#AMARRA SQ TIDAL SKIN#
#AMARRA SQ TIDAL SOFTWARE#

You might be surprised to learn that such a solution has existed since the late noughties but its pricing (north ofВ US$10K) and hardware ties keep it out of mortal reach. An app that will solicit an вЂoh-my-god-thatвЂ™s-awesomeвЂ™ response from anyone that uses it, especially those who value form as much as they do function.

#AMARRA SQ TIDAL SOFTWARE#

WhatвЂ™s missing from the desktop software scene is aВ similarly satisfying solution. Joe digs Sonos because the UI is intuitive, powerful and elegant. J River brings some serious utility to the table but only once the end user is familiar with its deep menu drill-down approach.ДЄudiophiles roll with aesthetic and configuration compromise punches that a regular Joe would laugh out of the room.

#AMARRA SQ TIDAL SKIN#

Foobar is bare-boned from the outset with skin customization probably only tackled by its power users. ItвЂ™s Chuck Norris before itвЂ™s Brad Pitt.ДЄmarra and Audirvana+ 2.0 function just fine as standalone players but you couldnвЂ™t call them elegant or stylish. Channel DвЂ™s PureMusic plays only this way вЂ“ perhaps why its own overlay skin is little more than functional. These software interlopers marry iTunesвЂ™ reasonably slick library management, song/album selection and transport control (and associatedВ smart device remote apps) to the sound quality goodness of the third party player engine. Some even depend on it.ДЄmarra and Audirvana+ can be configured to play standover man between iTunes and D/A converter, thus mugging the former of its digital feed duties. And whilst each app betters iTunes on separation, detail and all-round avidity to varying degrees, few (if any) better itsВ UI. On Windows, itвЂ™s Foobar, J Play, J River and Fidelizer (among others). Sonic StudioвЂ™s Amarra, Channel DвЂ™s Pure Music and Audirvana+ are the big three for OS X. This needs-must approach has contributed heavily to the proliferation of audiophile-centric software players that promise improvements on iTunesвЂ™ sound qualityВ baseline. And so consumer-grade devices dominate the digital transport landscape - jack of all trades, master of none. As well as tune spinner, the PC or Mac must double as social media updater, photo editor and web browser. The latter are seen asВ ill-affordable extravagances byВ the budget conscious buyer. Home computers donвЂ™t blend into the rack as well as single-use devices like CD players, music servers and streamers. DeployingВ a PC or Mac as a digital front end for a hi-fi system вЂ“ itвЂ™s a compromise.

Amarra sq tidal