It does not offer easy access to files, although if you wish, you can open playlist files and play the last five songs that are available through the quick play function. One of the biggest drawbacks is the inability to fully minimize the player, so it does get in your way, either on the desktop or in the toolbar area. Support for various file types is horrible. The playlist is easy to load and is hassle free for the most part. Xing has been known for their performance when it comes to decoding and encoding files and ripping them from audio CD's.
Catalyst supports both digital and analog ripping and utilizes a speedy and reliable encoder.
You can also encode at different sample rates as well as tag and name files more extensively than many other similar applications. The whole process of ripping a CD and encoding it can be very frustrating and time consuming, not so with Catalyst. You even have the option to play the files as previews before you select and encode them. The CDDB feature helps you to name and label tracks and songs. You can also select from a list of different CD databases from all over the world, so it's possible to identify imported CD's and songs.