Audiophile music player for Windows/Mac and your opinion...

[PaperBoat]

Primarily MusicBee and sometimes PlexAmp for me.

I find the UI for Foobar2000 very clunky, I couldn't get it to look the way I want and gave up with it (I'm not saying it's not possible, it just didn't work for me).

JRiver doesn't seem much better and I already use Plex for all my other media, so I don't want to pay for something else with such an overlap of features.

Roon looks lovely, but I really can't justify the cost of it to myself.

Foobar interface is doubtlessly obsolete...

 

[Kegemusha]

You mean "Groove"?

Yes

 

[AudioBoy]

Foobar interface is doubtlessly obsolete...

That's why I use DarkOne

 

[sarumbear]

The best audiophile music player for Windows/ Mac as per your choice and why do you like it?

What will it classify as audiophile?

 

[Open Mind Audio]

Since value was not part of the question, I am 9 million percent for Roon on this one. I love surfing their extended liner notes while listening, and between the radio function (which plumbs the depths of my digital library) and their recommendation engine, I constantly find new songs and artists.

JRiver has a cleaner route for multi-channel, so I will sometimes flip to it for MCH downloads. But everything about using JRiver, foobar, and the many others I've tried always drives home how much more FUN it is to use Roon.

Add in Qobuz integration, which vastly expands the albums and versions and artists available for surfing, and it's not even remotely close. Plus, Roon has good digital room correction built in.

As to value, well, then things get interesting .... but if money is not a question, Roon all day every day.

 

[Count Arthur]

That's why I use DarkOne

I like the counter/meter; reminds me of a tape deck I had some years ago:

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Long time user of JRiver.

Positives for me:

• As someone that had a large collection of CDs I like that it can rip and catalogue CDs, find artwork, etc. and store as uncompressed WAV files.
• Easy to import files and include them in the library along with the ripped CDs.
• Bit perfect playback.
• DSP features.
• Not a subscription model - Frequent updates are released, but for audio only, it's not necessary to upgrade to the latest version at every release. I think the current versions is 30.0, I'm still using 27.0.

Everything Count Arthur said, plus JRiver is a host both for VST plugins and convolution files. JRiver FTW.

 

[PaperBoat]

That's why I use DarkOne

Compatible with 64-bit F2k?

 

[PaperBoat]

What will it classify as audiophile?

Because "audiophile" isn't just a theoretical term... It has its impact in real life and not all music players are eligible for the "audiophile" badge...

 

[PaperBoat]

Since value was not part of the question, I am 9 million percent for Roon on this one. I love surfing their extended liner notes while listening, and between the radio function (which plumbs the depths of my digital library) and their recommendation engine, I constantly find new songs and artists.

JRiver has a cleaner route for multi-channel, so I will sometimes flip to it for MCH downloads. But everything about using JRiver, foobar, and the many others I've tried always drives home how much more FUN it is to use Roon.

Add in Qobuz integration, which vastly expands the albums and versions and artists available for surfing, and it's not even remotely close. Plus, Roon has good digital room correction built in.

As to value, well, then things get interesting .... but if money is not a question, Roon all day every day.

Roon deserves your money because it has its unbeatable pretty interface but I don't think Roon is a mandatory tool for every audiophile out there...

 

[Zaireeka]

Long time foobar2000 user, I switched to MusicBee because I didn't need that much options but only a better UI.

 

[PaperBoat]

Everything Count Arthur said, plus JRiver is a host both for VST plugins and convolution files. JRiver FTW.

I found JRiver has its "sound signature" even in bit-perfect mode..!

 

[Berwhale]

That's why I use DarkOne

Holy skeuomorphism Batman!

 

[Count Arthur]

I found JRiver has its "sound signature" even in bit-perfect mode..!

I think you might struggle to convince many members on ASR of that. Unless they're glitchy, the OS is intefering, or some EQ is applied, if the player is providing the same data to the USB port, there isn't really a mechanism for a "sound signature".

 

[AudioBoy]

Compatible with 64-bit F2k?

sure

 

[Leejb1970]

Roon for me. It is pricey but it brings everything together nicely.

 

[sarumbear]

Because "audiophile" isn't just a theoretical term... It has its impact in real life and not all music players are eligible for the "audiophile" badge...

I’m none the wiser. What sort of impact do you mean? For instance why wouldn’t iTunes be an audiophile player as it’s not on your list or Plex, or mobile apps, etc.?

 

[threni]

What will it classify as audiophile?

Expensive, ugly and poor performance.

 

[PaperBoat]

I think you might struggle to convince many members on ASR of that. Unless they're glitchy, the OS is intefering, or some EQ is applied, if the player is providing the same data to the USB port, there isn't really a mechanism for a "sound signature".

I'm not trying to convince anyone at all... I'm just telling that what I've realised.

 

[PaperBoat]

sure

Where is the link?