Foobar2000 Alternatives

[Sansui77]

Hi All,

 

I've been using Foobar2000 for a very long time & now maybe it's time to upgrade to a better interface. The standard default interface is crap and putting a playlist together is a nightmare.

 

Are there better interface add-ons for foobar2000 or what player interfaces are better in your opinion? Foorbar2000 I believe closes programs running in the background and has the audio wasapi & add-ons. 

 

I would like to know what other members are using?

Edited April 12, 2020 by Sansui77

[pwstereo]

I've always had good success with VLC, it seems to be able to work with just about any audio/video format.

You can cast it to other dvices for playback (audio/video), it seems quite intuitive to use.

But I've not used Foobar2000 so I might be overlooking some functionality it has that others don't.

[Batty]

I just ditched VLC, it likes to run any format it can and grabs  it.

 

[Satanica]

It will cost you a relatively small amount of money: https://jriver.com/

 

[Batty]

Just installed the trial

 

[soundbyte]

Been using Foobar for ages as well, never wished to update the interface, have found it very easy to add a list of music to play.

Go into my music directory with Windows Explorer and right click on files and either "Enqueue in Foobar" (my preference), or "play in Foobar", caution "play in Foobar" will delete any play list already loaded and play just that one track you have selected.

Directories are a bit different on my install, anything I select gets loaded but does not play the list automatically as singles files do.

 

Once you have the files listed in Foobar they are on a playlist, the list can then be saved in Foobar using "File / Save playlist", when you want that playlist or any others that have been saved, load it/them using "File / Load playlist".

See the lower section "Foobar Playlist Management Components:" of this link https://audio-file.org/2017/07/21/foobar2000-playlists-autoplaylists/ if the included Foobar playlist functions are not to taste.

 

Themes for Foobar, if you do not want to make your own https://www.deviantart.com/search?q=foobar2000 might be your go to source.

 

You can also remotely control Foobar on your Android using Foobar Controller, this will probably be too much for some, useless(?) for others, but it does work when setup on my Windows / Android devices http://foobar2000controller.blogspot.com/p/how-to-start.html

 

Foobar is very customisable in many different ways, you might like to check the add ons available on the Foobar site under "Additional Downloads" https://www.foobar2000.org/download.

 

iOS and Mac versions available as well, not sure whether these work, never used them.

[Decky]

+1 for Foobar - simple and effective interface - functionally and cosmetically - I really do not see any need for an upgrade. 

[anewmission]

are you using it for audio while using your pc? or is it for a dedicated hifi pc?

 

i started with windows and foobar, then tried a few standalone operating systems, daphile is really good and simple. the best sound i got out of all operating systems and distros was snakeoil os. particularly using the mdp fs.

something special happened when i started using that, it turned everything 3d.

i guess any linux distro using mdp would be the same. pretty sure bryston uses mdp for their streamers.

 

with snakeoil you have the choice of so many players, roon bridge, lms, mpd... just to name a few.

i highly recommend 

[barbz127]

I second daphile if using this as a standalone player. Default web portal or orangesqueeze is great for control via an Android tablet.

 

 

[Snoopy8]

I stuck with Foobar2000 for a long time and was prised off it when I discovered LMS gave better SQ.  Suggest giving LMS a go and the phone Apps are decent. 

 

The other Windows option is JRiver.  VLC is strange for a Win user.

[aussievintage]

I am currently trying Quod Libet  and it's working for me.

[extract]

I'm happily using Foobar, but a good alternative is MusicBee.

[Sansui77]

1 hour ago, anewmission said:

are you using it for audio while using your pc? or is it for a dedicated hifi pc?

 

i started with windows and foobar, then tried a few standalone operating systems, daphile is really good and simple. the best sound i got out of all operating systems and distros was snakeoil os. particularly using the mdp fs.

something special happened when i started using that, it turned everything 3d.

i guess any linux distro using mdp would be the same. pretty sure bryston uses mdp for their streamers.

 

with snakeoil you have the choice of so many players, roon bridge, lms, mpd... just to name a few.

i highly recommend 

It's a mini laptop dedicated for hifi only. It sounds fantastic as is. I mightheck snakeoil out and also see how I can customise foobar.

