Best Alternative to Foobar FLAC Encoder

There are tons of media players on the block, free or paid, app or online tool. Choice paralysis occurs when it comes to deciding which one to use for media playback, especially for those rarely seen formats like FLAC. If you are a newcomer who tries to find a simple yet powerful tool to handle your FLAC file, this article is what you need. You can find two professional software - Foobar and Leawo Video Converter here to help you convert FLAC to other formats, so you don’t have to worry about the playback issue anymore.

Part 1: What is Foobar FLAC Encoder?

FLAC, Free Lossless Audio Codec, is an audio coding format that uses lossless compression for digital audio. FLAC is similar to MP3, yet the quality is much better. It’s mostly adopted when people want to store the CDs collection for the premium sound quality. As a result of that, FLAC always takes up too much space and doesn’t seem to be supported by many players. Sometimes you will need to find an extra FLAC encoder to support playback. Foobar FLAC encoder is a free codec pack released by Foobar to use with the Foobar2000 converter. 

Foobar FLAC encoders included a lot of codecs such as FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, and many more. Foobar will recognize the encoders without asking for the encoder binary location. With Foobar, you can not only play all your favorite music but also manage your media library with ease. On top of that, the freeware offers customization to suit your needs. Foobar2000 is an advanced tool that supports both media playback and music conversion, with neat design and adaptability.

 

Part 2: Best Alternative to Foobar FLAC Encoder - Leawo Video Converter

Foobar FLAC encoder seems to be a good fit when you want to convert FLAC files. But the Encoder doesn’t look easy to use for those who are not familiar with audio files and codecs. Audio conversion is better with simple steps for most people, just like most converters on the market. So here comes Leawo Video Converter, the most powerful and all-inclusive software to satisfy all your needs in media editing. With Leawo Video Converter, you can convert, copy music and video, burn videos and images to DVD/Blu-ray, make video and audio editing with fast speed. If you want to make the file smaller without losing video quality, Leawo Video Converter is your best choice. On top of that, it’s so powerful that it can help you make your side-by-side 3D movies at home!

 

Part 3: Detailed Comparison of Leawo Video Converter and Foobar FLAC Encoder

Leawo Video Converter and Foobar FLAC Encoder, it’s hard to say which one is ultimately better without knowing the full features. Let’s take a look at the two converters and compare them in terms of features.

1. File Formats

The first and utmost important feature of a converter is the file formats it can handle. Both Leawo Video Converter and Foobar can manage a wide range of file formats. However, Foobar is an audio player which supports audio playback and file conversion only, while Leawo Video Converter is a full-featured converter that can convert video and audio that is more than 180 formats. Foobar, on the other hand, will require users to download the encoders to handle the audio conversion.

2. The Interface

Foobar looks a bit dated at first glance, for the interface of the player is sparse that leaves users clueless at the beginning. However, if you are troubled by the look of the Foobar player, you can try the theme editor to tweak it a bit based on your preference. Leawo Video Converter is designed with a simple and user-friendly interface. It’s intuitive to use for everyone, you don’t get confused as everything is so clear.

 

3. User Experience

Foobar is never easy for beginners. Not just because of the unappealing interface but also the user experience. It’s not easy to set up the whole program and the learning curve is too steep for inexperienced users. Unless you have used a similar app, otherwise it takes a while to pick up quickly. Leawo Video Converter is designed to be user-oriented, which makes it just as handy as any common program you have used. The clear user flow will guide you to the end.

4. Customization 

Customization is more of an open-source thing, which makes sense that Foobar can be extended via plugins. This is one of the most exciting features of Foorbar as it allows more possibility of what the audio player is capable of. Regarding Leawo Video Converter, given the functionality is so complete that it offers everything you need, plugins don’t seem to be necessary here. Leawo Video Converter is the ultimate solution to audio and video editing.

5. Function & Speed

Equipped with a large media library, Foobar can load and play your music smoothly. You can browse your tracks by artist and albums with ease. The conversion speed is not bad for Foobar, yet the time you spend on figuring out how it works may be offset. It’s not a trade-off when you just don’t use it that often. Leawo Video Converter, on the other hand, is 6 times faster than the average converter on the block, plus with the easy-to-use interface, you can pick up the procedure with ease.

 

Part 4: How to Convert FLAC File with Leawo Video Converter and Foobar FLAC Encoder?

