Foobar or JRiver

[k3nb5t]

I use JRiver for the majority of my playback. I appreciate the library management. I have considered using Roon, but it isn't worth the money to me until I have some headless DAPs.

I use Foobar2000 for ABX testing.

I use a mix of Foobar2000 and VLC for playing the occasional audio file directly from Windows Explorer.

 

[maxxevv]

FB2000 Version 1.4.1 definitely has some memory leak issues.

Every time I run it in the background while doing CAD work, the CAD program will almost always hang after 1~2 hours of running, sometimes even less.

I've just switched to Version 1.5 BETA 16, glad to report that all has been good so far for the past 2~3 days.

 

[Zog]

I'd agree with this... I stream mostly through Tidal, and the Tidal/Roon integration really has opened up a lot of enjoyment on my part.

I just don't get this. The music is the music, right? Is it the convenience of access, ie a non-musical aspect that opens up enjoyment. (Maybe I do get - let me give you an example. I got a foobar plugin that lets the lyrics scroll as it plays. That's kind of nice.) Or to put it another way - how does the Tital/Roon integration help?

 

[Vapor9]

Not sure why Audirvana is not mentioned. It works with both Mac and Windows 10. By far my favorite.

 

[DownUnderGazza]

I’ve looked at many, but keep coming back to iTunes on my Mac Mini or MacBook Pro

 

[Soniclife]

I just don't get this. The music is the music, right? Is it the convenience of access, ie a non-musical aspect that opens up enjoyment. (Maybe I do get - let me give you an example. I got a foobar plugin that lets the lyrics scroll as it plays. That's kind of nice.) Or to put it another way - how does the Tital/Roon integration help?

It's not about sound quality, that should be as good as any other good solution. It's about how it presents your ripped collection, and the tidal albums you have clicked "add to my collection", and how you can explore using metadata, reviews, and similar to etc. There is nothing in it that isn't available on the web, e.g. all music, but the integration makes it frictionless. At least for those of us that like how it works, and I get that some people don't like how it works.

 

[Vapor9]

I’ve looked at many, but keep coming back to iTunes on my Mac Mini or MacBook Pro

I use Audirvana together with iTunes as the library manager. Plus I can use Apple's Remote app to control the library playback while listening on the sofa. Best of both.

 

[Rockfella]

I have both installed but end up using jRiver more than foobar. Foobar I will say is second best as it is very light on resources/is very snappy if used without skins/tweaks. JRiver on the other hand is a very vast audio/video player with many features (I barely use any) but I like the fact that they have a 64 bit version and I could not find any audio 64 bit player. It probably makes no difference in real world usage. It sometimes ends up playing video files are not playable even in VLC and this actually blew my mind!

With stock settings both sound same (to me) but in JRiver if you do the following:
1) DSP Studio>Equalizer>Rock.
2) DSP Studio>Effects>Environment>Recording Studio
3) DSP Studio>Effects>Environment>Virtual Subwoofer>6"(or whatever you like)
4) DSP Studio>Effects>Environment>Surround Field>Maximum Enhancement (or whatever you like)

... these settings make jRiver sound very musical and enjoyable as compared to stock foobar.
With these settings the sound is probably not pure/true/accurate and is "colored" as they say but it really sounds good and I just sit back stop typing/do anything and just enjoy music

 

[Martin]

I was a foobar user but I switched to JRiver. JRiver is much easier to use but foobar seems much more flexible. Unfortunately JRiver keeps releasing new versions. I wouldn’t have a problem with that except they charge $20-$25 per upgrade. That’s BS. I’ll be switching back to foobar.

I use Volumio on a Raspberry Pi to play music on my stereo and headphones. JRiver/foobar is only used in my office.

Martin

 

[Tks]

I was a foobar user but I switched to JRiver. JRiver is much easier to use but foobar seems much more flexible. Unfortunately JRiver keeps releasing new versions. I wouldn’t have a problem with that except they charge $20-$25 per upgrade. That’s BS. I’ll be switching back to foobar.

I use Volumio on a Raspberry Pi to play music on my stereo and headphones. JRiver/foobar is only used in my office.

Martin

But why though? They openly speak about their pricing model and how reasonable it is in today's market. Look at Roon, I wonder what you'd say about that >_>

 

[maxxevv]

Just saw that Foobar 2000 has a new DSP module for Headphone and Room correction by Math Audio. Probably worth a look if you are already using Foobar.

 

[digitalfrost]

JRiver on the other hand is a very vast audio/video player with many features (I barely use any) but I like the fact that they have a 64 bit version and I could not find any audio 64 bit player.

For the record, all audio processing in foobar2000 is done in 64bit floating point.

 

[pozz]

Anyone remember Winamp? Those were the days.

 

[digitalfrost]

It really whipped the llamas ass!

 

[Patrick1958]

Just saw that Foobar 2000 has a new DSP module for Headphone and Room correction by Math Audio. Probably worth a look if you are already using Foobar.

I tried the Math Audio free foobar PEQ for headphone recently and imo works flawlessly. The only difference i noticed when comparing to the JRriver PEQ with same settings as applied in foobar is that the foobar component reduces the output considerably.

 

[Martin]

But why though? They openly speak about their pricing model and how reasonable it is in today's market. Look at Roon, I wonder what you'd say about that >_>

I wouldn't mind so much if they released a new version every 18-24 months but their release schedule seems to be about every 4-6. That's just freaking crazy. I'm a huge fan of freeware/shareware and support the opensource community. I do not subscribe to any streaming service and limit my use of any commercial software. I do donate to those whose shareware I use and like.

Martin

 

[Old Listener]

I have both installed but end up using jRiver more than foobar. Foobar I will say is second best as it is very light on resources/is very snappy if used without skins/tweaks. JRiver on the other hand is a very vast audio/video player with many features (I barely use any) but I like the fact that they have a 64 bit version and I could not find any audio 64 bit player. It probably makes no difference in real world usage. It sometimes ends up playing video files are not playable even in VLC and this actually blew my mind!

The difference between the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of JRiver Media Center are in the instruction set used. The 64 bit version uses some extensions to the basic x86 instruction set for addressing more ram among other things.

Both versions use 64 bit floating point processing on audio samples. 64 bit floating instructions have been part of the basic x86 instruction set for years.

x86 instruction listings

Most DACs accept audio data in integer format so an eventual conversion down to 24 bit or 32 bit integer format.

 

[Rockfella]

The difference between the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of JRiver Media Center are in the instruction set used. The 64 bit version uses some extensions to the basic x86 instruction set for addressing more ram among other things.

Both versions use 64 bit floating point processing on audio samples. 64 bit floating instructions have been part of the basic x86 instruction set for years.

x86 instruction listings

Most DACs accept audio data in integer format so an eventual conversion down to 24 bit or 32 bit integer format.

Much respect

 

[Old Listener]

I wouldn't mind so much if they released a new version every 18-24 months but their release schedule seems to be about every 4-6. That's just freaking crazy. I'm a huge fan of freeware/shareware and support the opensource community. I do not subscribe to any streaming service and limit my use of any commercial software. I do donate to those whose shareware I use and like.

Martin

You are NOT required to upgrade when JRiver starts developing a new version. Your old version will continue to work just fine. I still use MC 21 for daily music listening and MC 223 for photo image management even though I have MC 25 installed as well.

JRiver offers upgrades to the latest version at a discount when development begins.

JRiver upgrade pricing

 

[Kal Rubinson]

You are not required to upgrade when JRiver starts developing a new version.

I think this is what is meant.