there seems to be an issue with the Ipod (look here)... but I never noticed it.

My DVD player (some Magnavox), cheap Panasonic mp3-CD player, and my iRiver H120 all play VBR mp3s correctly. My DVD player of course shows the time all wrong but playback is still fine.