[muon*]

1 hour ago, Snoopy8 said:

VLC is strange for a Win user

I always found it poor as far as SQ goes.

 

Long time since I used a PC for dedicated audio but when I was jRiver was up to 17 and I found Foobar slightly better sounding at that time. But these things are moving targets, so pays to reevaluate sound quality of different players from time to time IMO.

 

I still use Foobar on my PC if I want to listen to any music files.

[anewmission]

1 hour ago, Sansui77 said:

It's a mini laptop dedicated for hifi only. It sounds fantastic as is. I mightheck snakeoil out and also see how I can customise foobar.

depending on what quality you need, kodi is the best as far as ease of use.

once set up properly and using yatse remote.. it makes life so simple. there is a tidal addon also

 

 

[Jeddie]

Musicbee!

Very customisable.  Regular updates. A user forum to ask your questions.

 

And its free. Give it a try.

[Jackybrown]

5 hours ago, Sansui77 said:

It's a mini laptop dedicated for hifi only. It sounds fantastic as is. I mightheck snakeoil out and also see how I can customise foobar.

Do you prefer using foobar's the UI (i.e. using a mouse and keyborad) or  a remote app from your mobile? Personally I prefer using remote apps, such as foobar controller apps mentioned above (I use foobar con pro, android only, https://sites.google.com/site/foobarcon/, you can try the free version first). And you don't mind a bit more trouble, you can set up the minimserver(only needed if you need to play SACD)/bubbleUPnP server/Foobar upnp plugin stack, so that you can use beautiful Lumin or Kazoo clients on almost every OS (Android, ios, windows & MacOSx) , I have a rough instruction for setting up this stack here - 

[David Walker]

I'm a MusicBee user, because it has the odd but likeable quality of not getting in my way once I set it up to my liking. (It's very customisable.)

 

That said, JRiver worked nicely for me as well.

[MintThyme]

I also am a long time user of Foobar2000 and have a setup / configuration I am super happy with.

 

However I have now moved to MacOS and have not been able to import my favorite configuration of Foobar2000 and so am wondering whether anyone else has any experience in running Foobar2000 on MacOS that has encountered this same problem?

 

 

[Sansui77]

Well I've decided to fully customised foobar2000. 

 

Thanks to all that have commented.

[Sansui77]

So I've customised my foobar2000 with the remote feature that enables you to control from your phone which is fantastic. Still adjusting settings but it's all go again. 

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Sansui77

[sloper]

Maybe l am strange, l still use windows media player.

l have VLC and Foobar on the computer cant hear a difference and l find there painful to use.

 

l do have every conceivable codec pack installed and windows plays every thing without a problem.

 

OK l am strange.

 

regards Bruce

[ShellstaX]

On 12/04/2020 at 1:08 PM, Sansui77 said:

...

I would like to know what other members are using?

I'm surpised noone has said MediaMonkey. The free version is well equiped and a good interface and plugins.  It's my go to.

 

I also use MusicBee ... But it's UPnP is a bit broken and no longer actively worked on.

 

I also use LMS (Logitech Media Server) with Squeezelite (squeezebox emulator / Material Skin) / Squeezer (client). It's actually really good with native gapless support and the ability to create groups/multiroom. But the inteface isn't so flash.

 

I also have a Plex setup (with just a free account (for ease of connectivity) - no Plexpass.

 

And then I have a Rasperry Pi with a few different images / interfaces. - Moode, RasPlex, Volumio.

 

For a UPnP Server my preference is Minim, then Asset ... and I've also got drive hooked up to my 'always on' router with it's noname but suitably functioning Server.

 

Hi-Fi Cast, Bubblesoft and MediaMonkey (Android) are my go to Controllers.

[pwstereo]

9 hours ago, ShellstaX said:

I'm surpised noone has said MediaMonkey. The free version is well equiped and a good interface and plugins.  It's my go to.

I didn't know it was a player, I've only ever seen it mentioned in the context of metadata management.

[ShellstaX]

6 hours ago, pwstereo said:

I didn't know it was a player, I've only ever seen it mentioned in the context of metadata management.

Player, Server,  Ripper, Tagger, Cataloguer ...

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by ShellstaX
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