Vox for Mac User Reviews
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"Toolplayer plays it all"
Version: Vox 0.2.5
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
My biggest complaint about iTunes is it lack of codec support. Although I have been able to add a codec for oggvorbis, I have not found any way to implement flac, Monkey audio or Windows audio in iTunes, all of which I need to be able to play my diverse music collection. Even in beta (alpha?) release, Toolplayer is in many ways superior to iTunes and any other audio playback app on the Mac. This little app plays wav, aix, mp3, mp4, ogg, flac, ape, wa, along with many other types of less commonly encountered audio media. For example, VLC doesn't play Monkey audio nor unitary, multitrac flac files and has limited equalizer support. Cog won't play mp4-encoded files and has an annoying tendency to become corrupted over time, requiring a complete re-install. Toolplayer runs rings around both in its audio quality and memory foot print.
[As a quick aside, I wish Apple would get its act together vis-à-vis codec support in the iPods, especially the inclusion of flac, which is an open standard. I HATE having to rip music twice.]
I have 3 minor nits to pick with the program as it stands. There is no editable playlist; there is no shuffle function; and there is no graphic equalizer. As I listen to everything from early Renaissance and Baroque to jazz, hip-hop, and rock, a one-size-fits-all approach to sound quality really doesn't work well for me. Yes, there are programs I can add (like the program Hear), but they add complication and cost a fair bit of money. A shuffle feature would be nice to freshen up saved playlists (which is the only way currently to play more than one song at a time in this program). Finally, the very lack playlist functionality is the most glaring shortcoming of Toolplayer. I have to create playlists in a secondary app, such as Cog, iTunes or VLC in order to play music sets in Toolplayer. Since this is beta software, playlist functionality is presumable high on the developer's to-do list.
All in all, Toolplayer comes closest to the Winamp of any audio playback applications currently available for Mac OS X. It is free, but I encourage people to donate funds to the developer as both reward and encouragement for further development of work of what potentially may become the single most indispensable audio playback app on the Mac. -
"excelent!!!, just I miss a playlist."
Version: Vox 0.2.5
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
But please, not a playlist like itunes or all the other mac´s mp3 players. Just a simple one like the old and lovely winamp classic.
In all other aspects is a winner in mac :) -
"Best lightweight player for OSX"
Version: Vox 0.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
When I switched to Mac from Linux there was one application I couldn't find a replacement for and that was XMMS (WinAmp), sure there was a few apps doing the same thing but they all had the wrong feel, was abandomed, had horrible gui or.....
When I found ToolPlayer it was like early christmas, sure it was (still is) an early version which lacks lot of features but the author is working on them and 0.25 and l8er 0.3 promises alot.
The reason I use ToolPlayer rather than iTunes and the others featurerich apps are that it is small, lightweight, have a slick gui and it lets me plays my music without any hassle.
For you who have Leopard, the author has made a Leopard Version available through his forum:
http://www.alenofx.netsons.org/forum/topic.php?id=25
//PDa -
"Excellent player"
Version: Vox 0.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This is really a robust, stable, beautiful, small and optimized player with some unique fucntionality. The sound is excellent and the simplicity of it all is great while the thing runs rock solid.
The way you operate the thing is simple: just drag a file on the player and it plays the whole directory. You can skip tracks by pressing the forward or back button. Skip within the playing track by dragging the slider which also indicated the time (iTunes like operation).
For some it may lack a bit: no Last.fm support, no playlist management, not skinable (but why would you skin it anyway?).
Despite this it is still my favorit palyer, I use this to play all my music. Since roughly 95% of my collection exists of losless FLAC files.
I've tried other software like VLC, CogX, Play, Macamp Lite X and Songbird. All support FLAC but none (even not VLC!) is as stable as ToolPlayer. Quality wise (audio algorithm) VLC is it's biggest compititor but teh latest stable VLC doesn't even show the proper tracktime for FLAC's, skips in tracks and has a higher CPU load (5%). Songbird's CPU load is huge: 20%.
While Toolplayer only uses ~2%.
Highly recommended ! 10/10
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"Very handy music player"
Version: Vox 0.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
You can start ToolPlayer on a folder of music - mp3, flac - and it will play right through it. No need to import music and clog up the HD with duplicates. Simple, effective software - what more could you ask for? -
"Very handy music player"
Version: Vox 0.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
You can start ToolPlayer on a folder of music - mp3, flac - and it will play right through it. No need to import music and clog up the HD with duplicates. Simple, effective software - what more could you ask for? -
"Great to use as default player!"
Version: Vox 0.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This is a great music player to use for the default player, instead of iTunes. What is nice about this is that it quickly opens a tune and plays it, instead of importing it and adding it to library like iTunes does.
I also agree with the previous comment about allowing it to be either skinnable, or at least be able to use the default OSX appearance. Otherwise, this is an exceptionally nice app. -
"Brilliant"
Version: Vox 0.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This is one of the most briliant music players ever... Its a must and the must try is the time and pitch stretch options especially with Crazy Frog... Definitely 0.1, none of the main menu functions work, won't play iTunes purchased music which is a sad reflection on Apple considering this app is being advertised on the Apple web site... 5 stars... -
"Almost perfect"
Version: Vox 0.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This little app really does a great job and looks nice too.. Only thing i wish it had was a playlist capability..
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