Need Advice Re Quality MP3 / WMA Player

[shawnc]

I have quite a few files stored on a 1G MD. They are all either MP3 or WMA. I would like a media player that plays those two formats and it doesn't have to be freeware. I would like one that allows me to control bass/treble setting (equalizer) and is better quality than the MS default player.

Now that I have a better understanding of media files, whenever I "rip" music I always us WMA. However most of my older stuff is MP3. I don't want to convert from MP3 to WMA since I tried this once and the quality of the converted WMA was horrible.

Not really interested in Ogg as this simply adds an additional variable to the mix.

Any suggestions? Let me restate, any suggestions that do not include the phrase "do a search on this site" :D .

Thanx,

[Janak Parekh]

WMA is not your answer. There are no third-party WMA players available on the Pocket PC.

As for MP3, there's WithMP3, PocketMusic, iPlay, and a couple of others that I can't remember right now. If you want the links, do a search ;)

--janak

[Buddha]

I have to agree with Janak, MP3 (or OGG) is your answer, not WMA. there are several players that support both these formats but not WMA (and I'm not going in a debate if WMA is better than MP3 or OGG hehe, it isn't :twisted: )

Players that play MP3 and OGG:
WinamPAQ (http://www.projecteam.org/phpwiki/index.php/WinamPAQ%20-%20PDS)
GSPlayer2 1.75a (http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA032810/gsp.htm)
PocketMVP (http://home.adelphia.net/~mdukette/downloads.html)

All 3 have equalizers (for MP3 only though)

I seem to remember that WithMP3 was going to come out with a plugin or something, to play WMA, but I think you shouldn't hold breath on that one as since then still no plugin has been announced.

[beckp]

I use withMP3, very slick but no WMA support. You've got 10 band equalizer for your tone adjustment needs. Registration entry is like gaining Pentagon access, lot's of fields to input. A little overkill .........

[shawnc]

If you want the links, do a search ;)
--janak

Janak,

LOL :D , thanx for the tip.

[shawnc]

All,

Thanx for the excellent advice. The only reason I use WMA is convenience. I have W/XP and it allows me to create WMA files very easily. I'm pretty sure it allows me to create MP3, but I don't think it supports OGG.

So my options are to use MP3 (which I thought was an inferior format, hence the need for WMA) or buy a seperate ripper to create OGG files. Then convert my WMA's to OGG since it sounds as though most players support both MP3 and OGG.

Let me know if I've missed something.

Thanx again,

[Buddha]

You could try 'dBpowerAMP Music Converter', a program that is free and has plugins, which allows you to make MP3s and OGGs (and yes even WMAs hehe) pretty easily from any given sound file. (so you can convert your WMA's to something else with it aswell if you need to.)

When you use it in conjunction with an add-on called 'dMc File Selector', it allows you basically, to just select all the files you want to convert and have a cup of tea. :)

All this can be found here: http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm


Good Luck

[shawnc]

When you use it in conjunction with an add-on called 'dMc File Selector', it allows you basically, to just select all the files you want to convert and have a cup of tea. :)

All this can be found here: http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm


Good Luck

Buddha,

Me likes the way this sounds :D . Thanx for the help.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

So my options are to use MP3 (which I thought was an inferior format, hence the need for WMA) or buy a seperate ripper to create OGG files. Then convert my WMA's to OGG since it sounds as though most players support both MP3 and OGG.
WMA is only superior to MP3 at 96kbps and under. MP3 is the better choice at 128kbps and above... and of course, OGGs are better than both at *all* bitrates.

The product mentioned by another poster, dBPowerAmp, is a great freeware product for ripping or converting files. CDex is another freeware app that many posters here use. Either work as great alternatives to WMP if you're interested.

[Rirath]

Ogg, go with ogg. Unbeatable size, unbeatable quality. Use WinamPaq, posted awhile back.

[shawnc]

I've said it before, I love this site. People helping people they don't even know.

Thanx to all for the advice.

[don dre]

I know MusicMatch also supports Ogg and is free for your desktop.

[jeffmd]

download pocketmvp (www.pocketmvp.com)

useing the MAD engine for mp3, and supporting ogg, its the best music player for pocket pc sound quality wise.

if you wanna go more for flash, I recomend winampaq. Its a good mp3 player that supports winamp 2.x skins, so you can use some really nice skins with it. you can find it at http://www.projecteam.org/phpwiki/index.php/WinamPAQ