do players like Foobar improve sound of internet

Check into the Wireworld USB cable line. Chroma can be had for $30. Next up line I believe is Starlight 5, ~$50.

Player software makes perhaps the single biggest difference in how music streamed from the internet sounds. Anything and everything both good and bad is possible depending on the software used to stream. It's even a bigger divergence potential than with record players running the gamut in sound quality from the cheapest ceramic cart players to the finest setups possible.

You want to go with software that others with diverse listening experience find to have good quality as well documented in various sites and forums.

Or use a device designed for high quality music streaming from top to bottom already like Bluesound, older Squeezebox, Plex, Sonos or many others that target the home audio or a/v consumer base specifically.

What is the biggest competition to Foobar?

Deadbeef

>> It's even a bigger divergence potential than with record players running the gamut in sound quality from the cheapest ceramic cart players to the finest setups possible. <<

Sorry, I ain't buying this. The differences between player software are marginal at best. Comparing a cheap-o Close N Play and a $100,000 turntable and cartridge rig to the differences in file streaming players is the worst sort of hyperbole. Please stop the ridiculous verbiage...

-RW-