SOFTWARE PLAYERS & LIBRARIES/DATABASES
There are straight audio players and then there are audio libraries/databases. Unfortunately, the reality is far from being so cut and dried and many audio applications fall somewhere between the two (and very often also attempt to function as converters, taggers, burners and anything else the developers can dream up). However, we've made the distinction between "the player" and "the library/database" because very often developers attempt to straddle the two, yet their creations are often weighted toward one at the expense of the other. There are few exceptions.
We've tested the vast majority of available freeware, our conclusions will not be shared by all, but we are certain that the software we have selected is of the highest quality. Superficial features like skin support, visualisations etc. have not been considered in our criteria. If such things are important to you, then the findings here will probably not be that helpful.