To convert FLAC files, you will need a professional player like Leawo Video Converter or to use Foobar FLAC encoder with Foobar2000 converter. Just read on to learn how to convert FLAC files with these two converters.

How to Convert FLAC File with Leawo Video Converter

Before everything else, you will need to download and install Leawo Video Converter with the links below.

Step 1: Launch Leawo Video Converter. Leawo Video Converter is a module of Leawo Prof. Media. Click the "Video Converter" on the main screen, or open the "Convert" module to enter the video converter module.

Step 2: Add Source Video Files. Click the "Add Video'' button to browse and add video files from the local drive. You can also simply drag and drop.

 

Step 3: Set Output Format. Next to the green"Convert" button on the right you can find “MP4 Video”. Click the button and you’ll see a drop-down menu, select the "Change" option to enter the "Profile" panel, this is where you can set the output format.

 

On the "Profile" panel, you can choose FLAC  as the output format.

 

Step 4: Set Output Directory. After adjusting parameters, format, and video editing, click the big green “Convert” button to continue to the output directory setting.

 

Step 5: Start conversion. Set output directory in the popup sidebar. Click “Agree” in the red notice, and click “Convert” to start conversion.

 

That’s it! You can convert FLAC in just a few clicks. Leawo Video Converter is also capable of batch conversion if you have multiple files to convert. You don’t need extra codecs to make the conversion work as Leawo Video Converter is packed with all the codecs you need. With Leawo Video Converter, you don’t have to wait a whole day for the conversion, as the converter is so much faster than the average.

 

How to Convert FLAC File with Foobar Flac Encoder

Download Foobar2000 from here if you haven’t installed it. Foobar doesn’t come with the FLAC encoder, so you will need to download the encoder first. Go here to download the Foobar FLAC encoder to your computer. Extract it to a folder after you download it. You will need to point Foobar to this folder later.

 

- Select the audio you want to convert to FLAC, right-click on it to show the selections. Look for the “Context” menu and select “convert.” Choose the 3-dot to show the “Converter Setup” panel.

- On the panel, click "Current settings" to proceed. Click the dropdown menu of “Encoder” and select “FLAC encoder.” Adjust the slider to select the output quality you prefer. Click “OK” to proceed.

- Back to the “Converter Setup” panel. You can set the output directory here by clicking “Destination.” Click “Convert” to continue.

- Before the conversion begins, you’ll be prompted to locate the FLAC encoder the first time you convert your audio file to FLAC. Set the location and point it to the folder of the encoder, Foobar2000 will start conversion afterward.

Wrap Up

 

Foobar FLAC encoder is surely useful when you want to convert FLAC files. However, Foobar isn’t a piece of software that you can just jump into and pick up straight away. The learning curve is steep for beginners. If you want to convert your media with ease, try Leawo Video Converter. With the fastest speed, your target files are just a few clicks away!

 

5 Best HEVC to MP4 Converters

  Videos visited online have been well processed and in the state of playable. Have you ever encountered some video formats that look like normal videos but cannot be opened smoothly and you give up in the end? HEVC is one of those formats that take some efforts to open. HEVC is short for high-efficiency video coding, a successor to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding). Compares with the former generation, HEVC (also known as H.265) has higher compression standard which is twice as that of H.264/AVC at the same level of video quality. The topic of converting HEVC to MP4 will be discussed in the article.

Why should You Convert HEVC to MP4?

  To answer this question, we need to bring up two concepts and make a detailed comparison between them. The x265 is used specifically for encoding high quality HEVC/H.65 videos while the xx264 matches the H.264/x264 videos in the same ways.

  To encode HEVC/H.65 videos with x265 can double the compression ratio comparing with H.264/x264 videos. However, taking the compatibility of the file into consideration, H.265 has less compatibility than the former generation, the H.264. Those popular devices are more compatible with H.264 than H.265. That’s why we should convert HEVC codec into a more compatible format while at the same time retain its high compression capability. To convert it into MP4 seems to be the best solution since MP4 is compatible with almost all kinds of devices.

5 Best HEVC to MP4 Converters

  There are 5 best HEVC to MP4 Converters. Each one has its own characteristic in fulfilling the conversion process.

No.1 Leawo Video Converter

  The Leawo Video Converter supports conversion of videos and audios between 180+ formats from one format to another. It remains the quality of the original file after conversion. The conversion speed is amazingly fast at the level of 6X faster.

