This new free 'bit-perfect' Hi-Res Audio player for Mac was apparently a 'nightmare' to make, but could become the lossless player of your dreams
YM Pro is a Mac music player that bypasses the system mixer and communicates directly with your DAC
A new free Hi-Res Audio player for Mac called YM Pro has been released on the Mac App Store, promising bit-perfect playback. This app bypasses macOS system mixer to connect directly to your DAC and adjusts it to match the file, not the other way around. Currently, it supports PCM audio only and requires Apple Silicon. YM Pro is an open-source alternative to Apple's approach for those using external DACs, but it's still a work in progress with several rough edges.
The main difference between YM Pro and other apps is its ability to bypass the system mixer completely and automatically switch the DAC's sample rate to the file being played, up to 192kHz. There's also a hog mode that turns off all system sounds and audio while listening. While YM Pro focuses on playing bit-perfect FLAC files, it also handles common formats such as MP3 and WAV.
However, it doesn't connect to the Music library, requiring manual updates. Some users have reported issues with audio output selection and playlist organization, but early feedback suggests the app sounds good. Developer Yonesh Murugan is open to user feedback and aims to make enhancements based on the provided comments.
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