BitPerfectCore is a Swift framework for macOS that provides true bit-perfect audio playback. It's designed for audiophiles and developers who need pristine audio reproduction without any processing or modification.
Bit-perfect playback ensures that the audio you hear is exactly what the artist and engineer intended. No resampling, no processing, no coloration - just pure, transparent audio reproduction.
Regular macOS audio playback:
- Mixes all audio through the system mixer
- May resample to a common sample rate
- Applies system audio processing
- Shares the audio device with other apps
BitPerfectCore:
- Direct hardware access (exclusive mode)
- No resampling (matches device to source)
- Zero audio processing
- Dedicated device access for perfect playback
Yes! BitPerfectCore is released under the MIT License, allowing free use, modification, and distribution.
Currently Planned:
- FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)
- ALAC (Apple Lossless)
- WAV (uncompressed PCM)
- AIFF (uncompressed PCM)
- DSD (DSF, DFF files)
- APE (Monkey's Audio)
- WavPack
Not Supported:
- Lossy formats (MP3, AAC, OGG) - these are already compromised and don't benefit from bit-perfect playback
BitPerfectCore supports whatever your audio device supports:
- Sample rates: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 384kHz, and higher
- Bit depths: 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit (integer and float)
- DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512
BitPerfectCore works with any CoreAudio-compatible device, including:
- Built-in Mac audio
- USB DACs
- Thunderbolt audio interfaces
- Professional audio hardware
Some devices may not support exclusive mode, in which case BitPerfectCore will fall back gracefully.
- macOS 13.0+ (Ventura)
- Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
- Swift 5.9+
- Xcode 15.0+ (for development)
BitPerfectCore is designed for minimal overhead:
- Target: < 5% CPU on modern Macs
- Optimized for efficiency
- Lock-free audio thread
- Minimal allocations
BitPerfectCore targets < 10ms latency from decode to output, though actual latency depends on:
- Audio device buffer size
- System load
- File format decoding time
import BitPerfectCore
let engine = BitPerfectEngine()
try engine.configure(device: myDevice, sampleRate: 96000)
try await engine.play(url: audioFileURL)See the README and documentation for complete examples.
Yes! BitPerfectCore is designed to work seamlessly with SwiftUI through Combine publishers and async/await.
Yes! Gapless playback is a core feature, essential for albums and live recordings.
BitPerfectCore is designed for local file playback. Network streaming support may be added in the future.
BitPerfectCore is an audio engine, not a complete player. Playlist management is the responsibility of the app using BitPerfectCore (like Perfecta).
BitPerfectCore is in active development (v0.5.0) with core playback features complete through Phase 5. See ROADMAP.md for details and CHANGELOG.md for what's been implemented.
Target: Q4 2026. This is an estimate and may change based on development progress.
Not yet. The project is in active development. We'll announce when it's ready for production use.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution guidelines. We welcome bug reports, feature requests, and code contributions!
BitPerfectCore is the audio engine that powers Perfecta, the perfect music player for macOS. They're separate projects:
- BitPerfectCore - Audio engine (this project)
- Perfecta - Music player app
- RoomTone - Visual companion
Existing solutions either:
- Don't provide true bit-perfect playback
- Are closed source
- Don't support modern Swift
- Lack exclusive mode support
- Are no longer maintained
BitPerfectCore fills this gap with a modern, open-source, Swift-native solution.
If you have:
- High-quality audio files (lossless formats)
- Good audio equipment (DAC, headphones/speakers)
- Trained ears
Then yes, bit-perfect playback ensures you're hearing exactly what's in the file without system processing.
BitPerfectCore works with any audio device, but you'll appreciate the difference most with quality equipment. Even mid-range DACs benefit from bit-perfect playback.
This depends on:
- Your audio equipment
- Your hearing
- The source material
- Your listening environment
Many audiophiles report noticeable improvements, especially with high-resolution audio.
In exclusive mode, system volume control is bypassed. Volume should be controlled at:
- The DAC/amplifier (preferred)
- The application level (Perfecta provides this)
BitPerfectCore can optionally apply volume in the digital domain if needed.
- Check that the device is connected and powered on
- Verify it appears in System Settings > Sound
- Try unplugging and reconnecting
- Check for macOS audio device permissions
- Close other audio applications
- Increase buffer size
- Check CPU usage
- Verify file isn't corrupted
- Check disk speed (especially for high-res files)
- Some devices don't support exclusive mode
- Other apps may be using the device
- Check device permissions
- Try restarting the audio device
- Some devices have fixed sample rates
- Check device capabilities
- Verify device isn't locked by another app
- Try manual configuration in Audio MIDI Setup
git clone https://github.com/marioarce/BitPerfectCore.git
cd BitPerfectCore
swift buildswift test- README.md - Overview and quick start
- ARCHITECTURE.md - Technical architecture
- ROADMAP.md - Development roadmap
- CONTRIBUTING.md - Contribution guidelines
- API documentation (coming soon)
Yes! The MIT License allows commercial use. See LICENSE for details.
- Check the documentation
- Search closed issues
- Open a new issue
- Start a discussion
Last Updated: June 2026
Note: This FAQ will be updated as the project develops and more questions arise.