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[Ziba]

Hi,

I'm looking at replacing my ipod classic. I've been tracking play counts since 2007 and I would love to keep doing so. I tried searching, but couldn't find out if there's an android-based device that will sync play count stats to and from Media Center? So far I've tried a FiiO M6 and HIDIZS AP80 to no avail. I'm also hoping to find a device with external storage capacity of 1tb+ (2 micro SD slots would be a huge plus). I'm currently using Windows 7 and 10 along with MC 26.

Thanks!

[RoderickGI]

I sync to my Sony Xperia XZ Premium phone running Android 9. When I connect it, there is a setting in Handheld Options to "Get plays stats from handheld on connect". That setting doesn't show if you are syncing to a HDD device, and I think the iPod Classic acted like a HDD, in that it connected as a drive. But I think it had some special coding in MC to get play statistics.

Anyway, when you connect the FiiO M6 or HIDIZS AP80, are you sure that the "Get plays stats from handheld on connect" is selected? I'm not sure, but I think it is off by default.

I'm afraid I can't suggest a device with 1TB of storage, internal or external. Well, not without changing SD cards. Phones are getting better and better at audio, even better with an external DAC. My phone has a 200Gb SDXC card in its one and only slot, but that serves my needs.

[Ziba]

Thanks for your response.

The "Get plays stats from handheld on connect" option does appear for the FiiO M6, but not the HIDIZS AP80. However, it doesn't work properly when checking this option with the FiiO M6. Seems like jriver syncs the play count stat onto the M6, but does not receive any play count stats back from the M6 to jriver. I'm thinking this may be due to the handheld not keeping track of play counts? In addition, the option doesn't function as expected. When I sync once and then resync again, the tracks show up as duplicates and need to be synced again. This keeps happening every time I resync and I don't know why. I haven't had this issue with my ipod classic. Syncing always worked as expected.

As for storage capacity, it's mostly a matter of preference. I'd simply like to avoid converting all my flac files to mp3's. I also have plenty of 24-192 flac files, which use up space very quickly. Actually, 1tb isn't quite enough to fit my whole library.

[RoderickGI]

I'm thinking this may be due to the handheld not keeping track of play counts?

That is the most likely problem. MC has to sync including play counts, in both directions, and the device must update the track file plays counts, for the whole process to work.

I don't get the duplicate issue, so don't know why that happens. A number of people have reported the issue though. MC must consider the files to be different I guess. Also if MC isn't set to remove files from the device but is set to resync if the date modified changes, then it may just keep adding new versions of the file each time the date modified on the file changes. I could imagine a scenario where MC tried to update Play Counts on all files during a resync, which then changes the files on the MC Server, and hence the Date Modified, and hence they get synced again. But confirming that would require investigation. If there are actually two physical copies of the file on the device, you could try copying them to your PC outside MC and comparing the two to see if there is any differences.

[Ziba]

That is the most likely problem. MC has to sync including play counts, in both directions, and the device must update the track file plays counts, for the whole process to work.

Is this the case for most android-based handhelds? Are there any known handhelds that do track play counts and thus allow MC to sync in both directions that you are aware of?

Regarding the duplicate issue, your explanation does make sense to me. I'll try to sync while only selecting the "Get play stats" option and leaving the other ones unchecked just to see. However, in my case, not being able to use the option to resync if date is modified would be another dealbreaker.

[Ziba]

When connecting the FiiO M6, the following handheld options are available:

- Auto-sync on connect
- Delete from handheld any files not in sync list
- Enable album artwork support if possible
- Get play stats from handheld on connect

("Resync if Date Modified has changed" option is missing)

If I don't check any options during the first sync, the files will sync as expected. Clicking "Recheck Sync" right after initial sync does not do anything, as expected.

Then, when selecting the "Get play stats" option only and then recheck the sync, I get duplicate files. However, these duplicates show up as the actual filename under the "name" tag column (eg, "01 Song.flac") instead of seeing the proper tags. Other tag columns are blank. I assume that even though these are duplicates, MC does not seem to think they are the same. Status of the actual tracks with tags that were previously synced is "In queue", while the duplicates Status shows as "On device". Finally, clicking on "Sync Now" will generate errors, which makes sense to me since the files have already been synced previously.

