Why Switch from foobar2000 to Auris?
foobar2000 has been the go-to music player for audiophiles since 2002. It's powerful, lightweight, and sounds great. But let's be honest: it looks like it's from 2005, and getting it to do anything useful requires hours of plugin hunting, configuration, and UI tweaking.
Auris was built for audiophiles who want the same audio quality without the hassle. Everything that requires plugins in foobar2000 is built right into Auris.
What foobar2000 Users Will Love About Auris
- WASAPI Exclusive Mode - Same bit-perfect output path
- Gapless Playback - Seamless live albums and DJ mixes
- ReplayGain Support - Track and album modes
- Hi-Res Support - FLAC up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD64/128/256
- Modern Interface - Dark theme, album art, responsive design
- Works Out of the Box - No configuration required
The Key Difference
In foobar2000, you need to install foo_dr_meter, foo_r128norm, and foo_dsp_peq plugins separately. In Auris, DR meter, LUFS analysis, and parametric EQ are built-in from day one.
Auris vs foobar2000: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Auris | foobar2000 |
|---|---|---|
| DR Meter (Dynamic Range) | Built-in | Requires foo_dr_meter plugin |
| LUFS Meter | Built-in | Requires foo_r128norm plugin |
| Clipping Detection | Built-in | Not available |
| Parametric EQ | Full 10-band | Requires foo_dsp_peq plugin |
| AutoEQ Headphone Profiles | 5000+ profiles | Not available |
| BPM Detection | Built-in | Requires foo_bpm plugin |
| Key Detection | Built-in | Not available |
| WASAPI Exclusive | Yes | Yes (plugin) |
| Gapless Playback | Yes | Yes |
| Modern UI | Yes | Dated (2005) |
| Setup Time | None | Hours |
| Last.fm Scrobbling | Built-in | Requires plugin |
| Discord Integration | Built-in | Requires plugin |
Features Unique to Auris
DR Meter (Dynamic Range Analysis)
Auris is the only music player with a built-in Dynamic Range meter. Scan your entire library and discover which albums have the best mastering. DR14+ indicates audiophile-quality dynamics, while DR1-7 reveals loudness war victims. This helps you find the best-sounding versions of your favorite albums.
LUFS Meter with Clipping Detection
Measure integrated loudness exactly like streaming services do. Auris also detects inter-sample peaks and clipping in your library - something no other music player offers built-in.
AutoEQ Integration
Auris includes correction profiles for over 5,000 headphone models from the AutoEQ project. Select your headphones and instantly get a more neutral, accurate sound. Try doing that in foobar2000 without spending hours manually entering EQ values.
Library Quality Grading
Get an automatic S/A/B/C/D/F grade for your entire music library based on lossless ratio, hi-res content, bit depth distribution, and sample rates. How does your collection score?
What About foobar2000's Extensibility?
Yes, foobar2000's plugin system is powerful. But most audiophiles use the same 10-15 plugins, and setting them up takes significant time. Auris includes the most useful features out of the box:
- Audio analysis (DR, LUFS, clipping)
- Parametric EQ with AutoEQ
- BPM and key detection
- Crossfeed for headphones
- Last.fm scrobbling
- Discord Rich Presence
- Synchronized lyrics
- Tag editor with batch support
- Album art finder
- Duplicate track finder
If your workflow requires specific foobar2000 plugins, you might need both. But for most users, Auris provides everything needed without the configuration headache.
Ready to Try the Best foobar2000 Alternative?
Download Auris from the Microsoft Store and experience what a modern audiophile music player should be.
Download Auris