Reanimation of Vox player from the developers of Coppertino. VOX Player review. Audio player as it should be Our conclusions about VOX: vote for Apple Music
Many good products remain in beta status for years. As a rule, these are amateur projects, the authors of which sometimes find time for regular updates and fine-tune their applications to the ideal, sometimes they don’t. An audio player also belongs to this category of programs. VOX. One of the worthy iTunes alternatives for Macs has been in beta for 6 (six!) years. We wrote about the program, praising the compactness, speed and omnivorous nature of this player. Today we are writing about it again because it is a completely different VOX. It has improved noticeably and has finally reached the final version stage. Starting today, VOX is available for download on Mac App Store, and we are unlikely to be wrong if we say that it will quickly gain a foothold in the list of the most popular applications.
The story of endless beta testing of VOX could have continued further if Coppertino had not come to the rescue and brought this product to readiness. You’ll think, “Well, they’ve brought it to readiness, then? And how much is it selling for now? The good news is that VOX remains free. But besides this, VOX has enough advantages. The main one is true versatility in terms of supported formats. VOX plays everything you can: FLAC, MP3, AAC, Musepack, Monkey’s Audio, OGG Vorbis, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, IT, MOD, XM, etc.
Let's get to know final version VOX.
When starting, the colorful screensaver smoothly transitions to the startup settings wizard:
Here you will be asked to set VOX as the default player for any files or only for those that iTunes cannot play. Let's immediately note that VOX can completely replace iTunes as a music player.
The compactness of the VOX is amazing. For the first few seconds, we thought that this was the start screen...
... but this is the main window of the program :) Reviving it is as easy as shelling pears - you need to click on the button in the lower left corner. The window will immediately grow in size due to the extended playlist editor.
VOX has three operating modes. In the first, he reproduces any open files and playlists independent of iTunes. In the second, it connects to the iTunes library and gains control over it. In the third, it plays radio stations.
The first mode does not need any comments: whatever you drag onto the VOX icon or into its window, it will reproduce. As for connecting to iTunes, first you will have a couple of minutes of scanning your media library:
You will then see all your music in the VOX window. You can call up the search field and quickly find the album you need...
Or you can click on the button with the ellipsis in the lower left corner and select the desired playlist.
As you can see, VOX successfully borrowed some ideas in terms of the interface from iTunes 11. For example, albums and songs are not two separate views of the library, but one common list. Click on an album and you immediately see a list of songs inside against the background of the cover:
VOX as a player would be of no interest to music lovers and audiophiles if equalizer support were not implemented here. Both presets and manual adjustments are all present.
VOX is completely free except for one little thing. If you want to listen to Internet radio, you will be asked to make an in-app purchase and spend 33 rubles. Whether it's worth the expense is up to you to decide, but we can confirm that VOX radio plays no worse than music from your computer :)
Finally, let's go through the program settings. Unlike the VOX interface, the player’s settings cannot be called compact. But this is by no means a minus. Every little thing is customizable - from opening to closing, from icons to notifications. Needless to say, VOX implements such useful little things as album art in the dock, support for the Notification Center and player control buttons in the menu bar?
The “Audio” tab contains advanced sound settings. For example, BS2B channel mixing modes have been implemented specifically for use with headphones. Also supported dynamic conversion stereo sound in 7.1 or 5.1.
A separate tab is dedicated to shortcuts, which can be customized to suit every taste:
Pay attention to the “Learn more” button - it will take you to the official website where you can download the VOX control panel for System Settings. This panel allows you to bypass a number of restrictions imposed on software distributed through the Mac App Store and opens up new opportunities:
- support for keyboard media keys
- Apple Remote support
- support for controlling the player from connected headphones, etc.
Finally, the “Labs” tab, in the best Google tradition, contains functions for those who want to experiment (for example, automatically pausing music playback when incoming call on Skype). Although VOX has already left beta status, testing of new features will continue:
What can I say in the end? VOX was good before, but now this player has become even better. We can only find fault with the lack of Russian (as well as any other) localization, but this will be corrected in future updates. Otherwise, this is a great player, worthy of immediate download.
In 2016, the VOX music player from Ukrainian developers from the Coppertino company occupied the first lines of the App Store paid charts. And today we decided to find out how relevant the program is in 2017. And why it was recently distributed for free.
A little about the developer - Coppertino company
The company Coppertino is responsible for the development of the popular music player. The guys who work in this studio insist that this name has nothing to do with Apple's hometown - Cupertino.
