Best Media Player?


... I think I only have one Blu-ray disc! :p
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
I love it when people ask what is the best app for videos (or any other item e.g. sound)

Best has a different meaning depending on context e.g. cheapest, lightest on resources, widest range of screen resolutions, Blu-Ray capability, ability to get metadata etc. etc. etc.

There is no "one size fits all" solution.

In the end, a simple web search will give many comparisons of the main contenders - then it is up to individual to try whatever "catches their eye" and try it.

Without context, you just get a random list of individuals favourites, but whether that help OP is debatable without context why it is their favourite.

For example, I like VLC as it is robust, plays all main codecs, is relatively well maintained, and has cross platform support.

Is it the best? Across all features, probably not.
Does it meet my needs - undoubtedly yes (or else I would use something else).

To me, it is kind of like asking what is the best app is like asking who is the best rock band?

Like VLC, I would answer Queen.

Best guitarist - probably not
Best Lead singer - probably not
Best Drummer - probably not

Put them together as a package though, and I can say for sure Queen were the "best" band I ever saw live - exciting, entertaining etc.

My point is "best" is very much personal opinion.

PS - my personal opinion is the best ever rock band was Pink Floyd. They are the only band where I had their (imo) best album "Dark Side of the Moon" in vinyl (several times), cassette, 8 track cartridge (seriously), cd, dvd and of course Mp3 etc.
 

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    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
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    ASUS Vivobook 14
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    I7
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    Yep, Laptop has one.
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    16 GB
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    Integrated Intel Iris XE
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    Realtek built in
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    N/A
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    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
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    Yep, got one
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    Yep, got one
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    Stella Artois
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    Built in
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    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
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    Edge mostly
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    TPM 2.0
... I think I only have one Blu-ray disc! :p
We have all the Lord of the Rings (extended versions) on 4K- Ultra HD. Had to get a player and TV to play them, but it's worth it! I have a lot of regular Blu-ray discs.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Beta
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG X570S Edge Max WiFi
    Memory
    Patriot Viper Gaming DDR4 Extreme Performance (2 x32MB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ZOTAC RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC 12GB GDDR6/ ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6GB GDDR6 192-bit Gaming Graphics Card
    Sound Card
    Proprietary
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic XG2530 25"/Benq XL2411P 24"/ ASUS VA24DQSB) 23.8"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 240Hz/144Hz/60Hz (based on monitor setup above)
    Hard Drives
    SK hynix Gold P31 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD
    ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart 700W 80+ White Certified PSU
    Case
    Rosewill ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case, Gaming Case with Blue LED for Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H60i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    ~950Mb/s upload/ ~700Mb/s download
    Browser
    Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    MSI B550 Gaming GEN3 Gaming Motherboard
    Memory
    32MB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    I forget, but it's old. I can't see the need to upgrade it.
    Sound Card
    Propietary
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER LED 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung SSD 3.5"
    Case
    Corsair
    Cooling
    Stock
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    ~750Mb/s download / ~750Mb/s upload
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender and Malware Bytes
I've used VLC for many years. Lately, though, it takes several seconds for it to completely open and I have no idea why. It's not anything that will make me switch, it's just annoying.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 23H2 v22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built Myself in 2013
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 1800X 8-Core @ 3.60GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Crosshair VI Hero
    Memory
    16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" , PLANAR 22", eMachine 22"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~ P34A60 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 M.2
    ~ 3TB WD Red HDD (extra storage)
    ~ SanDisk 250GB SSD
    ~ 2 X 1TB HDD
    ~~~~~~~~~~
    PSU
    Corsair RM850 Fully Modular (850watts)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 630 CA-PH630-W1
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT
    Keyboard
    Logitech K860
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Internet Speed
    752Mbps (Download) / 537Mbps (Upload)
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    *This is my Main Computer That I use*
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD A10-5700 APU @ 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Asus CM1745
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7 350x GDDR5 4 GB
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Monitor Setup ONN 22" Monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    ~~~~~~~~
    250GB SSD

