Am I the only one who hates iTunes 11?

[NightStorm]

Originally Posted by netdog

Amazon has long offered 320kb MP3s. They seem to have plenty of demand.

Every MP3 I have ever purchased from Amazon has been 256kbps MP3, not 320kbps. To be sure nothing had changed, I re-downloaded a couple (from different albums) and received the same 256kbps MP3 that I had before.

[netdog]

Hmm, I was sure they offered 320. Maybe not.

Anyway, we got sidetracked into this topic by someone asking what problem I had with iTunes sound where I really started this thread to discuss the software end of things.

While I have found that I can retain a lot of my old views into my library, I still am finding that iTunes (the app) is being dumbed down. You didn't used to have to dig for the tools to make it more powerful and, but now you do. I am not seeing the new iTunes view of our media as anything but clumsy eye-candy.

[designs216]

I'm not crazy about it either. Rather than forcing us to learn a new UI, I would have rather Apple fixed bugs and improved the overall performance. Does anyone know if they repaired that glitch where iTunes forgets where the Media folder is?

[mackandproud]

There is a positive to be taken away here.

In returning to IT10, I found the interface to be rather drab looking, in comparison to the bright and garish IT11. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I found myself.

Searched around for alternatives to itunes, and found fidelia, songbird and ironically, vlc.

Fidelia is $20, and slightly slow in it's responses. A maybe. Songbird is a rather sad resource hog. But VLC, hoo boy! It sounds so much better than itunes!!!!!!

Fidelia sounds a touch better as well.

Anyway, it's nice to know I have legitimate alternatives to IT, with it's severely compromised audio quality. VLC is obviously not as user friendly, but the AQ is a huge step up.

This debacle has yielded fruit, finally, in the most unlikely of places. Thank you Apple?

[tkermit]

Originally Posted by mackandproud

it's nice to know I have legitimate alternatives to IT, with it's severely compromised audio quality.

I'm glad that you're satisfied with another application, but with all due respect, that statement of yours is BS. Something might have been wrong with your configuration, maybe you had the sound "enhancement" option turned on or something, but you can provably achieve bit-perfect playback using iTunes (I myself have indeed made sure that's the case).

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by tkermit

I'm glad that you're satisfied with another application, but with all due respect, that statement of yours is BS. Something might have been wrong with your configuration, maybe you had the sound "enhancement" option turned on or something, but you can provably achieve bit-perfect playback using iTunes (I myself have indeed made sure that's the case).

Correct. iTunes has no problem doing bit perfect playback. If there is a sound difference it's because VLC is doing something to the sound.

[mackandproud]

Originally Posted by tkermit

I'm glad that you're satisfied with another application, but with all due respect, that statement of yours is BS. Something might have been wrong with your configuration, maybe you had the sound "enhancement" option turned on or something, but you can provably achieve bit-perfect playback using iTunes (I myself have indeed made sure that's the case).

No. The sound enhancement is off. The equalizer is off (and set at o decibels flat in any case).

VLC is far superior, and it's not even close. I dare you to try for yourself.

1. open vlc
2. click on 'file', then 'open file.'
3. click on browse
4. choose itunes music

All of your music will be imported. I could tell the difference immediately. VLC is louder, brighter, has more punch, better stereo separation and better air. The difference is really ridiculous.

I like fidelia better as well.

[NT1440]

Originally Posted by netdog

Having used iTunes 11 for a bit, I thought I'd come here and find dozens of threads trashing it. Truth be told, I was hoping to get the opportunity to join in the venting and to pick up some ticks.

Anyway, I am not seeing those threads, so I am forced to create one.

Am I the only one who hates the way that the interface has been dumbed down?

I have a pretty large music library, something over 23,000 songs, and the amount of data to browse through and sort by was really useful.

Now I find that the app is really designed to be browsed like a jukebox full of covers, and accessing the amount of data I used to seems pretty challenging. When I see, for instance, that I have a song both in the cloud and locally being offered in my local library, I have to jump through little hoops to see which is higher resolution etc.

Am I missing something or has 11 brought us iTunes for Dummies? Or am I the dummy who just doesn't know how to use the app yet, and really it's brilliant?

