Audio players

There are some alternatives for iTunes.

The information below is as supplied by the manufacturers website.

Amarra $ 695.00 USD

Amarra is the audiophile solution for high resolution playback. Amarra works alongside iTunes, or independently, ensuring the best sound possible from your computer.

• Ultimate in audiophile performance
• Supports up to 192 kHz sample rates
• Independent Playlist Window (iTunes not required)
• Double precision Sonic EQ
• Integrated native FLAC playback and conversion
• Automatic Sample Rate Adjustment
• RAM based CACHE playback for disk-free operation
• and much more...

Audirvana $74

Audirvana is a audiophile player for Mac OSX.

• Native playing of FLAC, libSndFile (WAV, AIFF, ...), ALAC and other quicktime formats (AAC, MP3, ...)
• Direct sound path, directly to the CoreAudio HAL for pure bit perfect sound
• Audio Device exclusive access mode
• HAL I/O using DAC native physical formats "Integer Mode" (instead of CoreAudio 32bit float)
• Automatic sample rate switching
• Up/Oversampling capability
• Plays completely from memory
• Tracks are loaded, decoded and sample rate converted in a memory buffer before being played
• Minimizing CPU and hard drive activity to lessen sources of interference
• Gapless playback by using a double buffering mechanism (playing track and next track)
• Transparent split load for loading tracks of any size
• Background tracks loading/decoding (including sample rate conversion)
• Playlist (m3u & m3u8 formats) load/save
• Handles Apple IR Remote
• Automated updates downloading (using Sparkle)

BitPerfect USD 5.49

BitPerfect is a simple, easy to use, audiophile grade music player that works with iTunes to deliver the highest possible sound quality.

• Unobtrusive, minimal UI
• Bit perfect output
• Exclusive (hog) mode
• Full memory playback with double-buffering to ensure continuous playback of large files
• Automatic sample rate switching
• Options for upsampling
• Gapless playback
• Integer mode (on supported DACs and supported versions of OSX)
• Support for sound check
• Playback from networked drives
• FLAC support (via Fluke or other 3rd party iTunes FLAC importers)

BitPerfect is for sale in the Mac App Store

Clementine

A cross-platform music player, works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Audio engine: Gstreamer

• Search and play your local music library.
• Listen to internet radio from Last.fm, SomaFM, Magnatune, Jamendo and Icecast.
• Create smart playlists and dynamic playlists.
• Tabbed playlists, import and export M3U, XSPF, PLS and ASX.
• CUE sheet support.
• Visualisations from projectM.
• Lyrics and artist biographies and photos.
• Transcode music into MP3, Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Speex, FLAC or AAC.
• Edit tags on MP3 and OGG files, organise your music.
• Fetch missing tags from MusicBrainz.
• Download missing album cover art from Last.fm.
• Native desktop notifications on Linux (libnotify) and Mac OS X (Growl).
• Remote control using a Wii Remote, MPRIS or the command-line.
• Copy music to your iPod, iPhone, MTP or mass-storage USB player.
• Queue manager.

Decibel

Decibel is an audio player tailored to the particular needs of audiophiles.

Decibel supports all popular lossless and lossy audio formats including FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Musepack, WavPack, Monkey's Audio, Speex, Apple Lossless, AAC, MP3, WAVE and AIFF.

For lossless formats such as FLAC and WAVE, and for Ogg Vorbis and specially tagged MP3 files, Decibel supports gapless playback with seamless transitions between tracks.

Decibel processes all audio using 64-bit floating-point precision, providing the highest possible playback quality for files sampled at all bit depths.

Decibel has an intentionally minimal user interface designed to be instantly intuitive and non-intrusive:

Ecoute $8

Ecoute is a standalone player based on your iTunes library. Fetch you Music, Movies, TV Shows and Podcasts!

Languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Enqueue $10

Playlist based interface.

Enqueue supports tagging and playback for many formats including mp3, mp4, aac, ogg, flac, wav, aiff, musepack and more.