Not sure how or if this can be fixed.

[RoderickGI]

I'm not sure what the answer is either. Handheld Sync does seem to be a bit quirky on some devices.

I haven't synced to my phone for a while, and won't be doing it soon. But I'll have a look when I do, to see if I am getting the same issues.

Bump the thread in a while if I don't respond at some stage. Or perhaps someone else can contribute?

[Ziba]

Will do. Thanks for your input.

[Ziba]

Hi. Just wanted to check back in this thread to say that I ended up ditching the FiiO and kept the HIDIZS. I never managed to sync the play count at all though, and after several weeks I kind of regret letting go of my ipod because of this. I thought I'd eventually get used to it, but it just feels like I'm missing crucial information, what can I say! I might even fix it and start using it again solely because of this... If I knew of another device that could handle play count syncing and could hold 1tb+ of data I might give that a try instead.

[RoderickGI]

As this post popped up, I had a look at whether the Number Plays field gets updated in my Library when I play using the Sony Music App on my Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9 phone.

The bad news is that the Number Plays field isn't updated.

The worse news is that Handheld Sync with an Android device seems as broken as it ever has been. I'm seeing files being synced, and on rechecking sync they are going to be deleted and then resynced again, immediately after. I'm also seeing duplicates of files listed in the Details display now, usually because the [Filename] including extension has replaced the [Name] field, just as you reported. Even for an Android recording that MC shouldn't be looking at, let alone touching.

I have participated in multiple attempts to work through the issues to get Handheld Sync working properly for iOS and Android devices. I'm more than a little tired of doing that.

As the above problems exist it wasn't worth trying with some other App, such as JRiver for Android.

JRiver/Hendrik, want to have another go at getting handheld Sync working?

[Ziba]

I'm still looking for another handheld device to replace my ipod classic. I have my eye on Astell&Kern and I was wondering if anyone could confirm if it'll sync play counts with MC? Looking at the newer SR25 specifically. Thanks.

[JimH]

There are several threads here.

https://www.google.com/search?q=astell+jriver

[Ziba]

Thanks for the reply!

I'm wondering about the ability to sync play counts stats (or rather "number plays") from a SR25 back to MC specifically. Can this be done?

[RoderickGI]

MC has the ability to update play stats from a device that it syncs to. It is a setting for the Handheld device. But the larger issue is whether the device will read and update the [Number Plays] tag in the file so that MC has something to update to. Whether the A&K SR25, or any other A&K device, does that is something you will have to investigate for yourself. It isn't a JRiver issue. As you know, the play stats are updated for an iPod Classic, so the MC functionality works if the device supports it.

The same update play stats setting doesn't exist for hard drive locations that MC syncs to, and the [Number Plays] doesn't seem to be updated from the hard drive location back to the original files in MC. So if your device is treated as a hard drive location, Handheld Sync may not sync the play stats back to MC. I know that some A&K users have reported syncing only works when the A&K is seen as a hard drive location, just like a USB drive is, for example. Some A&K users report difficulty with using the Handheld Sync functionality. It seems that different models and firmware versions play a part in whether it works or not. However, my Sony Android phone does get recognised by MC as an Android device and not a hard drive location, even though it is also presented in Windows Explorer as a hard drive location.


So search the forum for threads about A&K devices and see if you can find out if they support Play Stats in a way MC can use. You may want to ask A&K, or check on their forums as well. But ideally, find someone who has an A&K SR25 and ask them.


As I said above, the Sony Music App on my phone doesn't update the [Number Plays] tag in the file so MC doesn't have an updated play stat to collect. However, when I externally forced the [Number Plays] tag in the file to be updated, the Handheld Sync still didn't get the updated [Number Plays] value. But the Handheld Sync errored on the sync for the file I tested, so it probably has other issues going on. Hence my comment about getting it working again, on Android.

Good luck.

[Ziba]

Thanks for the very detailed explanation, much appreciated. I now understand that it's not simply a matter MC "allowing" devices to transfer play stats, but it also depends on the device's ability to read/update those stats so that MC can use that updated information. I may reach out to A&K for their input on this, hoping they might have an answer for me. Cheers.