Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Nash on January 24, 2005, 09:57:20 PM

Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Nash on January 24, 2005, 09:57:20 PM
I'm using Winamp... but I am becoming convinced that it is so totally messing up the sound.

I'm not sure how the software works for playing these, but are all players the same as far as sound quality goes, or do they each have some form of built in EQ?

If they're different, what do you recommend? Forget all the little features or if the interface looks like something out of freakin' Blade Runner - how's the sound when EQ is flatlined is all I care about.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Masherbrum on January 24, 2005, 10:19:09 PM
I USED to use Winamp exclusively.  I now use Windows Media Player 10.  Winamp is a resource hog to the 10th degree.   I rip CD's on my hard drive to 192Khz.   You rip at 128Khz?   I rarely use EQ's.   They just "color" the sound even worse.

Karaya
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Nash on January 24, 2005, 10:23:12 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Masherbrum
You rip at 128Khz? Karaya


Well no, I'm playing CD's of the store-bought variety. Maybe I'm making a mistake playing them through Winamp? I'm clueless here.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Dago on January 24, 2005, 10:47:55 PM
I run DFX with Winamp, allows much better sound.  Winamp kinda sad without it.

dago
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: NUKE on January 24, 2005, 10:51:58 PM
Nash, I just did a little experiment.

Opened a Sheryl crow CD in Windows Media player.....disabled the EQ and listened to a track that I know how it's supposed to sound.

The kick and bass was boomy, whole thing really compressed sounding

I then opened it with RealPlayer. 10 times better. Just the software was the difference. Maybe try a few and see what sounds best.

But I hate the way CD's lose their dynamics running through a computer anyway.......can't stand it.

I play through a CD player, direct into a little Mackie board and into some powered speakers. You can really tell how much the computer screws up the sound when you side by side them.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: JB88 on January 24, 2005, 10:55:39 PM
i use either i-tunes, or musicmatch.

they both sound pretty decent to me...but then i am not overly gifted in the dumbo department.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: SunKing on January 24, 2005, 11:06:24 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Dago
I run DFX with Winamp, allows much better sound.  Winamp kinda sad without it.

dago


What is DFX? got a link?
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Nash on January 24, 2005, 11:15:15 PM
Quote
Originally posted by SunKing
What is DFX?


I just went and installed DFX. It's a plug-in for Winamp. Kinda like a slightly adjustable set of EQ presets.

Things like "ambience", "dynamic boost", "hyper bass". Then basically pull sliders to determine how much of each you want applied.

So it's not really what I'm gettin' at. Almost the complete opposite in fact. :)

Is there a difference in sound quality - purely unmolested sound quality - between the different players?
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Nash on January 24, 2005, 11:20:11 PM
Nuke - interesting.

I'll give that a try. But it's been my personal observation that RealPlayer behaves in ways that I've come to associate with the much ballyhoo'd internet computer viruses.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: SOB on January 25, 2005, 12:06:17 AM
Yeah, just say no to RealAnything.  It's just not worth it.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: NUKE on January 25, 2005, 12:12:20 AM
SOB, I've never had a problemn with it. I run Zone Alarm and realplayer doesn't try to do anything funny that I've ever seen.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: SOB on January 25, 2005, 12:19:02 AM
If they've removed the spyware crap from their product, then good for them.  I still won't be using anything produced by their company.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Sandman on January 25, 2005, 12:23:19 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Masherbrum
I USED to use Winamp exclusively.  I now use Windows Media Player 10.  Winamp is a resource hog to the 10th degree.


Which is why I'm still using WinAmp 2.8
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Nash on January 25, 2005, 12:32:53 AM
Who cares about hogged resources?

Which one sounds the best?

Or is the actual process by which an MP3/CD is translated into audible sounds the same, no matter what yer running them through?

Are the only choices really between WinAmp, Windows and RealPlayer?
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: NUKE on January 25, 2005, 12:39:56 AM
Nash, they do not all sound the same.

I couldn't tell you which is best, but they do not all sound the same.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: NUKE on January 25, 2005, 12:43:44 AM
Nash, think of the player as a signal processor. The .cda file has to be converted and eventually end up as an analog signal......and the software is the signal processor, along with your sound card.

The software and the sound card are going to color that signal.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: rpm on January 25, 2005, 12:50:14 AM
Did'nt we have a discussion on alternatives to Real and some other media players the other night? I seem to recall a player called UnReal or something that has none of the side effects of RealPlayer.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Masherbrum on January 25, 2005, 09:32:14 AM
LMAO.  You guys are bi^&hing more than the guys in my Home Theater forum.  Keep it up please.  

All Winamps are resource hogs.   Take your pick, they all suck.   It has more to do with your SPEAKERS than the programs.    

Karaya
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Estes on January 25, 2005, 09:37:10 AM
Quote
Originally posted by JB88
i use either i-tunes, or musicmatch.

they both sound pretty decent to me...but then i am not overly gifted in the dumbo department.


