Foobar or JRiver

[BillG]

Better than both huh?

Well, that tends to be rather subjective to a certain extent, as everyone has different wants and needs...

For my particular usage case, when sitting at my desktop for hours per day, it was the best option for me. It's attractive; user-friendly; highly configurable; taps into Last.fm for biographies, discographies, and recommendations based upon the contents of my library; taps into an upcoming concert database; has numerous attractive skins; supports an old Winamp DSP plug-in I enjoy using; supports streaming with DLNA and AirPlay plug-ins - I've tested the DLNA one a few times, but it's no longer maintained, and has a CPU usage bug, even though it's still functional. So, I wouldn't recommend it for streaming, although I've not tested the AirPlay plug-in, which is currently maintained and might offer a better experience.

When I'm streaming my music library at home to Chromecast Audio/DLNA, or even remotely to my phone if I choose, I use the following currently:

https://emby.media/

That's MusicBee above via Remote Desktop from my Windows computer to my Android tablet - I'm busy away from the machine at moment.

Emby (client) on my Android tablet - I'm streaming to Chromecast Audio at the moment.

 

[Bald1]

Foobar tweaked to suit me Been using it for years.

 

[g29]

JRiver, used it for many years all the way back when Windoze would trash large capacity disks without the OS patch and CD rips on Windoze were problematic.

Like its WMD so all PC audio streams can be routed through its DSP, convolver settings and max volume protection.

Don't use any of its other video, image, multi-media features, just music. Not interested in image carousels while listening to music on a headless system.

File/folder organization was never a problem. I rip all of my music with dBpoweramp because of their CRC database and batch converters and then just import them into JRiver. The CRC database has detected many problematic rips that are usually fixed with a good disc clean/polish. It has even found some faulty discs resulting from manufacturing problems.

Their 64-bit version is noticeably quicker on slower 64-bit hardware. I have tried other players (including foobar, XBMC, now Kodi, etc.), but always went back to JRiver. It plays all of the formats and bitrates that I use and is very stable.

 

[Ron Party]

I would like to use Roon, but my experience is that it is quite cumbersome for large collections of music and has no tree view.

 

[v.koutensky]

+1 to Jriver. I use Android + Volumio renderer as primary, but I listen a lot in work on Jriver.

I respect foobar, but I quite like Jriver's music library and overall UI.
Not sure when exactly they implemented "Audio Mode", but I like it, as it simply turns off unnecessary parts of the UI.

 

[nightfishing]

Used foobar for a very long time (still do for abx and tagging etc) but it failed to keep up with the times.

Roon has reawakened my love of music.

 

[Majestyk]

Foobar with Darkone V4

 

[daftcombo]

Long happy foobar user here. It plays whatever bit rate I throw at it without resampling and without any manual switching (my dac reports sample rate).

If one wants to use the Convolver plugin (for speaker correction, phase correction, room correction), one has to choose a bitrate and stick to it because the impulse in Convolver and the song have to share the same bitrate. Only solution when you throw other bitrates is to resample with SoX or other before Convolver.

 

[daftcombo]

Why not try Foobar before paying anything anyway?
Been using it for 15+ years, it is a classic.

I disable all fancy functions and just drop my files in the window.
The "playback follows cursor" way is super convenient.

 

[La!$]

Why not try Foobar before paying anything anyway?
Been using it for 15+ years, it is a classic.

I disable all fancy functions and just drop my files in the window.
The "playback follows cursor" way is super convenient.

Any tutorials? I need some help setting up.

 

[graz_lag]

Any tutorials? I need some help setting up.

 

[La!$]

Thanks friend. But I need help with the UI and the layout mostly.

 

[vavan]

allows to organize by folders

not sure what exactly does that mean but jriver has no problems working with folders

 

[KSTR]

I would like to use Roon, but my experience is that it is quite cumbersome for large collections of music and has no tree view.

Any software that doesn't support folder structures is as broken by design as is a filterless NOS dac ;-)
My feeling is the younger generation has completely lost the connection to hierarchical structures because most software (or "apps") in almost any field doesn't support it anymore (at least not in the default settings). Everthing is flat now. And from there you start to pick items by searching using masks etc, rather than organizing things right from the beginning.

I've tried many different player SW and always return to bare-bone foobar, one of the main reasons is it can be configured to almost zero mouse usage.

 

[Sal1950]

Strawberry
Not having any fancy tagging needs, I prefer a Linux player that allows for simple bit perfect configuration.
It was forked off Clementine in 2018 when that development team told us they "were not interested in audiophile things" when a 2014 update removed it's bit perfect config tools.

 

[daftcombo]

Any software that doesn't support folder structures is as broken by design as is a filterless NOS dac ;-)
My feeling is the younger generation has completely lost the connection to hierarchical structures because most software (or "apps") in almost any field doesn't support it anymore (at least not in the default settings). Everthing is flat now. And from there you start to pick items by searching using masks etc, rather than organizing things right from the beginning.

I've tried many different player SW and always return to bare-bone foobar, one of the main reasons is it can be configured to almost zero mouse usage.

I'm probably of the old generation of computer background DJs but I like to quickly set up a playlist and Foobar is the easiest software to do so IMHO.

I have a Windows explorer window on the right, Foorbar on the left, and drop a few files while playback is going, order them by moving the lines, etc. How can you do that with other players so easily?

My files are perfectly organized on the computer, Foobar is like a turntable I put files on and after being played they can but don't need to stay on it.

 

[solderdude]

For my living room music I use an old Toshiba laptop running W7 with only (an older version of) Winamp installed on it.
Not internet connected obviously, plays through Behringer UMC202HD
Works great... a bit slow searching external HD's when looking for a song though.

 

[vavan]

I have a Windows explorer window on the right, Foorbar on the left, and drop a few files while playback is going, order them by moving the lines, etc. How can you do that with other players so easily?

of course one can do the same in jriver and other players

 

[daftcombo]

of course one can do the same in jriver and other players

Yes, but do you have the "playback follows cursor" option?

I couldn't live without it.

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=53294.0

 

[vavan]

do you have the "playback follows cursor" option?

never used it so don't really know what it is and how it feels but I believe jmc lacks that specific feature