    500GB HDD
    ~~~~~~~~
    PSU
    350Watt PSU
    Cooling
    Air Cooling
    Mouse
    MX Master
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic 4000
    Internet Speed
    752Mbps (Download) / 537Mbps (Upload)
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    *Computer for Weather Software*
I just realized sumpthin...
... this is a Windows forum and there's barely any support for Windows Apps!
It's mostly 3rd party software that's promoted here!
Pretty fecking sad, isn't it!!! 🤷‍♂️
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
I just realized sumpthin...
... this is a Windows forum and there's barely any support for Windows Apps!
It's mostly 3rd party software that's promoted here!
Pretty fecking sad, isn't it!!! 🤷‍♂️
Hi there
The problem is that most 3rd party apps are far better than "native windows ones" even if the Windows ones exist at all.

Office / browsers, security, virtualisation, networking all have their own sections so I think your comment isn't a mega issue.

In any case I think most would prefer to have an efficiently performing reliable safe and easy to use OS and then chose themselves what to run on it.

Taking the example of most mobile phones these days -- a big user complaint is they all seem to come pre-loaded with a lot of "Non removable Bloatware" unless you go through hoops and rings to jail break them -- and then you find Banks etc won't let their apps run on jail broken phones.

And in any case it's good to know about apps that one hasn't heard of which do (or don't !!) run on Windows -- plenty of good tips etc. 3rd party apps also result in more competition and more choice for the users.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
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    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
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    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
As I recall, If the Blu-ray disk are encoded VLC needs a hack to play them.
VLC and other free players such as PotPlayer can play unencoded Blu-rays, but can't decode the commercial disks. MakeMKV can rip a commercial HD Blu-ray disk and convert it to another format. There may be some sort of workaround for a free player to overcome commercial disk encoding, but I don't know of any.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win10 Pro x64 & 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix Z590 Gaming
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3050
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 32UN650 32" 4k
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 @ 60Hz (175% scaling)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe 250GB; WD Gold (WD1005FBYZ) 1TB; WD Black (WD1003FZEX) 1TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Antec P100
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 with Noctua NF-P12 Redux & 120mm Case Fan x3
    Keyboard
    Logitech K740
    Mouse
    Logitech M310
    Internet Speed
    372 Mb down/12Mb up
    Browser
    Firefox & Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender & Free MBAM
    Other Info
    Main PC
MakeMKV can rip a commercial HD Blu-ray disk and convert it to another format
Wouldn't the sound be affected if the disk is protected with Cinavia?
 

My Computers

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  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • For music, foobar2000 with WASAPI (and some additional addons, which are optional unless you need more audio formats supported)
  • For movies, K-Lite Codec Pack (Full) with MPC-HC and madVR
All the rest is basically just bloat, albeit it can be argued that the GUI and media library functions of things like Kodi or JRiver Media Center (JRMC) have their own merits, but in pure terms of the playback itself there is still nevertheless zero be gained from these.

The way to go for ripping Audio CD to FLAC is Exact Audio Copy (EAC) or dbPoweramp with AccurateRip. The way to go for ripping Blu-ray disc content is RedFox AnyDVD HD, after which you can remux the content with MakeMKV─without losing audio quality and that the built-in LAV Audio Decoder of MPC-HC also lets you choose whether you want DTS, DTS-HD, DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, etc. to either be decoded as LPCM for playback on a normal audio playback device or be sent to your Audio/Video Receiver (AVR) equipment via bitstreaming over HDMI.

On a side note, you can get better sound quality for audiophile music listening by choosing a different player software, but not every person may be able to hear it, and, there are other factors that may prevent you from hearing differences. These factors also include human subjectiveness, or bias, which helps to explain why some people will insist on using Double Blind Tests (DBTs) for making audio comparisons, BUT... the rapid switching that most people who use the ABX Comparator plugin like to do is a recipe for adding the kind of human bias that's actually more severe (IMO, and IME) than the kind that naturally occurs when you listen solely for musical satisfaction over a longer period. And, if you use ABX testing on longer duration test samples, you lose the main benefit of ABX testing, which is that switching back to a previously heard sample generally works better if the samples are kept short so as to more clearly remember what it was that was heard prior to the switch. Audio perception occurs on multiple different time scales.