 Before running the module of Leawo Video Converter, we should download and install the Leawo Prof. Media which is the commanding routine of the Leawo Video Converter. The Leawo Prof. Media contains not only the Video Converter, but also the Video Downloader which can download videos up to 4K as well as live streaming videos.

With the installation of Leawo Prof. Media completed, you can follow the stepwise guidance here below to convert HEVC to MP4.

Step 1: Run Video Converter

  On the main interface of Leawo Prof. Media, more than 10 modules are displayed on it. Slide the side-bar and you will see the Video Converter icon. You can either click the icon of "Video Converter"or the "Convert" icon on the top bar to run it.

 

Step 2: Import file source into the program

  While entering the main interface of Video Converter, there is a blank area with the mark of "Drag File into Me”. You can manually drag the file and drop it into the blank area or click the "Add Video"button to import the file.

 

Step 3: Set the output format

  After importing the file into the program, the imported file will show on the main interface. Left to the green "Convert"button it is the "WAV Audio"button which can be changed to any other showing video/audio format. Here just show the position where you set the output format. Click the "WAV Audio"button and it pops out a drop-down interface. Click the "Change"button to reset the output video format.

 

Step 4: Set output directory

  After confirming the output format to be MP4, return to the main interface and click the green "Convert"button. The program will let you set the output directory for the converted video. Click the icon with three dots to browse the sites in your PC and select one as the targeted output directory.

 

Step 5: Check the conversion process

  There is a word mark to note the user that inactivate Video Converter only supports 5 minutes’ free conversion. You can "Activate it"or "Purchase it"to enter a registration interface. If you are in urgent of making the conversion done, you can tick the "Agree"option and the "Convert"button turns to lighten.

  Click the "Convert"button to start the conversion process. The progress will be shown as a running green line.

 

 

No 2. Anyconv

  This probably is the easiest one among the 5 best converters we recommend. While you enter the main webpage of the app, you can see a clean interface. Click the "Choose File"button to select file from your PC. Once the file is loaded to the program, you can set the output directory for the converted file then click "Convert"to run the process.

 

 

 

No 3. HEVC/H.265 Converter

  As a professional video converter, HEVC/H.265 Converter supports conversion of video files among the formats of MP4, AVI, FLV, etc.

Step 1: Add videos to the program

  Click the "Add Video(s)"button to import video source into the program. Or you can add or drag file into the main interface.

 

Step 2: Set output format

  After videos loaded onto the program, click the "Customized MP4 Movie"button to select a proper output format.

 

 

Step 3: Start to convert

  Click the "Convert Now"button to start the conversion process. It takes a few minutes to finish the conversion.

No 4. WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe

  WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe has the features of high operating speed and high degree of video quality retaining. Steps of converting HEVC to MP4 can be sorted as three parts.

 

 

Step 1: Launch the smart H.265/HEVC converter and add file source HEVC to the program by clicking the "+ Video" button.

Step 2: Choose "MP4 video" as the output format.

Step 3: Click the "Browse"button to select one position as the output directory for the converted video file. Click "Run"button to start the conversion process.

No 5. Online Converter

  Another converter for HEVC to MP4 is the Online Converter. The process of conversion can be viewed clearly on a tiny and clean interface.

  Click the "Upload File"button to upload the targeted video source from your PC. Then choose an output format from the "Choose file"option. With the above steps done, click the "Convert"button to start the conversion process.

 

 

Comparison of 5 Best HEVC to MP4 Converters

  It is hard to tell which app is better than another without detailed comparison. So the following tablet lists out some items that might concern the users for selecting the proper solution.

Apps	Pros	Cons
Leawo Video Converter	1. Convert the videos/audios without any loss of the original quality 2. 6X higher speed in conversion 3. Free edition of videos/audios	1. Registration required but allows the user to have free conversion of limited length 2. Apps installed before using it
Anyconv	online conversion, clean-cut interface, easy to operate	Conversion process relies heavily on the internet, might easily be interrupted by the pop-out ads and other unexpected plugins
HEVC/H.265 Converter	Not only a converter but also a downloader, free to edit the videos/audios, high acceleration of conversion speed, able to burn videos to disc	Requires for registration before enjoying the core services, has to install the app before using it
WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe	Free to set video resolution, frame rate, bit rate, aspect ratio, etc. before conversion Convert the videos with only 2% percent quality damage Free to download HEVC videos from some designated websites	Requires for registration before enjoying the core services, has to install the app before using it
Online Converter	Online conversion, clean-cut interface, easy to operate	Conversion process relies heavily on the internet, might easily be interrupted by the pop-out ads and other unexpected plugins

  Online converters such as Anyconv and Online Converter are like fast food with the features of easy accessibility but lower reliability. You might be interrupted by the pop-out ads and plugins while converting. Leawo Video Converter is the best recommendation app as it provides high conversion quality with 0% loss of the original quality and meanwhile, it has a powerful background routine which provides video downloading, video burning, Blu-ray ripping, etc.