I use Musicmatch as well. not the basic, I bought the pro and all future upgrades a long time ago.

Sounds really good to me, but I have high quality speakers. And I never cared for Winamp.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Saintaw on January 25, 2005, 09:47:20 AM
I'm using mediamonkey for the features, but for the plain sound, I use Media player lite (find it on sourceforge). i think it comes in the rawest form possible.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: lada on January 25, 2005, 09:53:20 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Saintaw
I'm using mediamonkey


monkey monkey monkey :D

Im using winamp in evil OS and Xmms at Godlike OS.... btw im sitting in front of the computer with Evil Os right now and winamp is running about 5 hours and it still take only 2.3 Mb of memorry....

Whitch of your resources has been consumed by winamp ?
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Masherbrum on January 25, 2005, 10:10:37 AM
lada, Winamp uses more memory than Media Player.  Google the chit, I don't have time to argue with you whilst you continually edit your 3 sentence posts.

What's funny about this whole thing is it's a program, it WON'T color the sound,  it isn't a Receiver.   The two cannot be compared.  This is between the file played to the end result out of the speakers.  Bottom line.   If some use the EQ, they ARE coloring the sound.  

Karaya
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Masherbrum on January 25, 2005, 10:12:55 AM
Btw, I used to fly AH with Winamp going at all times.  AH ran like chit, switched to Media Player on a recommendation, AH ran smoother.   Windows Media Players runs smoother in the background than Winamp on it's best day.

Karaya
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: JB73 on January 25, 2005, 10:36:20 AM
i still use winamp 2.81

have not found a better, cleaner interface (which is most important to me) i hate gaudy bubbly looking windoze media player. i refuse to have anything the with the word "real" on my PC. quicktime sucks, and can't manage playlists at all.

btw this is the skin i use, though i darkened up the fonst, and the backlight in the playlist editor

(http://img.www1.1001skins.com/skins/1971.big.png)
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: lada on January 25, 2005, 12:18:56 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Masherbrum
lada, Winamp uses more memory than Media Player.  Google the chit, I don't have time to argue with you whilst you continually edit your 3 sentence posts.
 


lol Karaya you better stop talking BS, coz you have no clue.

memory consumtion by winamp and wmplayer on the top (http://stat.el-cha.cz/winamp.JPG)

wmplayer after 40 seconds of running on the top (http://stat.el-cha.cz/wmplayer.JPG)

Both of them minimized, playing from the same source (http://stat.el-cha.cz/both.JPG)

Both played same URL.

Since 5Mb is < that 9 Mb
2M are < that 7 Mb

Are you drunk or what ?



edit: yeah sorry i had to correct aoubt->about & at->in

but for sure it makes me a terrorist and i made those pictures in photoshop


you better do not use google nor computer at all... and if you dont belive me, just google that watermelon  :D
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: lada on January 25, 2005, 12:22:50 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Masherbrum
Btw, I used to fly AH with Winamp going at all times.  AH ran like chit, switched to Media Player on a recommendation, AH ran smoother.   Windows Media Players runs smoother in the background than Winamp on it's best day.

Karaya


well this is another brain related matter.


Baaaaaaa baaaaa baaaa this program doesnt work ... muuummmyyyyyy baaaaaa.

its broken ! bloody programmers.... what a POS....

Ahhh... there are some settings... ummmmm ... i better uninstall it, coz i already claimed it BS.. .... yeah .. damm im soo good and those programmers are sutch dweebs

:D
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: SOB on January 25, 2005, 03:02:44 PM
It is also going to matter quite a bit what version you are using.  Winamp 2.xx or Winamp 5.xx.  Version 5.xx uses a hell of a lot more memory than 2.xx does.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: lada on January 25, 2005, 03:09:17 PM
Winamp 5.0.1 lite or something like that.
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Masherbrum on January 25, 2005, 11:01:28 PM
Quote
Originally posted by SOB
It is also going to matter quite a bit what version you are using.  Winamp 2.xx or Winamp 5.xx.  Version 5.xx uses a hell of a lot more memory than 2.xx does.


2.95?

Karaya
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: JB73 on January 25, 2005, 11:35:11 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Masherbrum
2.95?

Karaya
go back to 2.81


i can email it if you need.....

most basic and clean version i have found
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: JB73 on January 25, 2005, 11:38:16 PM
FYI my 2.81 is using currently 8,456K after running over an hour AND shuffling through 7+ GB on 3 virtual / 2 seperate physical hard drives

that's WITH using a custom skin for visualization, and custom visualizations on the skin
Title: MP3 Players
Post by: Sandman on January 25, 2005, 11:43:08 PM
WinAmp 2.81 (http://www.webmasterfree.com/software/MediaTools/MP3Players/winamp_2.81.html)