Free FLAC Player

[atomicAdam]

Hey All -

What software for Windows plays FLAC and is free - no spammy spam or nasties - that you use/like?

Thanks,
-adam

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Hey All -

What software for Windows plays FLAC and is free - no spammy spam or nasties - that you use/like?

Thanks,
-adam

Winamp is here. Cooler visual presentation and takes a little longer to open files then Mediasource Player but sounds the same.

http://www.winamp.com/

Mediasource Player

http://support.creative.com/downloads/download.aspx?nDownloadId=11130

Just in case the link at Creative Labs doesn't work just go the support section at soundblaster.com and pretend you have any of the cards. Mediasource should work with any sound card.

[atomicAdam]

yeah for some reason i didn't think that FLAC was supported by winamp. but i'll give it a go.

thanks

[Feanor]

Hey All -

What software for Windows plays FLAC and is free - no spammy spam or nasties - that you use/like?

Thanks,
-adam
Foobar2000 rules. Check it out HERE (http://www.foobar2000.org/).

http://www.foobar2000.org/foobarlogo.png

Re. Winamp, think it does support FLAC with the appropriate plug-in.

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Foobar2000 rules. Check it out HERE (http://www.foobar2000.org/).

http://www.foobar2000.org/foobarlogo.png

Re. Winamp, think it does support FLAC with the appropriate plug-in.

Just download the latest version.

[basite]

winamp supports FLAC standard. Been using it for ages, and still think it's the best & most useful free player.

[Luvin Da Blues]

winamp supports FLAC standard. Been using it for ages, and still think it's the best & most useful free player.


:thumbsup:

I couldn't agree more. With a few Windows tweaks (bypassing the audio stack etc.) it sounds as good as any I have used including foobar. I find the UI for Winamp much better than any I have found but that's just personal preference.

[Feanor]

:thumbsup:

I couldn't agree more. With a few Windows tweaks (bypassing the audio stack etc.) it sounds as good as any I have used including foobar. I find the UI for Winamp much better than any I have found but that's just personal preference.
Fair enough. But personally I much prefer the Foobar UI's flexibilty -- but not everybody needs so much. (I've never found a Winamp skin that I've really liked.)

I would say the Foobar sounds as good as anything but I don't insist that it sounds better.

[dingus]

another nod to Foobar.

[Davey]

How do you foobar users set up your interface? Be fun to see some screen shots ... my current setup is below. Just a simple album list, play list, and cover image....


http://members.mailaka.net/davey/foobar.jpg

[Feanor]

How do you foobar users set up your interface? Be fun to see some screen shots ...
Looks good, Davey. My setup isn't so different.


I use Columns UI ...

Upper left = Album LIst Panel
Upper right = Artwork Viewer
Lower left = Playlist Tabs + NG Playlist
Lower right = Item Properties
http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/FoobarConfigPicturet.jpg

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/FoobarConfigLayout2.jpg

[poppachubby]

Hey Adam, if you just want to play the odd file or album, go with VLC, small and friendly. If you want something to organize, etc. I use Media Monkey. It rips, burns and plays FLAC natively. It also has full Ipod/Iphone plugins so there's no need for Itunes.

I like the cover chooser personally...

[Davey]

I use Media Monkey. It rips, burns and plays FLAC natively. It also has full Ipod/Iphone plugins so there's no need for Itunes.

I do like Media Monkey for file management and tagging and other library functions, but it doesn't support gapless playback or WASAPI, which is why I like foobar for the player. I kind of like foobar better for file conversion these days too, especially high res, but MM is pretty handy for grabbing some files from your library and burning a CD. To be honest, I don't even know how to burn a CD in foobar :)

[Feanor]

I do like Media Monkey for file management and tagging and other library functions, but it doesn't support gapless playback or WASAPI, which is why I like foobar for the player. I kind of like foobar better for file conversion these days too, especially high res, but MM is pretty handy for grabbing some files from your library and burning a CD. To be honest, I don't even know how to burn a CD in foobar :)
Is Media Monkey free? My recollection is poor in general but my I impressions that there are free and pay versions. If so what are the differences?

[Davey]

Is Media Monkey free? My recollection is poor in general but my I impressions that there are free and pay versions. If so what are the differences?

I think the gold version unlocks some of the automatic library maintenance functions and a few other features. Mainly better file monitoring, which is poor in the free version. Still a very nice package for free, but I think it will always be hampered by the shortcomings of Winamp since that is what the player is based on.

[Feanor]

I think the gold version unlocks some of the automatic library maintenance functions and a few other features. Mainly better file monitoring, which is poor in the free version. Still a very nice package for free, but I think it will always be hampered by the shortcomings of Winamp since that is what the player is based on.
I checked out the features and I must say it does a lot; I think I'd go for the Gold because the multiple collections feature. However I don't see anything that I need that Foobar2000 doesn't deliver (for free).

I don't use Foobar for ripping, and I almost never burn CDs. I do often use its tag update features, though it isn't my primary tool for that either, (I use Tag&Rename that has a slick interface or (free) M3Tag). I have used it's conversion features, but there again for conversion I prefer dBpoweramp.

What I like best is Foobar's Album List Panel that lets me define any number sort sequences with info displays. This might be more important to classical listeners than other people, though.

[poppachubby]

Yes there are enhanced mgmt features with the Gold version. Also it allows full use of some features which have been handicapped in the free version. File conversion for example which can be a big one for some people. Anyhow, I haven't found a reason to leave yet.

[Slosh]

I do like Media Monkey for file management and tagging and other library functions, but it doesn't support gapless playback or WASAPIJust FWIW, version 4 does both. By default it's set to crossfade, and even when you click off crossfade it skips end-of-track silence, but now that can be defeated as well for true gapless playback. I didn't hear any difference from WASAPI and direct sound to my digital output.