Bonus: Best Free Player to Play HEVC

  As HEVC is not a commonly-used video format compatible with most devices, a professional video player is needed to play the HEVC files. Leawo Blu-ray Player is a free media player for playing Blu-ray, DVD, up to 4K videos, ISO image file, audio files, IFO files, etc.

  Run the Leawo Blu-ray Player and click the "Open File"button to browse and select the corresponding HEVC files in your PC. After importing it to the program, you can play it freely.

  More settings like subtitle setting, video/audio settings are with only one-click.

  Leawo series program is a powerful routine including video conversion, video downloading, disc burning, video playback, etc. Many of the subroutines are inter-connected with each other with one click. That means you only need to register for one commanding routine and own all the services in a whole package.

 

 

Best AAC Player in 2021

Unlike MP3, AAC as an audio format is less known to most people. This is because MP4 is still considered the de facto standard of digital audio compression as it’s better in transfer and playback. As the successor of the MP3 format, AAC achieves a better sound quality than MP3, yet has more problems in playback, especially on Android phones. If you want to know more about how AAC works and the best AAC player to use in 2021, just read on.

Part 1: About AAC Files
Part 2: Best AAC Player in 2021
Part 3: Why AAC Perform Poorly on Android Phones?
Part 4: AAC isn't Perfect

 

Part 1: About AAC Files

AAC, also known as Advanced Audio Coding, is an audio coding standard based on lossy digital audio compression. It is designed to be an ideal substitute for MP3, with better sound quality at the same bit rate. Defined as MPEG-2 Advanced Audio Coding file, AAC has improved performance such as higher coding efficiency for signals, a simpler filter band, and better handling of frequencies above 16 kHz. Simply put, AAC is an advanced version of MP3, which has better sound quality yet takes up the same disk space.

Developed by multiple companies like AT&T Bell Labs and Dolby, AAC is the default and standard audio format adopted by Apple devices, Nintendo, Playstation, as well as media platforms like YouTube. It is also supported on Wii, Android, Nokia, and Blackberry, though AAC doesn’t seem to perform well with Android phones. iTunes is where you can find the AAC is widely adopted, yet the format is not used and saved as much as M4A.

 

Part 2: Best AAC Player in 2021

Even though AAC is not adopted widely as MP3, AAC is a more attractive format when it comes to distributing, especially for streaming content. To open and listen to AAC files always requires a good media player which has been implemented with the AAC codecs. If you want to get a decent media player for your AAC, here’s a list of the best AAC players in 2021 you should check out.

 

1. Leawo Blu-ray Player

Leawo Blu-ray Player – the most professional media playback solution in the world, most importantly, it’s FREE! Leawo Blu-ray Player is the best AAC player so you can get the best sound quality out of it. With Leawo Blu-ray Player, you can not only play Blu-ray disc, DVD, HD video(4K), audio, etc. but also BDAV movie folder and Blu-ray ISO image files. For more information on supported formats, you can check out the product page to learn more. The player is extremely easy to use with a clear and user-friendly design. Simply launch Leawo Blu-ray Player, click the green "Open File" button to browse and add a file, then you are good to go. Leawo’s core technology provides you with a premium media experience in both music listening and video watching. Leawo Blu-ray Player is the ultimate media playback solution that is beyond your expectation.

 

2. Apple iTunes

Given AAC is the standard format for Apple devices, then iTunes should be the most convenient AAC player at hand for Apple users. Apple has been long celebrating a rich experience of innovation and excellence in sound for computing, especially when it comes to the standardization of AAC on iTunes, with the collaborative research with Dolby and Fraunhofer. iTunes is not only a media player but also a media library that allows you to purchase, play, download, and organize digital multimedia on personal computers. With iTunes, you can easily have the superior audio quality of AAC for Apple’s industry-leading AAC encoder, which can bring you a listening experience that rivals CD audio output.