No, it's a coincidence. And in general, Coppertino employs developers and technical prodigies blessed with talent. They are crazy about music, so their main product has become an audio player.
The main pride of the developers, immigrants from Ukraine who now live in the United States, is the VOX music player, with which they decided to revolutionize the understanding of simple and high-quality audio playback.
The main challenge that the Coppertino team faces today is the development of music streaming. But for now, their main bet in the VOX plane is on the omnivorousness and versatility of the mobile audio player.
Today there are only eleven people on the team. Moreover, a minority is responsible for direct development. The rest promote the program and advise users on decisions with or without reasons.
Unique but strange design of the player itself
Interface mobile version VOX doesn't seem confusing. He is strange and unusual. After several days of continuous use, an understanding of its logic appears. But he still lacks intuitiveness - in in this case Apple Music definitely better.
The VOX design is built on layers that slide in here and there, fly out in different directions, and so on. It looks extraordinary. But Apple does not reward developers for such merits. I think it would be better for them to look away, but this is my personal opinion.
However, Coppertino doesn't stop working on the music player, so it's constantly changing. And it seems to me that for the better - everything is becoming simpler and more minimalistic.
Specially compared current version VOX with screenshots of the player that our colleagues published a year or more ago. Previously, it was even more confusing - just look at the non-obvious playback control, which has become adequate today.
Coppertino is a young and ambitious team. Therefore, when choosing VOX as your main multimedia player, you need to be prepared to move. There can be no talk of any permanence. The work is in full swing, and you will have to stew in it together with the developers.
Wide range of capabilities and features of VOX
By analogy with desktop version mobile VOX works with all popular multimedia files without dancing with a tambourine, which the standard music file cannot boast of Apple app. We are talking about FLAC, APE, OGG, WMA and so on.
VOX doesn't work with Apple Music
This is especially convenient if you have long and persistently collected a multimedia collection on your hard drive and do not want to bother converting it for the iPhone - even if this does not take much time today.
Popular music services are deeply integrated into VOX: SoundCloud, Spotify, Last.fm. The second one is the most interesting. But in domestic realities, without labor-intensive manipulations, it will not be possible to work with it even through a third-party application.
An interesting feature of VOX is its proprietary cloud storage called LOOP. You can upload your entire music collection to it and use it via the Internet from anywhere in the world. There are no volume restrictions. Subscription - up to $16 per month.
One of the most interesting features of this music player is its support for uncompressed audio in FLAC. However, in the era wireless technologies that do not show its charms are useless. I didn’t notice any difference with Apple Music via Powerbeats3.
However, when using advanced wired headphones connected to an iPhone via Lightning, the difference can be noticeable. If among our readers there are audiophiles who have already become acquainted with it through VOX, you are welcome to comment.
The final feature of VOX is the advanced equalizer. Unlike standard Apple solutions, here he is truly complete. Some people will like it, but I long ago came to the conclusion that the sound without such an add-on. I like the processing significantly more.
Our conclusions about VOX: vote for Apple Music
The entire time I used VOX, I felt discomfort. It seems to me that most users today are so accustomed to various streaming solutions that this player, which is still more traditional, is a black sheep.
If it were possible to fully use Spotify in our country, in conjunction with VOX it would be interesting to listen to music through it and supplement the streaming service with your own recordings through LOOP. But without this, it seems like it is not needed. Or am I wrong?
Unfortunately it was abandoned by the developers. I liked it initially, but the new beta version was buggy and the old one was not as functional. Remaining an iTunes user, I deleted the player, but today I learned very good news! The company Coppertino, whose programs I brought to you, took matters into their own hands and decided to revive the Vox player!
This news made me very happy, because... The designers from this company know a lot about their work!
Currently this is a beta version Vox 0.97b and to download it you need to go to the “new official website”, go through a simple registration procedure and download. The developers promise to provide the first release of the player in a week, but even in this beta stage it is very good!
Vox player has received a new, very beautiful look! Here's a simple design folded up.
Together with the playlist.
I really liked the choice of playing songs here. You can create a playlist in the program or use integration with iTunes! Very convenient functionality, because we can listen to music in MP3, FLAC, AAC, Musepack, Ogg Vorbis, WAV, etc. formats in the Vox playlist. before adding it to your main iTunes library.
Let's start with iTunes integration
Switching between playlist and iTunes library is instant. Externally displaying a list of artists like in iTunes.
The library search works, it searches quickly.
During playback, you can change the playback time display (how much time is left until the end or real time song playback). All necessary information about the composition there is.
The track being played is highlighted in the playlist.