HELP

Enable the sidebar and you're almost EXACTLY where the interface was with 10....

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by mackandproud

No. The sound enhancement is off. The equalizer is off (and set at o decibels flat in any case).

VLC is far superior, and it's not even close. I dare you to try for yourself.

1. open vlc
2. click on 'file', then 'open file.'
3. click on browse
4. choose itunes music

All of your music will be imported. I could tell the difference immediately. VLC is louder, brighter, has more punch, better stereo separation and better air. The difference is really ridiculous.

I like fidelia better as well.

Great, you like equalized music. That's fine. The sound enhancement and equalizer is not off, if they are set at flat, they are doing nothing to the sound, which allows you to hear what the mastering engineer intended. It's not a matter of opinion; as tkhermit says, it is provably bit perfect.

[mackandproud]

Originally Posted by Mackilroy

Post deleted by moderator

I'm not happy about the amount of time I wasted "updating" to 11, and then reverting to 10.

However, I am pleased by the fact that I found some nice alternatives to IT. This includes fidelia and VLC. What's nice about VLC is that it's:

1. it's a free player already on my computer

2. sounds far, far, far better than itunes. I was in bliss listening to music on vlc for a couple of hours, amazed at the quality. I switched back and forth between IT and VLC, and VLC smokes IT. I have no use for IT as a music player any longer.

Another nice aspect of VLC is that I have two versions installed on my computer and I switch back and forth at will, or have both versions open at once, depending upon my preferences. Obviously impossible with IT.

You guys can go on defending IT all you want, and criticizing those who criticize it.

But the bottom line is, if you enjoy listening to music, VLC is THE way to go!

All of these calls for critics to be more "reasonable" are just desperate attempts at soft censorship.

You all are emotionally invested in this stupid company, and it hurts your feelings when others aren't as drunk on the koolaid as you all are.

Apple's ability to produce hardware and software that is pleasing to use has declined precipitously. Sure, there's some small chance of a miraculous turn-around. But the majority of evidence suggests that apple consists of lost, bumbling goofs.

[tkermit]

Originally Posted by mackandproud

VLC is louder, brighter, has more punch, better stereo separation and better air.

I frankly don't hear a difference (and wouldn't expect to). Neither am I interested in having a software application modify the music to sound louder,brighter,more punchy or airier unless I specifically tell it to. I'd like to hear something that's as close to the originally recorded sound as possible, or at least to the sound that the sound engineer intended for me to hear. In that regard, iTunes fulfills its duties by providing me with a bit-perfect audio stream going to the DAC (at least in so far as 44.1khz/16bit files are concerned).

[mackandproud]

Originally Posted by tkermit

I frankly don't hear a difference (and wouldn't expect to). Neither am I interested in having a software application modify the music to sound louder,brighter,more punchy or airier unless I specifically tell it to. I'd like to hear something that's as close to the originally recorded sound as possible, or at least to the sound that the sound engineer intended for me to hear. In that regard, iTunes fulfills its duties by providing me with a bit-perfect audio stream going to the DAC (at least in so far as 44.1khz/16bit files are concerned).

My guess is that VLC is simply playing back songs louder. However, Fidelia sounds slightly better than itunes as well. It could very well be a placebo effect.

I'm simply pleased that I have multiple alternatives to itunes. I still use itunes to listen to the radio or audiobooks, where sound quality is not really critical.

I like the look of IT11, but not it's functionality. I like the functionality of 10, but not it's look. And neither sounds as good to me as VLC or Fidelia.

It's interesting that those replying are coming back with a theoretical argument and have not made any attempt to actually try VLC or fidelia for themselves. Kool Aid for the masses...

[jon3543]

Originally Posted by mackandproud

What's nice about VLC is that it's:

1. it's a free player already on my computer

2. sounds far, far, far better than itunes. I was in bliss listening to music on vlc for a couple of hours, amazed at the quality. I switched back and forth between IT and VLC, and VLC smokes IT. I have no use for IT as a music player any longer.

Originally Posted by mackandproud

My guess is that VLC is simply playing back songs louder. However, Fidelia sounds slightly better than itunes as well. It could very well be a placebo effect.

