Having tried but failed to get Nero-AAC (LC!) to work in Sandisk players (but they play with Rockbox), I wondered about getting
the Sony Walkman 8Gb NWZ-A728.
Does anybody know if they Nero-encoded files will play?
I tried searches for a list of compatible players, but couldn't find one.
Surely such a list should be in a WIKI.

I am not sure about Sony's portable players. You could go for a less expensive player such as the Creative Zen or Creative Zen X-Fi as I know that they can play Nero AAC files. The newest Nero AAC encoder makes Zen compatible files without any issues but files encoded with older versions of Nero AAC need to be run through a compatibility program. All Zunes are compatible with Nero AAC files, even the older 30GB models. Al current iPods are also compatible with Nero AAC files and so are most older models (I have only heard of problems with 1G iPod shuffles).

Just a FYI - My PS3 and PSP can play Nero AAC files but my PS3 won't display the track tag information. My PSP will as it is compatible with Apple formatted AAC tags. I have noticed that almost all portable hardware players use Apple's tagging standards (tags that follow their standards, you don't need iTunes) when playing AAC files. I have a Zune, Zen, PSP, iPod, Xbox 360, and Kenwood car CD deck that all play Nero AAC files. They will display track tag information only when you use Apple's tagging standard (I believe that is the default that Nero AAC has been using for quite a bit of time). My PS3 is the only AAC compatible device that requires the use of the 3gp container along with some strange tags.

You can try Sony's player, I know that they work with iTunes AAC files.

Technically, your e200 will play AAC files if you install the "rhapsody" firmware (or of course rockbox). I don't think any other Sandisk player do AAC though.

I'm also thinking about getting a Sony, or possibly a Zen, so I certainly hope they can handle Nero AAC. The release notes for the new version sound encouraging (http://www.nero.com/eng/release-notes-nerodigital-nero-aac-codec.html):

Release Notes - Nero AAC Codec
Current Version: 1.3.3.0

Release Date: September 17, 2008
New Features:

* neroAacEnc:
- Improved multichannel encoding
- Solved compatibility issues with some hardware devices
- Improved CBR bitrate control
- Ignore wave file length of 0 on -ignorelength
- Solved issue with very long files and -2pass
- Removed special SSE compile, all optimizations have been merged with the normal compile
- Linux version speed optimized
- Encoder exits gracefully and writes valid MP4 file on ctrl+c
* neroAacDec:
- Fixed incorrect channel output for 7.1 encodings
* neroAacTag:
- Linux version available

Also, if you convert to Nero AAC using dBpoweramp, it writes Apple iTunes tags. Just a bit of extra info, no extra charge...!

I don't see the how the release notes are particularly encouraging, since the problem is that many players do not play AAC. Changes to any particular AAC encoder are not going to help with that.

Thanks to matt_t for info about Illustrate dbPoweramp writing Apple-format tags.
I just re-encoded a few files using it and transferred them to my original version Sandisk e280;
they still aren't recognized by Sandisk GUI. But, for the first time, I see tag info in Rockbox on
this same player.
I'm surprised nobody has experience with the player I'm interested in:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9447375
I was hopeful of Nero compatibility since my Walkman phone plays Nero-encoded HE-AAC,
and I think Sony's own software for encoding for their musicphones sends one to download
the Nero encoder.
FWIW, Rockbox hackers are making good progress on Sansa e2xx v2, Clip and Fuze models.
A Fuze upped with SDHC card to 16Gb total costs about the same as the Sony 8Gb.
But, I'm not so pleased with audio quality in the Sansa I now have.
And, I still think that the Nero AAC Wiki at Hydrogen audio should include
what hardware players are compatible with Nero-encoded AAC!

The problem with listing Nero AAC compatibility is that someone would have to go through and test each and every AAC player with LC-AAC files and HE-AAC files at various settings. It would just be too much work for Nero to go through and do all of that. Nero often relies on outside help when making sure that files are compatible with their hardware. Now it would be nice if someone were to go through and add a list of known compatible devices but I wouldn't expect Nero to do this work.

Maybe you can make a petition (or something along those lines) for everyone to list known Nero AAC compatible players here and then ask someone (or do it yourself) to update Nero's wiki page.

Well, they imply that Nero AAC will now play on more devices than before, so things are heading in the right direction.

Also, Nokia smartphones should be mentioned, especially the new "5800 Express Music" with a touchscreen.

The Fuze, Clip and other V2 players have as good or better quality (as measured via RMAA) as any other in production player I've seen tested.



If you feel so strongly, edit the wiki to include that information.




I don't think they imply that. Bug fixes just mean its less buggy. I doubt there were any players out there that didn't play at all before but do now. It probably just means certain files don't glitch or whatever.

I have a Sony A818, and nero encoded aac play fine.

[quote name='Mike Giacomelli' date='Nov 11 2008, 18:50' post='598758']
[quote name='ckjnigel' post='598608' date='Nov 11 2008, 01:21']
FWIW, Rockbox hackers are making good progress on Sansa e2xx v2, Clip and Fuze models.
A Fuze upped with SDHC card to 16Gb total costs about the same as the Sony 8Gb.
But, I'm not so pleased with audio quality in the Sansa I now have.
[/quote]

The Fuze, Clip and other V2 players have as good or better quality (as measured via RMAA) as any other in production player I've seen tested.

[quote name='ckjnigel' post='598608' date='Nov 11 2008, 01:21']

That matches what my ears tell me, having now bought the 8Gb Sansa Fuze. Helping tip me was that the October firmware update enables Ogg Vorbis; even fast-forward, -backward works well.
Yes, after all that, I decided not to pay up for the non-expandable Sony models. I saw in one Hong Kong specs listing that Sony doesn't support MP3s with sampling rates under 32khz; I have many NHK Japanese lessons at 24khz.
On line searches to help my buying decision were unhelpful because technical data about things like sample rates supported seem no longer to be disseminated. And reviewers seem to be fatuous, ignorant youths.
I did learn that the Zens aren't really expandable since what's on the card isn't integrated into the library.
I still think that (for my ripped language lesson CDs) Nero LC-AAC at VBR around 36kbps in mono with 32khz sampling is very good (terms-of-service edit because I made not-adequately-supported comparison).
But, my reading of the "New Ports" section in Rockbox forums suggests that I'll be able to play Nero LC-AAC on the Fuze by Christmas.
In truth, Sandisk themselves deserve thanks for adding abilities to such a low-priced player (8Gb + 8Gb sd-card about $115 US currently!) quite long after introduction.
As to Wiki-type supported player info, mightn't it be quite simple to put a "sticky" in "AAC-General" where owners of various players could say: "My XXX-123 plays Nero LC-AAC!"...?
Oh, [addendum] thanks also to you guys who responded here. I love Hydrogenaudio!

funman (who is up to this date the lead low-level developer of the "v2" Sansa models.) is going to have to stop work soon to get back to RL.
I share your optimism, but hope you didn't make Rockbox your deciding factor.

EDIT: I hope that doesn't come across as insulting to the other hard-working devs, let us just say funman has been a busy bee.