My opinion: Best Windows Playback software

The best software is in fact free. It surpasses all others IMO. I have a feeling Ted might agree. If you get the right plugins and set it up right the sound quality will not only surpass all other software, it should surpass all dedicated streamers as well. The downside is it has a steep learning curve and takes a few hours to set up. After that, you just might not ever look back. Of course I am speaking of none other than Foobar 2000. Please do not dismiss this. Until you have really heard it properly set up with all the right plugins. I also highly recommend using Audiophile Optimizer and Fidelizer with it. If it is properly implemented it should easily take the likes of HQPlayer ETC. IMO. I would like to know if Ted agrees or if he just uses it out of convenience? I feel for instance the SACD and Resampler-V plugins far surpass what is available in HQPlayer. On the other hand Jriver does not even come close to either one. I just figured this might help someone. Or a lot of people hopefully. A streamer is only as good as the software that it is running. Where Foobar is sorely lacking is in the library functionality. You can use other software for that however.

1 Like

Iā€™ve been using Foobar 2000 for years, very pleased with it.

I am sorry, but the Resampler-V plugins do not offer better upsampling than HQPlayer. Nor will a PC running all that software be better than a quality low noise purpose-built streamer.

I canā€™t take you seriously when you make grandiose pronouncements like this. Itā€™s always flavor of the day with you. Whatever you bought yesterday is far better than anything else out there.

No, I meant this ā€œonā€ a purpose built music server! It is hardly flavor of the day or grandiose. Foobar has been around longer than all other software! Not just Resampler-V but in combination with a lot of other stuff. You obviously did read it because you quoted me. I will give you, YMMV.

BTW, I ā€œneverā€ ā€œboughtā€ Foobar. It is free of course. I also certainly did not get it yesterday. I have been building and improving upon music servers for about 20 years already. Some others agreed in another thread that my dedicated PC based server may very well be better than my heavily modified W20SE. You would have to hear them both to decide. Of course you are welcome to decide either way. Everyone hears differently.

You cannot automatically discount what I hear though and I certainly did not purchase either of these yesterday. Neither is the flavor of the day with me. I have spent hundreds of hours both breaking in and listening to both.

I fully understand about my lying. On the other hand there is no reason to just go ahead and insult me either. This is the very reason I lie in the first place. I feel that no one in this world takes me seriously. I mean, who is this guy to have two very expensive stereo systems? We cannot believe it. So therefore I just go ahead and lie about my credentials. The truth is I inherited the money. I have no clue why no one can accept that as an answer. There, I have just told the honest truth but no one will accept that.

As for which type of hardware or software is better, that is really up to each individual. Or they would make but one. There really is no right or wrong. I prefaced this thread with ā€œmy opinionā€. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Go start your own thread if you have one.

I am delighted my chosen digital playback solution is Windows free. Except for viewing the web pages of my Bryston BDA/BDP-3 combination, with my digital library loaded on a USB drive connected directly to my BDP, I have nothing to do with Windows playback software.

For me thatā€™s the closest thing to bliss for playback there is. Ditto being completely free of iTunes. The best PC OS for playback is no PC OS for playback. I know Iā€™m talking about a streamer solution, but after years of fooling around with PC playback SW my conclusion is Iā€™d rather not spend my time on the steep learning curve. Iā€™m also just plain frustrated with how difficult it is know whatā€™s happening under the hood in those playback apps.

Indeed Foobar is excellent software but stating ā€˜a streamer is only as good as the software that is runningā€™ is nonsense.

For us regular folks it would be a hell of a job -if possible at all- to build a system that betters e.g. Melco & Aurender state of the art players with their dedicated power supply, audio-grade components and build.

im using TEAC HR Audio Player and it is the simplest set up, i had seen and sound just like foobar ( my dac is a teac so i dont know if this sofware can works with other dacs)

ps. it would be great to know, how do you set up foobar with all the plugins

I am talking about a high end purpose built computer built computer with specialized audio noise reducing components powered by an outboard Hynes PSU. Look up Hynes if you are not familiar. All the components are in separate ā€œcavitiesā€ ETC. It has a JCAT Femto USB card. Plus out board Intona industrial 3.0, Regen, Rendu, ETC, Kernel windows+Audiophile Optimizer+Fidelizer. Yes, I am crazy. I do lie but I am also truly insane. You choose which to believe. If the latter than you might se how this is as is as good if not better. I feel it is better because it offers you the ability to tailor the sound more. Why is it better than HQPlayer? The plugin ability. HQplayer, what you see is what you get. Foobar, someone could always write a better plugin, such as myself. Already many to choose from. are any better DSP? you be the judge. I think so. YMMV. As for the likes of W20SE even highly modified, I feel a High end dedicated PC has surpassed it. the streamers are a PC after all. Just a dead end. Here I have 30TB of NAS and a fanless I7 that can actually handle the DSP. Plus 64GB of ram. The streamers do not have even close to those specs. Plus they are a dead end, never upgradable.

You donā€™t know much about HQPlayer, do you?

Iā€™ll give it a try on my server. Iā€™ve only used it on my laptop to rip CDs. Is there a way to remotely control foobar 2000?

Hell that was easy! I just spent an hour unsuccessfully screwing around with a linux player, then tried foobar. Now controlling tidal from my android. Will assess sound compared to gentooplayer if I can get it online again.

Monkey Mote plugin. Been using it for years.

1 Like

Iā€™ll look for monkey mote. I was able to get my local library recognized as well and controlled by mconnect, so pretty good so far. Next will try to load tracks to ram.

Does anyone know if core management can be done with foobar? (Iā€™m just learning about this)

Give it a break speed-racer. It is bit perfect. Anything beyond that is ā€œtailoringā€ the sound and it not natural. Either can tailor the sound to my liking. If you donā€™t like it get out of here!

Downtheline, I am glad you found it so easy! Foobar tends to stump people.

Huh? HQPlayer is a high quality multi-platform audio player. What makes HQPlayer stand out is the outstanding filters, modulators, and noise shapers. It also has a powerful convolution engine. Your ā€œwhat you see is what you getā€ comment is curious. What does that mean? HQPlayer does all the heavy lifting on the system running HQPlayer so the HQPlayer NAA (streamer, endpoint, whatever you want to call it) does not need to be anything other than a lightweight, and hopefully electrically quiet, device.

But who really NEEDS all that. Not us. Just you.

Who is you?? All I use HQPlayer with Roon to do is upsample DSD and PCM to DSD128 and pass that along from an HQPlayer NAA to my DirectStream DAC. That is how I get the best sound I have ever experienced with my 2 channel system. Better than JRiver or Audirvana or Roon by itself or Foobar or Amarra or iTunes.

Also, lots of people here besides me use HQPlayerā€¦

1 Like

Unconvincing. Next.

HQPlayer improves sound quality more than some overpriced USB or I2S cableā€¦and is cheaper too.