As far as tagging, with new rips the latest release of EAC does a pretty decent job but if I need to edit any tags I use mp3Tag. As you would expect with a single purpose program it is much more intuitive than any media player's tagging tools.

[Davey]

Just FWIW, version 4 does both. By default it's set to crossfade, and even when you click off crossfade it skips end-of-track silence, but now that can be defeated as well for true gapless playback. I didn't hear any difference from WASAPI and direct sound to my digital output.

Thanks for the update, didn't know about the new MM v4. I'm pretty set up with foobar at this stage, but may give it a try.

My source is a notebook and it has a lot of audio processing for direct sound, so ASIO or WASAPI is mandatory to get bit perfect out, and in my case, Win7 with WASAPI seems to sound the best.

I use file path and names that have enough to tag from, so I don't really need any special tagging software, though the album/song titles then sometimes need adjusting for special characters, so maybe I do....but that's pretty simple with any interface...:)

[Slosh]

I played around some with foobar2000 but don't really like it much. My only real use for it is HDCD decoding. If I want to do something simple like display all artists alphabetically but skip the word "The" or "A" I have to write a script for it (something all other media players do by default). Anyway, here's how I configured mine:

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq41/Slosh_album/foo.jpg

[harley .guy07]

I have mine configured just like yours Slosh and I seem to like the way it works. All my friends use itunes and to me I like Foobar better it have more setting available and sounds better with the Wasapi upgrade download.

[Davey]

I played around some with foobar2000 but don't really like it much. My only real use for it is HDCD decoding. If I want to do something simple like display all artists alphabetically but skip the word "The" or "A" I have to write a script for it (something all other media players do by default).

Yea, I know, but I just want it to reflect my basic album directory structure, so the foobar interface is pretty ideal for me as you can see from my screen shot.

Those McCartney .24-96 archive releases sound pretty damn fine, huh? I have the first one with the cherries, and Band on the Run. Now that the music industry has f*cked up most of our favorite old music with their modern remastering techniques, they are poised to sell it back to us again without all the awful compression and distortion, and with a big premium, but at least in this case, it's in a high quality (and open source) format.

Baby's on fire
Better throw her in the water
Look at her laughing
Like a heifer to the slaughter

[dannotubes]

I tried to start a thread, but I haven't posted for a while so the system wouldn't let me, but here are my questions for the group.
I prefer my vinyl and Linn LP12, but I still have quite a collection
of CD's playing through a late 1990's Cambrige CD player. Not a bad machind back then for about $400.
I have been reading lately about all the streaming audio.
AS I understand it, you can take your CD's copy them to your PC's Hard disk and save them as Flac's, or whatevet format, or
find flac's on the net. These should be as good as the original CD
correct?The problem I see with CD players is transport problems
and A-D converter.
So these streaming players then connect on your home network, see the flac files on your pc, and convert them back to audio output into your preamp/amp. I also see there are dedicated external hard disks that can be connected on the network, thus no interference from the PC.
You are eliminating the transport problems of the CD player, and some streaming units have a very good quality A-D converters.
The Linn unit apparently can be controlled by a IPOD Touch/phone, thus not having to use your pc or tv monitor, and it also searches the internet for missing bits from your files and corrects the flac files.
My questions is: What is the quality of sound fom any of these streaming players. Is this the way to go or look for a better quality CD player.
It seems CD's are slowly fading away and digital audio is the way
to go.
Dan

[Slosh]

I've been using a couple of Roku SoundBridges for 5+ years now. Quality is exactly the same as CD with a lossless rip. The SoundBridge is long since out of production, and I may replace mine soon because they are limited to 16-bit/44.1kHz or 16-bit/48kHz and now I have plenty of 24-bit/88.2, 96, and 192kHz rips on my computer (I have to make 16/48 copies for my SoundBridges, and while they still sound great, I want full resolution). The Squeezebox Touch will play 24/96 stereo, but I'm holding out for something that can stream 24/96 5.1 channel and beyond. An interesting product is the Dune Max HD player, but it is more geared towards video and apparently doesn't play FLAC gaplessly (at the moment, anyway) unless you rip as a single file w/cue sheet.

A friend of mine thinks I should just get a new laptop with HDMI and call it a day. He uses MediaMonkey4 with WASAPI enabled (as I do) and connects it to his pre/pro and it plays nearly everything (no SACD...yet) with bit-perfect output (FLAC, BluRay with Dolby or DTS lossless, DVD-Audio, etc).

[dannotubes]

THanks for the info. I'll look up those players, but not much point if it's out of production.
I'm new to all this digital stuff, like I mentioned I have vinyl and vacuum tube preamp and power amps.
But the whole digital idea is interesting.
How would you come out of a laptop to HDMI into a preamp with L+R inputs? The only thing I know of is my 50" plasma, it had hdmi in and audio out.
Dan

[Slosh]

How would you come out of a laptop to HDMI into a preamp with L+R inputs? The only thing I know of is my 50" plasma, it had hdmi in and audio out.
It's a home theater pre (Integra) with HDMI. If I were to buy something right now and was only concerned about stereo playback it would be the Squeezebox Touch.

[dannotubes]

It's a cheap enough unit, but how does it really sound???
I would like to replace a CD player, I don't think A/D converter would be real HI FI quality. Now it does everything else as far as being on the network and not having to use a PC monitor to view your library. I think the LInn Sneaky DS is the cadillac.
But that's $250 verses $2200!!!!

[Slosh]

It has digital outputs so use whatever DAC you prefer.