When you enter a concert hall, it may take up to 15 minutes or maybe even longer before you are listening fully into the acoustic space, as the human brain externalizes sounds as objects and builds a map. This mechanism, this specific part of how it is that we listen is a natural process that is slower, more gradual than the timeframe associated with rapid switching so the switching breaks it, skewing the test results toward "hearing no difference". Another pitfall with DBTs comes from the fact (which is easy to demonstrate) that when we perform tests, we experience human stress factors that impede our ability to discern differences, no matter how hard we try to relax. When we compare sounds, we listen specifically for differences so we automatically (including subconsciously) focus on specific properties of the sound. This alone introduces bias, as we focus on properties of the sound, preventing ourself from keeping our focus of attention on the actual music itself, the latter type of listening being the one that truly counts. Last but not least, I can show you an experiment that lets you hear stuff that doesn't exist because I erased it from the test sample, the only reason why you'll still hear it each time is because you remember having heard it before so now your brain fills in the gap, and keeps filling in the gap regardless of whether you want the gap to be filled in. I.e., memory also plays a very important role, so switching back and forth between samples is yet another surefire way of skewing test results toward "hearing no difference".

Finally, I find that investing in a superior-designed external USB DAC that not only is marketed as such, but also delivers exactly what it promises yields better sound than trying to brush up the inadequacies of the hardware device with players like Audirvana, Roon, etc. because any and all differences in bitperfect type of music player software fade below human-auditory threshold the moment when you plug in a DAC that's got the interference all perfectly ruled out with proper isolation transformers, thick metal shielding everywhere and elsewhere also including between the asynchronous (XMOS) USB input interface module and the main board on the inside of the DAC unit, dual toroidal power transformers to create an ultra-low noise interior environment, complete with separate rails (mine has 11 of 'em, to be precise) in the power supply for everything, and whatnot. Just like any other computer, my laptop's internal hardware components still generate a lot of electromagnetic interference (EMI), and, USB cables act like antennae so noise patterns can still propagate onto the more sensitive, analog intestines of an external USB DAC. Electric noise also rides the data lines in the USB connection, BTW, so it's not just about the cleanliness of the power signal that also matters.

It's just that, in my audio setup, none of these noise patterns are capable to rise above threshold, as the design implementation of my DAC keeps that from ever happening. To test, I can plug it directly into my Emotiva XPA-2 Gen1 power amp with no preamp and no volume control. Next, I can put my ear close to the ceramic (aluminum oxide) dome tweeter of one of my two Canton Vento 890.2 DC floorstanding speakers that are linear to 37.5kHz. There is no noise. Just silence. (Even, if I hold my smartphone─in silent mode─close to the USB cable of the DAC whilst receiving a call or text from a 2nd phone, WiFi enabled or not, and that is with just a bog standard USB 2.0 printer cable plus a normal cheap Belkin USB 2.0 male-to-female extension cable.) The bottom line is, the choice of player software still has an effect on the electric noise coming from the laptop's own hardware, but it is inaudible because the DAC is effectively immune (which not all DACs are).
 
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My Computers

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  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
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    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
@hdmi,

A bit long winded and too scientific, but I get your point, and some I agree with. BTW, I use dBpoweramp to with accurip to rip my CD's to flac. And my DAC is as you describe, built to handle music better than the software could.

All that said, your post is more suitable for the Audio Science Review forums. They're deeply about the science of sound. And the founder of the site, amirm, has some very impressive credentials - A bit about your host.... and does a lot of reviews. I'm registered there as well but it's really not my cup of tea as I'm more about the enjoyment of music, rather than the deep science of it. That's me.

