do players like Foobar improve sound of internet

RL,

Have you tried them all? With all possible configuration options?

Choose your analogy but I can assure you as a software/systems engineer with many years of experience that anything is possible and the specific reasons why there is a difference in any particular case may be buried in the implementation and never be known.

What one finds in practice may well be less divergent. Sticking to programs/devices designed to sound good is the best way to avoid clunkers. Same as buying better gear from makers that design with the goal of good sound in mind.

Mediamonkey is probably the worst I have heard so far but I have only listened to a handful via my main system where the differences can be easily heard.

Also realize that if you start off with a clunker streamer/player, nothing much else you do in a traditional sense to tweak the sound will help much, including a better DAC or connection to source. So there is potential to waste a lot of time and money with some software players/streamers.

With Foobar, they do tell you that you'll hear no difference between players. This is right from their web site.

"Does foobar2000 sound better than other players?

No. Most of “sound quality differences” people “hear” are placebo effect (at least with real music), as actual differences in produced sound data are below their noise floor (1 or 2 last bits in 16bit samples). foobar2000 has sound processing features such as software resampling or 24bit output on new high-end soundcards, but most of the other mainstream players are capable of doing the same by now."

I can hear differences between players, so I stopped using Foobar. A statement like that says to me, that they're not even going to try for better quality.

Supra usb

good eyes Zd and thanks I think I will cool it for now on the media players...

Zoot unfortunately the Supra does not have a mini plug option but it does get a great review on What HIFI