Initially, I didn’t understand how to get back to full list artists, but later realized that you just need to scroll down or up.
Having walked down the list of songs, in order to return to the song being played, just press this button.
Also at the bottom there are buttons for repeating an album, one song, or randomly, in other words, just like in iTunes.
To adjust the volume, select a sound output source, or use the equalizer, you must click on the speaker.
Output devices are detected correctly, for example, the USB to SPDIF converter - M2Tech HiFace Two is detected correctly, although I conduct the test in headphones, they are highlighted in the screenshot as the default device for audio output.
For those who like to use an equalizer, you need to click here.
The equalizer comes out with a beautiful slide.
Hot buttons for common presets, however, if you don’t have enough of them, you need to click on the “More” button
For fans of hot keys - all manipulations that can be performed in the program using the mouse can also be done using the keyboard:
Personally, I prefer to use hotkeys.
In the system menu you can call up a playlist and control the playback of songs. When the program window is inactive, Vox displays notifications about the start of playing a new track.
Settings
I was very pleased with the Vox player settings! I didn’t expect such flexibility; everything your heart desires is here. Among the interesting ones I can note:
Snap a program to windows
- download music from a folder automatically (for example, you have a music folder into which you constantly add new tunes), Vox will automatically pull new songs into the playlist!
- clear the playlist when adding new songs. Convenient for those who have an eternal mess in their playlist
- settings for displaying the icon in the dock panel as the cover of the album being played or the Vox branded icon
- fine tuning notifications
- search for meta tags using the Internet. The free music database musicbrainz was chosen as the source for Coppertino.
- convert a regular stereo source into 7.1 or 5.1 channel output
- Bauer Stereo function provides more realistic sound when listening to stereo music through headphones.
- Music automatically pauses when headphones are unplugged.
Ability to configure scrobbling in Last.fm
Vox playlist
Creating playlists, in my opinion, is not yet entirely clear, perhaps this is a flaw, because... When creating a playlist, it is not displayed in the general list.
Playing the FLAC format goes well. Data on compositions, as I indicated above, are quickly pulled from
It’s not often that we publish articles about software these days, perhaps all of us, Mobile-review editors, should overcome laziness and write about individual programs or make a selection of used applications - this will probably be useful to many...
1. In the basic player on an iPhone with iOS 10, I can't find where to turn a track on repeat. You know, I like to start a barrel organ and listen to the same thing for half an hour - it’s a great way to ruin your favorite melody. Listen until you get completely bored. But now everything has become very difficult. Where the hell is this button? In general, with these thoughts I open Vox, choose to show all the music, including in iTunes, instantly find the desired track by searching, press repeat in the control bar above the sound wave, turn it up louder and start shaving. That's why it's worth having Vox on your smartphone. Seriously, I don't know where the "Repeat Track" button is in the new player. But, thanks to the kind people, I found everything, on the playback screen you need to swipe your finger from bottom to top (without touching bottom panel), on the screen that appears there will be repeat icons, Shuffle, and a list of tracks in the queue.
2. For me personally, Vox is a program that is necessary for three reasons. Firstly, FLAC is supported (and AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, OGG and more are also supported). This is important, and not only for your favorite jazz, it’s better to listen to electronic music in good quality, it’s a completely different experience - and don’t believe those who will prove otherwise. Secondly, it is possible to synchronize between Vox for a computer and Vox on a smartphone, a function called Loop. Thirdly, you can connect SoundCloud and YouTube accounts directly to Vox - there is nothing surprising here, a lot of interesting tracks can be found in YT. After connecting the same SoundCloud, the tracks that you liked, your feed and other information are visible in the application. It turns out that Vox works like a natural music harvester, there are your FLAC tracks, and tracks from iTunes, and from streaming services, and the recently added radio - you need to pay extra, but there is not much there. It will be interesting to see what else is added in the future. By the way, they recently added a radio, for 749 rubles you get access to more than 30,000 stations - but the question is why this is better than TuneIn. Except that it's all in one.
3. Now about FLAC. Download this music to iPhone memory you can ONLY use iTunes - alas, Apple doesn’t allow you to do it without wires yet, which is a pity. Connect your smartphone with a cable, go to the program tab, find Vox and add music. Loading tracks is fast, they appear in the program. The playback screen displays information about the song, file type, and characteristics. Of course, FLAC is not a panacea or a guarantee. good quality sound, a lot depends on the headphones; there is not much difference in the included EarPods. As my friend says, it’s equally bad. Although I personally don’t think so, these headphones were made for the mass consumer, but for the mass consumer it’s quite ok. If you take something more serious, then you will hear the difference, just for fun, download the same album in two versions, FLAC and MP3. I can even hear the difference in the car. I don’t like to give analogies, but it’s like a sandwich with a thick layer of butter, like my mother prepared without sparing, or a frail piece of stale bread, where a tiny piece was manipulated with a crooked rusty knife. They say you can't hear the difference - don't believe it. Just try to get confused, install Vox, go to a store where you can connect different headphones to your equipment, and then you will understand the difference.