Anyway, thought I'd reference that site since you seem more about "the science of sound" :)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
@hdmi,

A bit long winded and too scientific, but I get your point, and some I agree with. BTW, I use dBpoweramp to with accurip to rip my CD's to flac. And my DAC is as you describe, built to handle music better than the software could.

All that said, your post is more suitable for the Audio Science Review forums. They're deeply about the science of sound. And the founder of the site, amirm, has some very impressive credentials - A bit about your host.... and does a lot of reviews. I'm registered there as well but it's really not my cup of tea as I'm more about the enjoyment of music, rather than the deep science of it. That's me.

Anyway, thought I'd reference that site since you seem more about "the science of sound" :)
As you probably could've guessed, I already was familiar with Amir and his forum website. This one here has got to be the funniest joke that was ever posted online about him:
:ROFLMAO:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
As you probably could've guessed, I already was familiar with Amir and his forum website. This one here has got to be the funniest joke that was ever posted online about him:
:ROFLMAO:
Sorry, but without any background, I'm not getting the joke... :unsure:

BTW, there are always going to be critics, that's life, but I respect his credentials. You don't get there without some sort of knowledge ;-)

Anyway, I just registered this week as I had a question but don't plan on being active as it's not my kind of place. As I said, I'm more about enjoying music than discussing plots and charts and the deep science of sound. It always helps to know about stuff, but still...

It's the same approach I take about my photography, I'm not into plots and charts and marks, it's about the enjoyment of the craft in working with the tools I have.

That's me.
 
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My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
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    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
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    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
Sorry, but without any background, I'm not getting the joke... :unsure:

BTW, there are always going to be critics, that's life, but I respect his credentials. You don't get there without some sort of knowledge ;-)

Anyway, I just registered this week as I had a question but don't plan on being active as it's not my kind of place. As I said, I'm more about enjoying music than discussing plots and charts and the deep science of sound. It always helps to know about stuff, but still...

It's the same approach I take about my photography, I'm not into plots and charts and marks, it's about the enjoyment of the craft in working with the tools I have.

That's me.
The Son of Amir Is Dead - Wikipedia :p

I had one or two brief discussions with Amir on another forum many years ago, in some digital audio related debate. He was polite and he also made sense, but I haven't been active on any audio or video related forums for the past ~6 years. My ears aren't microphones, and my brain isn't an oscilloscope. So, I haven't discussed any plots or charts in this thread, nor have I mentioned anything that could be related to them. To the contrary, I summed up a few of the reasons why I find that listening to music playback equipment purely for the sake of enjoying music over a longer period is the best way to find out if I like listening to music playback equipment over a longer period. I gave only short and simple descriptions of what these reasons are, BTW. So, I have no idea what you mean. There's no in-depth science to be found in what I have posted in this thread, only some basic observations that I have kept as simple as possible. Not simpler.

As for going into technical details about DAC design, I only barely even scratched the surface of that subject. If you are going to spend time listening to DACs to compare them, it helps to know a few things in advance. Like, it helps to understand why some DACs are audibly immune to any unwanted side effects caused by the computer hardware hooked up to it, and are therefore audibly immune to how this same computer hardware gets affected by different bitperfect player software differently. This immunity doesn't necessarily always make it sound more enjoyable, or "better". But it can be a very good place to start. That is, in my own personal experience, it turned out to be the best place to start, even though I wasn't sure about this until some time after I had already purchased my first DAC, the predecessor of the one that I have in my specs. The answer to the question of what's the best media player also depends on whether the person who asked is willing to take my advice, which is based primarily on my aforementioned experience with DACs─and on my having learned to work with foobar2000 with multiple addons to see how that compares to other player software. If you like fashion over function, then go for Audirvana, and, while you're at it, buy yourself a Macbook. lol
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Hi,

