Archive for Software

J. River Media Center 14 Review

music software review

About half a year ago I did a series of reviews covering free music software applications, ranging from the free versions of commercial software to software that is free to begin with. My favorite application back then was J. River Music Jukebox, a stripped down free version of J. River Media Center. Since it was in my opinion the best mainstream application out there it’s only fair that I also take a look at the paid version. If the free version is good, the paid version should be even better, right? Read on for a review of J. River Media Center 14. Please note that since MC14 and MJ12 share a lot of features, parts of the review are similar or identical to the MJ12 review, so I suggest reading the other review first as a reference.

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Spotify Review

It’s kinda ironic to be sitting in Norway and writing reviews that are US only. Proxies are nice tools to get around IP restrictions, but it’s also an extra hassle to go through if you’re relying on the service for daily use. Spotify is one of few services that actually started in Europe and is slowly spreading out, so for once I can write a review without having to fake my location.

Napster (Beta) Review

While most services have always been legitimate, some have found that path after years of a bit more…interesting business models. Yes, I’m talking about Napster, which is now a legitimate service owned by Best Buy. It takes a different approach than some of the other services, but how well does that work?

Audible Review

Media comes in various shapes and forms. So far I’ve mostly looked at music services, but as a heavy audio books user myself I couldn’t ignore taking a look at some audio books providers as well. The obvious starting point is the service I myself have used for years; Audible.

Rhapsody Review

Buying music isn’t the only option these days and you can “rent” it from a subscription service for a pretty decent monthly fee. Rhapsody is one such service that also offers to sell you the tracks as MP3 if you want to keep them. Read on for a review.

eMusic Review

With Amazon MP3 and iTunes out of the way- the two immediate giants in the music store world- it’s time to turn to some of the smaller services. First off is eMusic.

iTunes Music Store Review

You might wonder what anything with “iTunes” in the title is doing on a site called Anything but iPod. Well, iTunes made the leap from DRM to DRM free earlier this year, and suddenly the biggest digital music store was open for use with any MP3 player- not only the iPod. 11 million songs and international (albeit not global) availability sounds like a killer combination, but how well does it work for non-iPod MP3 players?

Amazon MP3 Review

Having gone through an reviewed some of the most popular music organization applications for MP3 players it’s time to turn to the other part of the equation: how to get a hold of media in the first place. Amazon MP3 is the first in a series of reviews that will test to see what media stores offer the best value for money, has the best selection and the best overall experience.

Music Software Review Roundup

Software

music software review

Now that the major players (some pun intended) in the field have all been reviewed, it’s time to take a look at them all and decide which is the recommended choice for music organization software.

J. River Media Jukebox 12 Review

music software review

One of the most commonly suggested applications to review on ABi>> has been J. River’s software. Unfortunately the Media Center software is $50 and I therefore ignored it at first. Then someone linked to the free Media Jukebox, a stripped down version of the software that will only do music. Read on to see if it’s stripped down too much or still has a chance of scoring some points.

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abi Editor's Choice

SanDisk Sansa Clip+

The Clip+ has a fantastic little form factor; somewhat cheap in build quality but very rugged. The interface is simple and relatively straightforward. The features on the Clip are more or less average, however it supports the alternative Rockbox firmware which provides tons of additional options (gapless playback, Replaygain, playlists, Last.fm scrobbling, etc). Read the full review or go ahead and buy it.
Cowon J3

The J3 is a fantastic PMP with a very nice AMOLED screen and tons of features. It sports Cowon's trademark BBE sound enhancements, and offers a customizable user interface with strong support by our user community. You can usually find it at Amazon for the best price - and don't forget to check out our review.
Microsoft Zune HD

Sure, many of us are not big fans of the walled garden, but there are a lot of great things going on with the Zune: sturdy hardware, ultra easy to use user interface, and a media player that is worthy of Editor’s Choice. You can check out our Zune HD review or stop by our Zune forums for the latest info and gossip.
Phonak Audéo PFE

Phonak Audéo PFE offer outstanding clarity and precision; natural, dynamic mids and treble, and decent bass for a single armature in-ear phone. They handle dense, complex music very well. The PFE work well with most acoustic and some electronic music genres, but bassheads might have to look at other alternatives. They're great for sports as well, since they fit very securely. Check out our review.
Hippo VB

The Hippo VB (Variable Bass) offers a serious subwoofer for on the go, right in your head. They don’t just deliver generous quantities of punchy, textured bass, but good audio quality over the whole frequency range with decent clarity and exceptional soundstage. Exchangeable bass ports let you customize their sound to your liking. Read our in-depth Hippo VB review.
Soundmagic E10 / E30

The Soundmagic E10 and E30 are basically right in the middle between the Phonak PFE and Hippo VB - not too analytical sounding, not too bass heavy. The E10 provide a bit more bass, the E30 a bit more clarity. Both come with a very fair price tag considering the sound quality they deliver - a great choice for the audio aficionado on a budget. Read our E10 and E30 reviews for more info.