[AmarulaGold]

So after the messy business of importing and re-organizing all my music files onto a new system I'm on the lookout for a new music player to make the best out of them. After comparing all the features I could access on my spotify app on my smartphone (crossfade, volume equalisation, up next features etc) I'm in no rush to go back to Windows native windows media player/groove music software.

So what are peoples' recommendation for a high rez, high quality music player that's easy to use and able to handle all the important formats (FLAC, AAC, mp3, WAV etc)?

Ideally I'd like something that isn't too complex to set up and that doesn't look too much like an excel spreadsheet, and if possible can incorporate some sort of auto file import so I don't have to go through this whole process every time.

Many thanks head-fiers!

 

[cossix]

Foobar2000 is best of the best and it's the go-to player for audiophiles. You can import skins if the bland UI is not to your liking. It also has endless features and you'd be hard pressed to find a better free player. Plays every format under the sun including DSD

 

[Meetite]

Winamp and Foobar2000 are both good options. I personally use winamp because I like the UI a lot (more than Foobar's) while doing all the technical stuff right as well.

 

[AmarulaGold]

Foobar2000 is best of the best and it's the go-to player for audiophiles. You can import skins if the bland UI is not to your liking. It also has endless features and you'd be hard pressed to find a better free player. Plays every format under the sun including DSD

I have heard that foobar is difficult to set up though?

 

[Monsterzero]

I couldnt get witht the Foobar2000 learning curve(im the type of guy who wants stuff to work the first time) so I went with Media Monkey.
It does everything I need it to do,except play ALAC files(I think there is a plug-in for them),but I didnt have that many to begin with so im good.

 

[FrequeAudio]

I would also recommend Foobar2000 it's great!

 

[Muinarc]

I wouldn't recommend Media Monkey if you want simple. It's my preferred player as I think it handles large libraries the best, but moving around the settings and setting up ripping defaults and such aren't exactly user friendly.

Base foobar is easy to use, it's only when you want to mess around with it that it gets complicated. I've used the new Amarra program and if you're used to something like Groove music it works well, though it's UI gets bogged down by large music collections.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Foobar2K
Google Play

 

[Music Alchemist]

Most digital audiophiles on Windows indeed seem to use foobar2000. I have much fancier players (such as HQPlayer, which does upsampling, noise shaping, etc., but is rendered a moot point now that I use Chord DACs) but none of them have the ease of use, features, and customization of foobar2000, so I just use it. You can download an endless array of custom skins to alter the interface to your liking. I just use the basic default interface. (I drag and drop on-the-fly playlists from my custom-organized file folders, so GUI is not important to me.)

 

[Amrit-R]

I have been using foobar for a long time, but tired of having to invest time to set it up. Still use it, but only by exception.

I like MusicBee a lot

And if youre able and willing to spend some serious cash, Roon is definately the best audio player I have ever experienced.

 

[cossix]

Foobar really isn't that much trouble to set up. Download it, drag and drop files into it, make playlists, done. I don't understand why some people here seem to think it's a hassle to set up. Even if you want to add extra components, it's just a matter of downloading the add-on, and dragging it into the components tab on settings menu. It's not rocket science haha.

 

[WoodyLuvr]

Foobar really isn't that much trouble to set up. Download it, drag and drop files into it, make playlists, done. I don't understand why some people here seem to think it's a hassle to set up. Even if you want to add extra components, it's just a matter of downloading the add-on, and dragging it into the components tab on settings menu. It's not rocket science haha.

Concur; once you learn the U.I. and its menus it is a breeze to set-up and you will see how extremely flexible it is. Advanced options can be a tad complicated but again once you interface with them over time you'll soon grasp them.

Google Play although online and very basic is a good option for many who want immediate player set-up and features.

Roon is also good but foobar2K is free and sounds just as good with probably a tad more advanced features, plugins, skins, etc. so...