Wav files are complicated. I’m not sure I understand all the finer details but basically wav is a container for data that can be encoded by different codecs including both lossless codecs and lossy codecs. Most commonly when you rip music into lossless wav, the LPCM codec is used and I think most music wav files are in that format. However wav does also support compressed audio so just because a file is a wav file doesn't necessarily mean it is lossless. It depends on how the data inside was encoded.
My ripped lossless wav files play at a rate of 1411 kbs. The player I had supported a maximum of 320kbs – so on direct transfer of the file – at best it just wouldn’t play and at worst the device hangs on building the file list. If I sync using Windows Media Player (WMP), wav files get converted and will play at 320kbs. However, the conversion process involves dropping data (if necessary) to get a file in a format playable by the device. I don’t think the converted lossless file is truly lossless anymore. WMP also converts wma lossless when syncing which then also play at 320kbs. I have been transferring files to my cell phone using file manager to avoid this conversion process, but I just figured out that one can turn off conversion during syncing in WMP (at least for some devices) and have managed to sync a wma lossless file without it being converted.
I know the 4th generation ipods support lossless music playing. But I don’t know enough about ipods or itunes to know how they handle syncing and whether they do anything to lossless wav files in the process. You can compare synced file sizes and bit rates to see if they are lower than the original file – to get a sense if the files have been changed. If they automatically convert files – perhaps there is a way of turning that off.
