Cool Player build 7782 mp3 decoding quality test results

Cool Player

Decoder Source:	http://www.daansystems.com/coolplayer/
Version:	build 7782 © 2000 DaanSystems
Price:	Free
Settings:	none
Similar products:	Uses the Xaudio decoding engine
Verdict:	Very Good
VBR:	All
Full file:	Always
Major Flaws:	none
Minor Flaws:	Audible drop out with lame encoded tone sweep, possible high frequency error decoding blade files
Output level:	correct
1-bit relative accuracy:	Excellent
1-bit absolute accuracy:	Excellent

Cool Player is a compact mp3 player - the download is less than 200kB! The player can decode mp3 files to wavs by selecting the "output to file" option - see screenshots.

Cool Player uses the Xaudio mp3 decoding engine. Xaudio has a slight problem with a particular lame encoded tone sweep (probably related to the 8191 / 100Hz bug), and disagrees with the latest mp3 decoders when decoding a Blade encoded file. However, the differences between the old decoders (l3dec, Xaudio etc) and the newer ones ACM 1999, lame etc) are tiny (-70dB), and mainly above 20kHz.

Cool Player itself makes no mistakes, beyond those due to the Xaudio decoding engine. A later version of Cool Player (build 8006) offers the choice of a MAD decoder plug-in, which will remedy the noted decoding bugs, but will clip the end off most files. For perfect decodes you must look elsewhere, however at less than 200kB, Cool Player is a very attractive download.

Screenshots

Cool Player main screen.

Setting Cool Player to decode mp3s to wav

To decode mp3s using CoolPlayer, right click on the player, select options, then select Output to File (as shown above).

About Cool Player build 7782

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