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  1. #1
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    Good CD player for computer?

    Just curious what you use when you play CDs on your computer? I was using Windows Media Player mostly but it has a big problem for me in that it doesn't read CD-TEXT so I don't get song titles with my comps. And others here burn their comps with song titles too so it has become a requirement for me to have that feature so lately I've just been using the player that comes as part of EAC after discovering why it wasn't playing nearly as loud as other players. Turns out that it defaults to analog playback unless the "Use alternate CD play routines" box is checked. At least it wasn't checked on my copy. Anyway, now it works OK and loads fast and has the features I like, but the controls are still a bit cumbersome, especially the fast forward and rewind. Any good alternatives out there?

  2. #2
    Toon Robber tentoze's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davey.
    Just curious what you use when you play CDs on your computer? ... Any good alternatives out there?
    I don't play much music on the puter, but when I do, I use WINAMP. Unklebob has sworn by it for several years, and uses it a lot. It plays everything, and it has kewl skins available to spiff the appearance up. Pretty sure it reads cd-text too.

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  3. #3
    Indifferentist Slosh's Avatar
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    Don't you have an office stereo system?

    I never use the PC for CD playback. I have a nice little stereo system in my computer room so there's no need for me to use the computer. I don't have (or need) a laptop but if I did I think I would just use a Discman with some decent 'phones or maybe even some active computer speakers.

    All that being said, whatever version of Windows Media I have (no idea) does give me track info from cddb but I don't think it does CD-Text.

    Can't you use your burning software to play CDs in the background?

  4. #4
    Crackhead Extraordinaire Dusty Chalk's Avatar
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    EAC, dude.

    I went on travel several months ago, and my officemate lent me his laptop. I started putting together my travel headphone system, including trying to come up with a CD player (all my portables are bust -- not including the new one, but that is since then, and a different story). Then I realized, I didn't need to -- I could just use the 60G hard drive on the laptop. So I ripped a bunch of CD's. But then I thought, "how am I going to play them?" I ended up using WM9 (which decodes HDCD, BTW), but I think I figured out how to use EAC to do the same. You just use the preview function in the record window. I think. Going from memory here, feel free to try it, I know you have it. Let me know if that works for you.
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by tentoze
    I don't play much music on the puter, but when I do, I use WINAMP. Unklebob has sworn by it for several years, and uses it a lot. It plays everything, and it has kewl skins available to spiff the appearance up. Pretty sure it reads cd-text too.

    (my 2 pesos)
    I've used winamp before and it does a good job, but I don't think it reads CD-TEXT. I had it on my other computer. Plus you have to open other windows and stuff for the tracklisting since it only displays the track being played, I think. I'll have to look into it again, though. Thanks for the rec.

    Quote Originally Posted by Slosh
    Don't you have an office stereo system? I never use the PC for CD playback. I have a nice little stereo system in my computer room so there's no need for me to use the computer. I don't have (or need) a laptop but if I did I think I would just use a Discman with some decent 'phones or maybe even some active computer speakers.

    All that being said, whatever version of Windows Media I have (no idea) does give me track info from cddb but I don't think it does CD-Text.

    Can't you use your burning software to play CDs in the background?
    Yeah, most of the time if I'm gonna be listening to CDs, I'll play them on the real stereo, but sometimes it's more convenient on the computer, and if I'm working on a comp that's usually the way I wanna play it until it's finalized to check out levels and transitions and get a feel for it before burning. Then I usually burn with Roxio on my notebook but it has a real crap interface for playing CDs plus it's kind of cumbersome for everything, including its two step initial loading. Kind of a crappy piece of software if you ask me, but it does some things well. I'd use EAC for everything but it doesn't have a very good interface for making the playlist and burning. And yeah, Windows Media does have a CDDB like database but no CD-TEXT for some reason. Thanks for the response. BTW, did I tell you already that your year end comp is the greatest? Nice job. It's got a real good feel to it, one of your better comps

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk
    EAC, dude.

    I went on travel several months ago, and my officemate lent me his laptop. I started putting together my travel headphone system, including trying to come up with a CD player (all my portables are bust -- not including the new one, but that is since then, and a different story). Then I realized, I didn't need to -- I could just use the 60G hard drive on the laptop. So I ripped a bunch of CD's. But then I thought, "how am I going to play them?" I ended up using WM9 (which decodes HDCD, BTW), but I think I figured out how to use EAC to do the same. You just use the preview function in the record window. I think. Going from memory here, feel free to try it, I know you have it. Let me know if that works for you.
    Yeah, the newer versions of EAC have a built in CD player on the front panel. Real easy to use and loads fast. Just thought I might be able to find one with fast forward/reverse controls that worked a little more like a CD player. EAC is one of the best, except for that problem. Thanks, dude.

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