Tools

Music on the PC (MP3, FLAC etc.)

Rip CDs

• Exact Audio Copy - Freeware for ripping audio CDs

Compression

• LAME - for creating MP3s (lossy).
• FLAC - codec for lossless compression

Playback

• WinAMP - well known player
• foobar2000 - also suitable for performing blind tests

Useful stuff

• Audacity - free audio editor and recorder
• MP3Gain - volume adjustment for MP3s (without loss of quality)

Room Acoustics

• http://www.hunecke.de/ - room acoustics calculator, determination of room eigenmodes
• CARA - Computer Aided Room Acoustics - Program for calculation and optimization of room acoustics

Loudspeaker design

• WinISD (Pro)
• AJHorn

General calculations

• sengpielaudio
• Cable Calculator HiFi Forum

Miscellaneous

• Bass-Test CD - test tones for subwoofers
• Tone Generator - program to create test tones of all kinds
• Turntable -> Tone Arm Adjustment