where cna i get CoolPlayer from and EAC for free?

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Well.. Google is a good place to start, but since you're lazy...

Cool Player
http://sourceforge.net/project/show...?group_id=31900

MAD plug-in for Winamp
http://www.mars.org/home/rob/proj/mpeg/mad-plugin/

I'm still using Winamp b/c I don't have time to reprogram my remote control for Cool Player, but I am using the MAD plugin. There IS a quality difference between the MAD plugin and Winamp stock decoder! I can tell a difference even on the @#$% speakers I have at work.

Hey, when did we get the new smilies?

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hmm.. it doesn't sound any better to me..

in fact, it sounds a little worse..

my sound card is not the best..

i think all this audiophile stuff is nuts.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith hmm.. it doesn't sound any better to me.. in fact, it sounds a little worse.. my sound card is not the best.. i think all this audiophile stuff is nuts.

Which version did you get, the latest?

Is coolplayer set to 'Cooler Wave mapper'? Try right clicking on cool player, going to options, and selecting that under 'output'?

What are your speakers? What is your sound card?

What bitrate are your mp3's? What sort of mp3's are they? Do you have any high bitrate mp3's? What about high quality (exact audio copy ripped and lame encoded high bitrate) mp3's? Heck, I can easily tell the difference between Direct Sound output of coolplayer and Cooler Wave mapper and winamp...

Also, this is exact audio copy:

http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

no, i didn't download coolplayer.

i am happy with winamp. it doesn't drain my resources, i never use the minibrowser, and i like having visualization stuff sometimes..

but, i did download the mad mp3 plugin, as that was supposed to make winamp sound as good.

but, i can't tell a difference.


i listened to a few mp3s, some 128, a few 192, some vinyl rips.

sounds pretty much the same to me.

Did you read the readme? You have to move one of the .dll's out of the way (so winamp doesn't use it), put the right mad dll in it's place, and set mad's options...

yep, i read the readme. it said you can just take the checkboxes off of MP1, MP2, and MP3 and that will disable it.

but, now i am trying to take the entire dll out.

i did it while a song was playing, so obviously it wasn't in use.
it still don't sound any different.

my ears are probably just shot.

my soundcard is a Creative AudioPCI

something like a soundblaster, but not as good i guess.

going straight into my optimus nova403 headphones, which i personally love.

Uh... your sound card and headphones are holding that back, big time...

If you like optimus headphones, try the Optimus Pro/45's at Radio Shack. Those are the same as the Koss SportaPro's, which are some of the best inexpensive headphones out there! They have incredible bass, and can be worn normally or like 'streetstyle' headphones. They are some of the best sports headphones on the planet, too...

Go pick some up, they have KILLER sound quality....

And your sound card is REALLY holding you back, friend...

Anything would be better. You can get a used Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, which is, imo, the best recording/dvd/music/gaming sound card (ie, the best jack of all trades), for $45 online... and $58 new. Try one of those, it will be worth it!

That, along with some free recording, studio, or dj software, and you would have a NICE beginning studio!!

thanks gluegun, i trust you, i know the bottleneck is in my equipment, not the encoding schemes..

i think these one's sound SWEET already, and i hate the street style headphones. i need ones i can DJ with. i plugged these into a DJM600, and damn, they sounded good. better than sony or technics ones..

but, if i AM going to upgrade headphones, i think i will go for the sennheisers.

as for soundcard, it's what came in my computer.. sounds aiight to me.

i have heard a lot about this turtle beach santa cruz, i think i might have to pick one up.

that is still an internal card though right? how does it stack up against a soundblaster Extigy?