Re: FLAC handling - a few questions
 

Just RMAA'd on a fairly casual basis - a 32-ohm load in the audio chain (iPod earphones), N900 set to full volume, iPhone 4G matched to that volume.

It does NOT look pretty - the iPhone blows away the N900, especially for distortion as I suspected. In other respects (dynamic range) it's barely better, but the fact is everything is better.

I think this pretty much ends the N900's viability for me, audio-wise, for anything but podcasts and streaming comedy shows in QSpot in the bath.

EDIT - A curveball update: It appears that however the N900 configures itself when a headSET is plugged in, the audio behaviour ends up being better than if the phone component of the headSET (if it were possible - I'm using a jack-converted WH-205) were to be plugged into the N900's socket.
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...290#post915290.

Re: FLAC handling - a few questions
 

Really weird thing you discovered. And the normal three pole 3.5mm plug you used is mechanically and electrically OK (there may be several gnd contacts inside)? Likely is since it sounds you know what you are doing...

Re: FLAC handling - a few questions
 

Yeah it is isn't it - you'd logically expect a measurement directly from the headphone socket to be better.

However, the N900 has separate volume modes for headPHONE and headSET, and my suspicion is still with the firmware: It appears that somewhere along the line gain is being hiked up too much, introducing distortion into the mix - and perhaps it's being done less in headSET mode.

Would be good if someone could find a way to solve it via alsamixer...?