4. By default, the “Library” displays only local, that is, downloaded tracks, but you can choose to display all iTunes libraries. This is convenient if you only want to use Vox. To go to the menu, you need to click on the three dots on the left while in the library, here you will see the opportunity to select a view, change the display of tracks (list or grid), and sort content. In Airplane mode, only local tracks can be displayed. In general, everything was done sensibly - if you want to listen only to FLAC (for example), turn off iTunes, if you want to listen to everything in Vox, turn on all services. For example, the Loop service, which allows you to synchronize your personal content.
5. A little about Loop, there are three tariff plans, the monthly fee varies depending on how many months you buy such a plan, for example, if you take it for 24 months at once, it turns out to be eight dollars per month. You can try for free at the beginning and pay later. The point is that data is synchronized between programs. For example, you bought some great album on Beatport, added it to Vox on your computer - you can listen to the same album on your iPhone. I repeat, I advise you to try it first, and then decide whether to pay the money. I bought it tariff plan, just to support the developers, they made a magic player, well done. The main thing is that now they support him properly, not carelessly.
6. A little about the program's magic equalizer. The link is in the upper right corner of the playback screen, there are two main options, these are self-tuning EQ and selecting a preset. The presets are interesting, for example, there is a setting for headphones, Soft and Air - just cool settings, More Mids, More Highs, Drop Lows, you can change your choice from track to track. Or move the levers yourself, no one forbade this, and you can save your presets. When you press the buttons, the frequency and dB level are demonstrated. It would be great to give users the opportunity to share their settings for different artists, as they did in Parrot; it seems to me that Vox is becoming more popular in every way.
7. I'll tell you about the shortcomings I noticed. The most important thing is after iOS updates the player may simply not work, not see the tracks loaded into memory, the program becomes useless. The last time this happened was in the summer, and it was very disappointing that it was simply not possible to use Vox on iOS. When working with SoundCloud some time ago, I had to enter my username and password a couple of times when starting, but now everything is fine - your selection of music, those tracks and mixes that you liked are displayed. The controls don’t always work clearly; at first you can get lost, where to move and what to do, it’s not entirely intuitive. I also asked Zhenya Vildyayev to talk about what shortcomings he noticed, I report: “On Windows there is such a player foobar2000, a kind of multimedia combine to which you can attach a bunch of codecs and make a converter out of it. I liked that in foobar2000 you could convert lossless to MP3 in two clicks, but in VOX this feature is missing.” I use All2MP3 for conversion, it’s very simple and effective program, I don’t even remember how many years it has been following me on different Macs. Zhenya’s second remark is related to the work of Vox on iOS: “For Apple owners Music VOX, in fact, is not needed, since it (seemingly) does not know how to pull up the service’s playlists (this is understandable). Also, for those who are satisfied with the sound quality of purchased tracks, there is also no point in switching to VOX, otherwise they will have to buy tracks in iTunes and then import them into VOX, in general, there will be two applications instead of one.” The idea about Apple Music playlists is correct, but here you need to understand one thing: if you install Vox, it is assumed that there will mainly be downloaded music there. That is, FLAC (mostly). And, by the way, a little secret: iTunes playlists are visible in the “Collection” section on iOS, so you can use them to the fullest.
8. I would like to dream - I wish I could add here the ability to transfer purchased tracks from different stores, for example, from Beatport. And then for years different computers saved the tracks, it would be nice to collect them in one cloud. Look, nostalgia would overwhelm you, memories and all that. The ability to quickly “prepare” MP3 from FLAC on a computer would also not hurt, Zhenya is right here. The Loop system can use up to five different devices– I would like to remove this restriction, you never know how many different gadgets I have, now it’s back to back (two smartphones, a tablet, a laptop and a computer).
But otherwise I’m very pleased and recommend everyone to at least try Vox. I believe you will come to this yourself sooner or later when you buy some advanced headphones to pair with your iPhone. How to listen to FLAC? The above is the answer to your question, it’s gratifying that the developers have added a lot more to this main function.