Fidelia $ 19.99 (base) + 49.99 (advanced) USD

Elegant design

• Sleek Intuitive controls that contemporary Mac users demand
• Classically styled volume dial buffered by single-click Mute and Dim functions
• Individual track details, stereo levels and audio waveforms displayed in crisp, eye pleasing fashion with no superfluous trimmings

Powered by iZotope

• iZotope's industry-best sample rate conversion to achieve optimum sonic fidelity.
• Discerning listeners can select real-time audio dithering via iZotope's MBIT+ª technology.

Maxium formats

• Supports AIFF, WAV, CAF, MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, Ogg Vorbis, or FLAC formats
• Supports sample rates up to 192kHz and bit depths up to 32 bit floating point

Effects

• Audio Units and VST support
• Customize with up to three effects

Library

• Access your iTunes library
• Reformat and reorganize files from iTunes library
• Fidelia library

Foobar

Windows veteran Foobar has come to OSX.
Of course it is freeware.

Fluke

Fluke is a small utility for Mac OS that lets you play FLAC files right within iTunes.

Features

• 16bit/44.1KHz playback
• Multiple file and folder handling (the latter from command line only at the moment)
• Track number and count support

Max

Max is an application for creating high-quality audio files in various formats, from compact discs or files.

If you would like to convert your audio from one format to another, Max can read and write audio files in over 20 compressed and uncompressed formats at almost all sample rates and and in most sample sizes. For many popular formats the artist and album metadata is transferred seamlessly between the old and new files. Max can even split a single audio file into multiple tracks using a cue sheet.

Pure music $129,00 USD

• Based on Channel D's acclaimed Pure Vinyl audio playback engine
• Pure Music handles all music playback
• iTunes acts as database, playlist organizer, etc. but doesn't play the music
• Automatically docks with iTunes window
• Supports Apple Remote App for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch
• Automatic sample rate switching
• Gapless track playback and Memory Play
• Adjustable Dithered Volume Control
• Supports CoreAudio Compatible Sound Cards / DACs / Audio Interfaces.
• Supports all iTunes Compatible Audio File Formats
• Plays tracks from networked volumes
• Optional REAL-TIME 64-bit upsampling
• CoreAudio Device HOG Mode support
• Internal Audio Device Selection and Setup (or use Apple Audio MIDI Setup)
• Up to 384 kHz sample rate
• Supports AudioUnit Audio processing plug-ins (parametric EQs, etc.)
• Uncompressed audio streaming support (up to 192 kHz and up to four separate connections)
• 64-bit Adjustable 2/3/4-way Crossover with time alignment and minimum phase filters
• Our own proven, optimized algorithms - not built from a patchwork of "open source" software
• Native FLAC support
• High Quality File Sample Rate Converter (downsample high-resolution audio to 96, 88.2, 48 or 44.1 kHz / 16, 24, or 32 bit files)

Swinsian $ 19.95

A simple OS X music manager

• Gapless playback
• Supports Flac, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, AC3, AIFF and APE formats
• Automatic sample rate switching.
• Supports cue files and embedded cue information
• Plays protected iTunes AAC files

Vox

Freeware

Vox is a little and simple music player for Mac OS X with support for many file types, including FLAC, MP3, AAC, Musepack, Monkey's Audio, OGG Vorbis, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, IT, MOD, XM, Games Music and many others. Includes numerous effects like Equalizer, Reverb, Time Stretch, Pitch Shift, Echo. Moreover, all supported files can be exported to AAC+, Apple Lossless, WAV and other formats with enabled effects.

XLD

XLD (X Lossless Decoder) is a tool for Mac OS X that is able to decode/convert/play various 'lossless' audio files. The supported audio files can be split into some tracks with cue sheet when decoding. It works on Mac OS X 10.4 and later.

One of the few rippers on OSX supporting AccurateRip.

Settings are discussed here

1. Mac OS X Music Players - alternatives to iTunes - Currawong
2. 5 music-focused iTunes alternatives for Mac - Gigaom
3. A first test and some food for audio thought - Barry Diament