(April 29, 2019) France’s Audirvana has long been heralded as one of the easiest and most affordable ways to transform a Mac computer into a serious Hi-Fi audio machine. The software, which takes the place of Apple’s iTunes, can be used in conjunction with an outboard USB DAC or Network Player (UPnP/DLNA) to open up a world of better sound and increased support for various audio formats.
The software impacts playback in two substantial ways. First, it significantly shortens the audio signal path, avoiding the intervention of other applications and hidden audio modifiers, minimizing noise and electromagnetic interferences. Second, it utilizes specialized pre-DAC digital processing algorithms said to be “superior” to those found in typical DAC chips. Add to that support for a number audio plugins, the ability to play a wide range of audio files (including non-iTunes supported files like FLAC, WavPack, APE, and Cue Sheets), MQA Hi-Res Audio decoding, and integration with Hi-Res streaming services such as TIDAL, HRA-Streaming, and Qobuz, and the software’s utility is more than apparent.
Several days ago, Audirvana released a total reboot of the platform's core MacOS software. While technical details aren’t entirely fleshed out, the company says its new Version 3.5 – which sheds the Audirvana Plus moniker in favor plain old Audirvana – improves overall sound quality while providing users with a new look user interface. Some of the interface’s more prominent features include:
- Light and dark operating modes
- The ability to view by Artists, Tracks, and Albums
- A newly tailored search system that allows for searches by Track, Albums, Artist, or Playlist
- A main window hot button for direct selection of an audio device
- An all-new Mini-Player
- The inclusion of HRA Streaming from Germany’s HIGHRESAUDIO download site
For more information, visit www.audirvana.com.
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