Why would anyone with a brain in their head investigate your nonsense? For brevity, I clipped a bunch of your even dumber opinions, hard as it to believe you can be dumber and a bigger crank than is evident from what I did quote.

[tkermit]

Originally Posted by mackandproud

It's interesting that those replying are coming back with a theoretical argument and have not made any attempt to actually try VLC or fidelia for themselves. Kool Aid for the masses...

I've not only tried VLC and Fidelia but also Audirvana, Amarra, BitPerfect,Vox, Cog and a few others. I've also conducted Null Tests comparing iTunes with BitPerfect, Audirvana and Amarra proving (to myself) that their output bit stream to the DAC is identical. I still use BitPerfect from time to time due to its ability to automatically change the output sample rate depending on the currently playing song's sample rate, so that there's no conversion involved (even though the degradation in sound quality would almost certainly not be noticeable).

[mackandproud]

Several in this thread claim that there is a difference in sound quality using bitperfect:

http://hddaudio.net/viewtopic.php?id=3637&p=3

Some note it's most likely due to a difference in sound levels. I think that's the most likely explanation. Nonetheless, I prefer VLC. The klutziness of 11, and the drab appearance of 10 and my generally disdain for itunes now, lead me to VLC as a very pleasant alternative. 0.9, that is.

You can use whatever you like. IT has turned me off to apple generally speaking. It's sad to witness their decline after watching their meteoric rise. But the toxic mix of arrogance, confusion and incompetence are inevitably leading apple down a path of frequent public embarrassments, one after the other.

They have done a magnificent job of breaking things that worked perfectly well in the past, and 11 is their crowning achievement in that regard, par excellence. Keep failing, apple!

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by mackandproud

It's interesting that those replying are coming back with a theoretical argument and have not made any attempt to actually try VLC or fidelia for themselves. Kool Aid for the masses...

Yes, you are the first one ever to think of comparing audio players.

Again, bit perfect is measurable not theoretical.

[mafpolo]

The "easier to use" is a bunch of crap. Apple must have studied the Microsoft of "new and improved." Getting back to the standard iTunes window from the store now takes a second step. I can't search for albums anymore. Now when I do have a search for a song, etc, I have to put up with a bunch of album art, etc.

Steve Jobs admitted his mistakes, and fixed them. This new iTunes is a sign of concern. Take me back to my old iTunes please.

[irnchriz]

I love iTunes 11 and use it more now than I have ever done. It's far far faster than any version I have used since the release of the original iPod and the new interface is excellent for managing my library of over 2000 TV episodes 600 HD movies and almost 10,000 songs.

Opinions are like belly buttons I suppose.

[Koodauw]

I have to say it does take a little getting used to, but for the most part I really like it.

[davydavy]

Originally Posted by irnchriz

I love iTunes 11 and use it more now than I have ever done. It's far far faster than any version I have used since the release of the original iPod and the new interface is excellent for managing my library of over 2000 TV episodes 600 HD movies and almost 10,000 songs.

Opinions are like belly buttons I suppose.

In that case I'm an 'Outie'

[Dunkaccino]

Apple not including Cover Flow in the 11.1 update was a slap in the face.

[globalist]

Spent an hour fumbling about the 11 UI, then gladly went back to 10.7. The omission of Hybrid view (songs + album art ) alone is inexcusable. What a dumbgrade this 11 is! "Completely re-designed" my ass.

[wgnoyes]

How are you people "going back" to iTunes 10.7? Assuming you have time machine backups, what do you do? Simply restore the iTunes application file, or is there more to it than that? What about the library and anything you've bought since then? And if you do go back, does the app store recognize it and offer to upgrade you to 11.x again, or are you stuck forever at 10.7?

[Aluminum213]

Originally Posted by Dunkaccino

Apple not including Cover Flow in the 11.1 update was a slap in the face.

it was 11.0.1, not 11.1, it was an extremely minor update to fix critical bugs like not automatically downloading purchases


and as far as "slap in the face" could you possibly be more dramatic? it's not that serious

[thuchu1]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

It's another piece of Apple software for me to dump unless they get the missing features/bugs fixed fairly soon

and give me an option to turn this annoying up next feature off

What makes it so annoying? Can't you just not click the Up Next button? All it does is make the same shuffle function more usable.