Free Mac player YM Pro targets bit-perfect hi-res audio with direct DAC control

Developer Yonesh Murugan posted details about YM Pro to r/audiophile. He described getting the app approved as a “nightmare” because it takes exclusive control of the user’s audio hardware, something App Store reviewers were unhappy about. The app is now approved and live, though TechRadar reports it still has rough edges. Its core feature is direct DAC control with automatic sample-rate switching up to 192kHz. It also includes a “hog mode” that turns off system sounds and other audio while listening.

The bit-perfect claim concerns how YM Pro handles playback. Instead of upsampling or downsampling audio files to a DAC’s fixed bitrate, it adjusts the DAC to the audio file’s resolution and sends the signal without other software resampling through the operating system. The app is intended primarily for hi-res FLAC files, which the Apple Music app does not play; Apple directs users to its ALAC equivalent. YM Pro also handles common formats including MP3 and WAV, but it is for PCM audio only and does not support DSD. It requires Apple Silicon, as does the imminent macOS 27.

YM Pro does not connect to the user’s Music library. Instead, users point it to a folder containing the music they want it to catalog and play. That folder can be the one holding an existing Music library, but the app lacks auto-scanning and auto-updating, so the folder must be kept up to date manually.

TechRadar reported several first-release issues. Its writer could not get the app to use a preferred audio output despite repeated changes in System Settings > Sound, and the workaround described in the r/audiophile thread did not work on the writer’s Mac Mini, where the app ignored the selection. There were also interface issues, and other users reported playlist organization problems. Early feedback from other users says the app sounds good. Because it is free, TechRadar suggests it is worth trying and comparing with players such as VOX.

Murugan appears keen to receive user feedback and has promised to make enhancements based on comments provided so far.