2. digital
  3. 1348442004

What's your favorite Apple-based music program?

The J.River Media Center comes highly recommended and was at or near the top of most of TAS's sonic evaluations in their 4-part series about computer-based audio (Dec'11-Mar'12). However, looking over their website and some supporting forums, it appears that it's really a PC-based program. According to what I read on a JRM user forum, JRMC works on a Macintosh if you use Bootstrap to install Windows 7 and run it from there. That runs into a bunch more money and I'm not all that enamored of running the music software in a non-native mode.

OTOH, there's ChannelD's PureMusic. It's $129 vs. JRM's $50, but it's very Mac-friendly.

Any other insights, recommendations, or warnings? I just got an AQ Dragonfly asynchronous USB DAC and want to feed it the best data stream without spending several more hundreds of dollars. I also want to be able to download some 24/96 and 24/88.2 files from HDTracks, so the music-handling s/w has to be comfortable handling FLAC files on a MacBook Pro (OSX Mountain Lion).
johnnyb53
raytheprinter's avatar
raytheprinter
1,234 posts
 
Thanks Albert,Im looking forward to doing plenty of listening to JRiver next 24 days,heard many good things concerning the Windows version.
clio09
3,360 posts
 
Albert, I have uncompressed files and HD hirez files as well. I never had more than a few hundred CDs to begin with so 1TB should last a while. I feel fortunate I have not had to rip CDs from a huge library. I find cleaning records tedious enough as it is.

In general I am happy with Jriver bugs and all. Being in the software business most of my life I am used to bugs and bad UIs. At least Jriver has a nice UI. I suspect the Mac version will never be as good as the PC version though. As I said previously I will move over to a Linux based system eventually and that will require a new software package, although I hear Jriver is working on a Linux solution.
albertporter's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Raytheprinter
Thanks Albert,Im looking forward to doing plenty of listening to JRiver next 24 days,heard many good things concerning the Windows version.

JRiver is working on making the new Mac version 19 the equal of Windows version in every way, at least as far as music playback goes.

JRiver board posted the following about the upcoming revision:
MC18 Mac uses the Posix regular expression engine, which has limitations.

Our hope is for MC19 Mac to use the Boost regular expression engine, the same as Windows.

Perhaps this is why the Mac version works well but perhaps not 100% on sonics? We shall soon see, the new version is due in the next few weeks and I've already paid for mine.
albertporter's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Clio09
Albert, I have uncompressed files and HD hirez files as well. I never had more than a few hundred CDs to begin with so 1TB should last a while.

Understood.
In general I am happy with Jriver bugs and all. Being in the software business most of my life I am used to bugs and bad UIs. At least Jriver has a nice UI. I suspect the Mac version will never be as good as the PC version though.

I have absolutely no gripe about JRiver software, everything they promised it would do, is working on my rig.

Even the iPad application that replaces Apple Remote works perfect. In fact it's superior to the genuine Apple Remote. While listening you can access artist info and technical data by pressing a button.

This does not have to be entered by the user, It's done via internet and avoids searching for the CD jacket for info.

Last, If the Windows version is an absolutely must have, then I'll add a partition to my HD and buy a copy of Windows.

Macs also run Linux so whatever works, but I plan on leaving well enough alone until JRiver updates are complete before final judgement.

My only objection is the high frequencies, perhaps that will be resolved with implementation and coding for the new Boost regular expression engine.
clio09
3,360 posts
 
Funny the Jremote app is where I encounter many issues I have had with Jriver. Sometimes the album art is screwed up and sometimes I can't switch songs. A quick Jriver reboot fixes that. I will need to look into the functions you mentioned. Haven't found those yet.
More to discover