 

3. Nullsoft Winamp

Nullsoft Winamp is a powerful AAC player if you want to get a media player for Windows operating systems. Nullsoft Winamp supports a lot of multimedia formats that can surely meet all of your needs and expectations. Besides, similar to iTunes, Nullsoft Winamp is a media library that can help you manage multimedia content. The media player is designed with diversity in mind, so you can customize the interface based on your preference. Surprisingly, Nullsoft Winamp also allows you to use plug-ins such as tempo and pitch control, providing more possibility in exploring music listening. This is a full-featured media playback solution that can bring you more fun in enjoying multimedia.

4. Audials One

Audials One is a powerful media player. The media player is not well known to the public but it is truly a useful AAC media player. Audials One is multifunctional as it’s not only a media playback solution but also a streaming recording software. With Audials One, you can record, download, and find music, movies, podcasts as well as convert these media to the formats you prefer. You can download the videos from many video sharing and hosting sites such as YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, etc. When it comes to music listening, Audials One can bring you the best music experience for its advanced codec technology. The media player is also useful when you want to convert multimedia into different formats.

 

Part 3: Why AAC Perform Poorly on Android Phones?

While most people prefer AAC as the better format for music listening, it doesn’t perform well on Android phones based on the tests, even though they are equipped with the best AAC player. Simply put, Android doesn’t handle AAC well, and it’s much worse than Apple’s iPhone. This has much to do with Android’s encoding and the algorithms in dealing with AAC, especially in Bluetooth space. The way Android handles encoding is linked to the connection quality like Bluetooth code, and the phone’s Energy Aware Scheduling (EAS). EAS is an algorithm that governs the balance between CPU clock speeds and energy efficiency. When the Bluetooth encoding with AAC is assigned as a priority, the battery saver function would naturally affect your AAC output quality.

Besides that, AAC is also a codec that requires heavy processing when compared to SBC or aptx, the two popular Bluetooth codec. This is because AAC adopts psychoacoustic modeling to transmit data, hence Android will prioritize energy efficiency over performance, which eventually enables AAC Bluetooth to encode to a lower bit rate and quality. Huawei P20 Pro, which excels in power optimization, produces a worse AAC output quality than its peers like Galaxy Note 8 based on a lab test. When it comes to the test of the noise floor, AAC performs poorly on Android phones when Galaxy Note 8 reaches an impressive background noise of -110dB around 1kHz tone, a long way from CD quality, which is 96dB. With this fact, the AAC file is ruined because of the noise that has to crank your tunes.

 

Part 4: AAC isn't Perfect

As much as AAC is considered the ideal substitute for MP3, it’s not perfect. The output quality is nothing close to CD audio, with most Android phones. As mentioned earlier, AAC produces noises that can potentially ruin your tunes when playing on Android. Additionally, it seems the frequency responses are far from satisfactory, too. Plus the algorithms Android deals with AAC, making the format perform poorly across most Android phones. AAC is not perfect for someone who would prioritize audio quality over everything.

The lab test of the Huawei P20 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and iPhone 8 shows that the frequency responses of AAC never reach high enough to match CD quality, LDAC, or standard Bluetooth SBC in any case. The reasonable frequency of human hearing is somewhere between 10kHz to 20kHz depending on age. While the iPhone 8 hit 18.9kHZ, Huawei P20 reaches 14.2kHZ, which is relatively low in the frequency range of human hearing; Galaxy Note 8 is at 17kHZ which is slightly worse than iPhone. What’s more, with the average latency staying at 369ms, AAC is the worst and most unreliable format across Android phones when the normal latency ranges from 45ms-90ms.

While AAC doesn’t seem to be a good choice on Android devices, there are ways to fix it. One is to avoid using it on Android phones, especially with the Apple AirPods. Or try to convert AAC to a more adaptable format to match your Android phone. In this case, you can always try Leawo Video Converter to convert your AAC file to any format you prefer. This is a powerful, all -all-inclusive software to satisfy all your needs in media editing.

With Leawo Video Converter, you can download, convert, copy music and video, burn videos and images to DVD/Blu-ray, make video and audio editing with fast speed. If you want to convert your video file to other formats, adjust the video and parameters, edit videos, trim or crop to make the file smaller without losing video quality, Leawo Video Converter is your best choice. On top of that, it’s so powerful that it can help you make your side-by-side 3D movies at home! If you have been using Android phones and struggling with the performance of AAC with your phone, try Leawo Video Converter and convert your AAC file to a better-performed format, so you can get the most out of the music listening.

Chang