What is the best media player for Windows 11, to play various media types as well as play DVDs and Blu-Rays? Anyone know if CyberLink PowerDVD is good and worth a buy?
I use Cyberlink's Power DVD 22 free edition. I like that it supports more than 2 speakers modes.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus
I abandoned Cyberlink PowerDVD and Elaborate Bytes Virtual CloneDrive in favor of MPC-HC, about 12 years and a half ago. Playing optical discs directly as opposed to ripping them and playing only the ripped files causes extra wear and tear, both to the optical discs and to the optical drive unit, and, there also is no background noise during playback when no disc is spinning. In the UK, it is legal to play rips of permanently acquired discs for personal use only. PowerDVD doesn't magically add any quality to the picture or sound. To upscale DVD video content to higher resolution, madVR does a magnificent job, but on higher settings it needs more CPU power. MPC-HC is very lightweight so it doesn't steal CPU power. That's one of the reasons why MPC-HC with madVR is so nice. Even with a fast CPU it helps to reduce the power consumption so it generates less heat and so the cooling fan stays silent whilst upscaling lower resolution files during playback. Or you can save money by choosing a slower CPU and still be able to get decent upscaling. The free version of PowerDVD is only a 30-day trial with limited functionality. Even the paid version adds too much bloat, like being able to share on farcebook or titter what you are watching.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Ok.... guess I need to read the whole thread to see what that was about, but ok.

So, I haven't discussed any plots or charts in this thread, nor have I mentioned anything that could be related to them.
My point was I'm more the enjoyment of music than the science of it.

And not everything I say is meant in literal terms or as a personal attack ;-)

Additionally, not everyone wants a science lesson, they just want something that works for them to enjoy ;-) ;-) ;-)

Relax... :)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
Ok.... guess I need to read the whole thread to see what that was about, but ok.


My point was I'm more the enjoyment of music than the science of it.

And not everything I say is meant in literal terms or as a personal attack ;-)

Relax... :)
I wasn't trying to defend myself, just wasn't sure if I made my point clear. Just because I don't talk much about music, doesn't also mean that I enjoy listening to audio gear more than I enjoy listening music. lol The research I did about audio engineering and computer audio topics is at the basic level, for the most part. I did spend a lot of my time trying to investigate popular claims about sound quality, though. Being able to listen and connect to recorded music that satisfies me is also about forgetting that I am listening to a playback system.

Some types of distortions stand out more. Each time when they become prominent distractions, they prevent me from forgetting the audio gear, and, as a result I start to experience fatigue from having difficulty to keep track of the music flow, especially during those longer listening sessions. I often prefer listening to full albums, no random collection of tracks. This means that floating on the music uninterruptedly until an album finishes is doubly important to me. Bright sound (tipped-up and/or ephasized highs), a harsh top end, a weak bottom end or exaggerated/booming/monotonous bottom end, an unbalanced sound signature, veiled sound, recessed transients, etc., all just suck the life out of the music for me. TBH, it's just completely boring. But that's only me.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Sticking to the topic: "Best Media Player? ... That's an impossible question to answer as it really depends on what one wants from the app. Plus we all have our favorites based on "our" likes.

As I said earlier, the best is whatever suits your needs. And it doesn't have you looking elsewhere. That's me with JRiver for music.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
For music, foobar2000 with WASAPI and a few addons suits my needs and doesn't have me looking elsewhere. But that's only me, after having toyed with it for many months comparing it to various other options also including JRiver, the latter being an excellent choice for those who need to read all kinds of information about the music outside of just googling for this same information instead, which I don't need because... well, I only need to hear the music.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Deleted member 952, It's always important to acknowledge and thank those who have helped you in online communities. One way to do this is by using the like button located at the bottom of each post. By clicking on the like button, you can show your appreciation and support for the helpful content that others have shared with you. This small gesture can go a long way in encouraging people to continue contributing and sharing their knowledge with you and others in the community.

So, please remember to use the like button to show your gratitude and support to those who have helped you along the way. It's important to note that a "like" gives 1 point, "Helpful" gives 5 points, and for exceptional help, "Great support" gives 10 points.

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