Like Songbird,
Foobar2000 allows third-party sources to create add-ons to extend
the functionality of the program. Foobar2000 can play a wide
variety of formats, including Ogg Vorbis and FLAC--formats iTunes
does not support. The player has high-quality sound output with
support for ReplayGain, an algorithm that maintains consistent
playback volume of audio files. You can also rip CDs and convert
audio files into another format, like a playlist for example, using
the Converter component.
If you are looking for a player that's heavy on aesthetics and
visualization, you might want to look elsewhere. Foobar2000 has a
minimalist interface, which you can customize according to how you
want to organize and view your media library.
As Foobar2000 notes on its site, this is an "advanced"
media player, meaning that it isn't as user-friendly as iTunes. In
terms of audio quality, however, it is superior to the ubiquitous
player. Download Foobar2000 and learn its basic functions before
you begin downloading the optional components.
Your download is about to begin. Once it starts, you can continue to browse other features at PCWorld. If the download doesn't begin automatically within a few seconds,
click here.
