#Cocina audio bitperfect how to#
#Cocina audio bitperfect software#

Some might argue that upsampling reduces sound quality, but I actually prefer the sound of the SoX SRC algorithm. The default SRC algorithm is Apple’s Core Audio, but I prefer SoX 14.3.2 VHQ Intermediate after doing a good amount of testing. I perceived all of these characteristic as positive things, and this is why I keep integer mode enabled.īitPerfect’s sound preferences menu is where you can specify options for sample rate conversion (SRC), upsampling, dithering, max sample rate, and max bit depth. I also noticed an increase in soundstage making the music more engaging to listen to. This particular recording sounds punchier with an overall warmer presentation. It was indeed a blind test with the help of a friend, and I was able to identify integer mode every time. I’ve listened through Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories with integer mode on and off. This maximizes sound quality and minimizes sonic degradation because unnecessary arithmetic operations are not performed. Without going into too much detail, integer mode streams audio data in a way that bypasses conversion between integer and float. Luckily, Apple has included it Mavericks. Integer mode is a feature that was missing in OS X Lion and Mountain Lion. The second is that, in order for other Apps to be able to send sounds to the same output device, the playback chain has to include the capability to mix extraneous sounds in with the music, and the elimination of such extraneous subroutines from the playback chain is a key element of what we do to make BitPerfect sound so good.** via** BitPerfect The first is so that when you are listening to your music, which may be playing at high volume, you do not want system noises (such as “ You’ve got Mail!”) interrupting playback. Here are two reasons as to why hog mode is a good thing. In my case, the AudioQuest DragonFly can only be used to listen to my iTunes library when BitPerfect is active. BitPerfect works in “hog mode,” This means BitPerfect as exclusive control over the chosen audio output device.

Sound Qualityīelow is a screenshot of BitPerfect’s general preferences window. When it’s green, BitPerfect is running and making the world a better place.

The BitPerfect icon in the menu bar tells all. BitPerfect runs quietly (haha) in the background without any changes to iTunes interface we all know and maybe even love.

#Cocina audio bitperfect software#

ITunes is a fantastic piece of software and ditching it for a whole new application would be silly. I ultimately decided to go with BitPerfect because it integrates perfectly with iTunes, and it was also the most affordable option. Amarra, Decibel, and Aurivana are three examples. There are actually many apps on the market that promise to do the exact same thing as BitPerfect. BitPerfect acts as the middleman and does its best to transfer perfect data between the music library and the DAC. In digital audio, jitter and interference can cause imperfect streaming of data to the DAC, which can be perceived as degradation in sound quality. The DAC takes those 0’s an 1’s and converts it into an electrical signal that can be amplified and heard. The audio file is streamed from the hard drive to a DAC (digital to analog converter). Here’s what happens behind the scenes when you press play in iTunes. I needed that remaining minuscule fraction of sound quality, and that’s how I found BitPerfect. I had this strange idea that iTunes was lying to me and delivered only 99.999% of the maximum possible sound quality in my library. A few recent purchases, which included an AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC and a pair of Shure SE846s, successfully put into another one of those maximum sound quality moods that approximately 0.001% of the world’s population experience at any point in their lives. Yes, I am aware that this sounds incredibly nerdy.

#Cocina audio bitperfect how to#

I had a rare day off a few weeks ago, and decided the goal for the day would be to figure out how to maximize my Mac’s sound quality.