I use VLC when playing video media because it's easy to use and understand. It's also the only one I know how to add subtitles or sound tracks and what not.
When it comes to music, I use iTunes even though I'm not an Apple fan, because I too have an iPod. I have found that I very much love the iPod Nano because it can take a beating, it's got good sound and space, a few nice features, a radio and it's pretty small. I've gotten used to them. And, I have a transparent shell on it to keep it from scratching, with white little Space Invaders.
Like
this.
iTunes also has a few nice features, it's easy to use and way back when I compared it with WMP, it had MUCH better sound too.
I don't do it much for the music quality though, I have very high quality headphones and a nice 3.0 sound system. Gotta have that for playing Rhapsody of Fire after all.