iPad RP app, ALAC quality, Airplay into Airport Express that is digitally connected to my RME ADI2 DAC.  The DAC has it's own parametric equaliser or you can just adjust the bass and treble if that's your thing.  It also has adaptive loudness control, very cool feature later in the evenings.

Foobar2000 - that's the only one I found that supports true Wasapi exclusive mode and unlimited band parametric EQ DSP at the same time (both via plugins - Wasapi, EasyQ).
Of course I'm aware that these words make no sense to most of the people but if someone comes here to find a good match with an external DAC and/or want to apply a very specific EQ setting (like happen to own headphones that have an EQ preset optimized for the Harmann target curve) than this might be helpful.

For other Foobar2000 users: I wrote an app that will display Windows desktop notifications of the song information that's currently playing in RP and it supports Foobar2000 as well (along with the official RP players). Info: on the forum or github.


 westslope wrote:
 

MusicBee

It replaced foobar.

 kurtster wrote:
 
Yeah the hijacking thing is horrible but I solved that by never logging into iTunes webpage

I'm still using foobar when I am not playing files with SoundForge 8.0.  But then I'm just playing my wav file rips and they do not have any meta data capability.

My computer is hardwired to my receiver via toslink optical through the wall from the studio to the living room which is on the other side of the wall.

And I will not let iTunes or anything Apple anywhere near my music because it will hijack the music and replace it with its own versions.

Ok, this topic is a bit old but what are people using on their computers? I've been using iTunes but apparently they aren't supporting new PCs or something.

So the reasons I like iTunes more that other players I've found are:

• Can specify sort order for artist name to sort by last name
• Sorts ignore "The" at the beginning of names
• Can turn off the playing of individual tracks in genres/playlistst/albums etc. I want to keep the whole CD but I don't want to hear that lame track most of the time
• Integrates well with Sonos

One thing I don't like is that it doesn't store ratings in the file metadata which is a pain when your computer crashes or when you want to use some other player. I don't like their messing with my library versions or album art but I can deal with that.

So anything working for you?

 DaveInVA wrote: 
I've been using Foobar now since December when you recommended it in another thread.  Its been great. (XP PC).  Play wav files, mp3, flac.  Does a great job.  Listen to RP and Pearadio on it.  I'll add more urls over time, but its my work horse now.  spdif out of puter to receiver, pure digital all the way. 

I like to click on my default I Tunes 192.
Then click on the HD Slideshow Player.
I then get a real cool Reverb effect by the slight delay between the two.

Kinda like Neko Case Radio.

J River Media Center

Customer testimonials

VLC has been working for me quite well

recommend it highly

I so rarely play music directly thru my computer anymore I just use the Windows Media player that came with my computer last year.  Not even sure which version it is (using Win 7).

Previously I used Winamp and always found it very acceptable.

 kurtster wrote:

 sirdroseph wrote: 
I'm still using Winamp 2.81 on all my puters for mp3s and streaming RP and as much Internet as possible.  Uses no resouces, barely notice its presence while on.  I have the program saved in about 10 different places, just incase and there have been a few just in cases ...  Used to use Music Match jukebox back in the day.  Liked it a lot actually, had a very nice volume level equalizing feature.  Still have it around somewhere.

Media player 10 for playing wav files.  Going to have to go to 11 soon.  My new receiver has ethernet and when I get around to figuring it out, I can play files directly through to the receiver (requires Media Player 11 or another DLNA compatible server), bypassing everything and using the receiver's D/A converter.  The receiver also does Internet Radio, but again, I have to figure that out as well.

Learning how to use all of this will be how I start to spend the winter indoors.

 nickt1 wrote: 
I wholeheartedly 2nd Foobar and have been using it for years now. I even use it on my Mac using the Wine emulator. I just wish they'd release a Mac native version of it.

I have done back to back listening of several players (win media,itunes,winamp,media monkey,jetaudio and foobar) and found Foobar to sound the best by far.
It is a minimalistic music specific program and doesnt use to much system resources.
The 192 ogg vorbis stream on RP sounds fantastic though my HRTmusic streamer II.
To get ogg to play on foobar you need to go to the foobar site and download the plugin.
Thanks RP for the best station ever.

I use VLC for most stuff but for playing my CD collection that is now in .FLAC format I use Songbird...I prefer Foobar to play them on the PeeCee though...

 hippiechick wrote: 
I don't know about their Jukebox software, but Media Center is strictly a Windows app. I'd presume the JB is, too.

 escapes wrote: 
Would this have any benefit of itunes on the Mac?

 escapes wrote: 
I second that. The only caveat is that Media Center can do SO much, but the interface can be a bit daunting.

For a quick 'n' dirty approach, I like the open source VLC media player. I haven't tried J. River's Media Jukebox.