The best media player

iTunes (8 is downloading as I type). Put simply, I see no reason to use anything else.

I currently use Winamp 5.4 with the kernel streaming plugin. Was using the asio plugin but the kernal streaming one gives better gapless playback.

I use Itunes 8 as it's still the easiest for podcasts. Still rubbish for anything else - on windows xp anyway (I know it works seamlessly on a mac)- no way of overriding kmixer. At least Apple finally got round to adding a 'play album' function which stops playing when the album finishes.

Plus realplayer for BBC radio and it's nifty video download function and WMP 11 for BBC iplayer!

Have tried others: media monkey, foobar and J River Media Juke Box but always went back to winamp.

JohnDuncan:

iTunes (8 is downloading as I type). Put simply, I see no reason to use anything else.

 

I also use iTunes and for the same reason... Also, since I use a Squeezebox (which pulls from my iTunes playlists) I see no reason at all to consider changing to something else....  A long time ago in a galaxy far... ummm... anyway, I used to use Windows Media, Winamp, RealPlayer etc... but now I don't experiment.....

I have to say that while there is clearly a difference in functionality, I've not noticed any difference in audio playback quality. Not sure if I'm surprised by this or not.

The codecs they're using underneath are the same I suppose eg for me that's flac. Still would have thought that they'd have been processing differences along the way somewhere.....resulting in different audio quality.

I have heard, though not personally, that iTunes is less that optimal. Is this just Apple bashing or is there some true in it?

winamp. its more flac friendly than wmp. there are still a couple things that irritate, but thats probly as im nu to it and am concentrating on ripping albums for ages now so im not really paying attention to the other stuff.

i do, i must admit, get hung up on playlists and folder arrangement (the "other stuff", along with really getting to know winamp, that i refered to above). I mean, i do set stuff to play randomly, but i like to know roughly whats coming - im seldom in the mood to listen to anthrax followed by elton john, for example.

PJPro:

I have to say that while there is clearly a difference in functionality, I've not noticed any difference in audio playback quality. Not sure if I'm surprised by this or not.

The codecs they're using underneath are the same I suppose eg for me that's flac. Still would have thought that they'd have been processing differences along the way somewhere.....resulting in different audio quality.

I have heard, though not personally, that iTunes is less that optimal. Is this just Apple bashing or is there some true in it?

Ah! Thats the bit i forgot to mention! Tho many will think im as mad as the proverbial barncake (thats the one, innit?), i do think winamp sounds more forward and bright than wmp. i persuaded myself this was not true and went backk to wmp, but then i changed again and i really do think theres a difference. Tho i could not, repeat - COULD NOT - ABX it, i dont think. its free tho, and it makes me feel better.

There are also some on other sites who would say different software can give an audible difference. Tho they may just be crazies like me.

PJPro:

I have heard, though not personally, that iTunes is less that optimal. Is this just Apple bashing or is there some true in it?

I don't know, I use Gotham cables.

I'm not an expert but I would assume that the decoder used for file playback in the varying software would have a slightly different sound. The nullsoft decoders in winamp are supposed to be pretty good as are the ones in Foobar 2000.

From my experience I couldn't tell the difference between WMP and Itunes but noticed a big jump in quality when I over-rided XP's Kmixer in Winamp using the asio plugin - asio4all setup or the kernel streaming plugin - both sound the same to me. Hopefully the next jump will come when my £30 ebay DAC DIY kit gets here from Hong Kong!

al7478:

[snip]....i must admit, get hung up on playlists and folder arrangement....[snip]

Hhhhmmm. Folder arrangement. That sounds like a good thread!

PJPro:

al7478:

[snip]....i must admit, get hung up on playlists and folder arrangement....[snip]

Hhhhmmm. Folder arrangement. That sounds like a good thread!

Yeah, im full of it, me.

russ74:

...noticed a big jump in quality when I over-rided XP's Kmixer in Winamp using the asio plugin...

really must get someone to walk me through that some time.

The only well organized folders on my PC are the music ones to the point of me being anal about it - renaming folders, adding sub folders for albums and re-editing the ID3 tags. Then again at least I know where they all are and should import into any software without hassle including album art.

JohnDuncan:

I don't know, I use Gotham cables.

Don't doubt your own ears.

Perhaps I'll start a thread on folder arrangement and we can compare notes ; - )

al7478:

russ74:

...noticed a big jump in quality when I over-rided XP's Kmixer in Winamp using the asio plugin...

really must get someone to walk me through that some time.

Your soundcard supports asio so it shouldn't be to difficult:

There are 2 aio plugins for winamp, one is available in the plugins section on the winamp website and the other is available here

Save the dll and copy and paste it into the winamp plugins subfolder in the main winamp installed folder (usually Crogram files/winamp/winamp plugins).

Open winamp, go to options - preferences - plugins / output and click on the asio one. It should list your soundcard under device. Leave the settings as they are but change sample rate to 44100 (or 96000 if you've got some modern 24bit mp3's). If it is working the volume control in winamp will not work but the main windows one will.

Good luck I hope it works.

Also make sure you installed the asio drivers that came with the m-audio soundcard. I assume you have but thought I'd better mention it!