Amarra for Mac

Amarra makes my music sound like it's being sung by The Chipmunks! Well, not quite that bad, but tracks play too fast through my speakers.

I'd installed Amarra last summer and after many emails with support I uninstalled it due to its inability to properly play my iTunes tracks through my JBL Pebbles computer speakers.

Recently I installed it again because I'd forgotten what the issues were and I have a new computer, but am now having the same problems. I found the old emails and this is what SonicStudio Support said:

"It appears from your description that you have manually changed the sample rate on your DAC from 44.1 kHz to something else like 48 kHz. When using Amarra products, it's important to let our software control the sample rate..

Your JBL rep is not completely correct when it comes to outputting audio from a computer. Specifically, on a Mac, the sample rates that are listed in Audio Midi Setup under the Format menu are the sample rates supported by that device. The signal coming out of the computer must be converted to that sample rate for your speakers to play the tracks back.

That all said, each program deals with mis-matched sample rates differently. Some will convert the file in real-time and play back your upsampled track without issue. Unfortunately for you, Amarra does not up sample any information so we cannot up-sample a 44k track to 48k in real-time. This is why Amarra is not playing back your 44k tracks in your current setup. We believe that up-sampling a track will create non-bit-perfect output, an audiophile no-no."


I had not touched the sample rate - my desktop speakers ONLY play at 48 kHz - that can NOT be changed in Audio MIDI Setup.
So maybe the "problem" is with my speakers, but the dev's are aware of this issue and fail to warn people that Amarra may be incompatible with some speakers and that you should check your specifications before installing.

The problems last year occurred on my old computer running Yosemite.
Now I have a 2-month old computer running El Cap. and have identical issues (same speakers).

Since Pure Music and BitPerfect play the tracks correctly through my speakers, I must put the blame on Amarra.

There were other bugs on both computers as well, such as the EQ window always opening almost half way off the side of the screen, and other GUI issues. Thus, only 1/2 star.

I'm running Amarra HiFi 3.0 from a MacBook Pro through a SraightWire USB cable to a Schitt BiFrost with Uber Analog and USB Gen2, (using BetterCables all the way from here) to a Schitt SYS , and finally to Focal CMS40's on my desk. I'm getting a much improved sound from iTunes and also iTunes Radio from the HiFi version. Finally... my question is for anyone running a similar setup, is the full version or SQ+ a major improvement and worth the cost?

Now priced at an even $99.00.

The current price for Amarra is $99.99, probably in response to competition from Pure Music and Audirvana Plus. In addition to the Amarra sQ mentioned below, there is now an additional, very different player confusingly named the Amarra sQ+, even though it's a new product and not an upgrade of the sQ. However, the sQ is still being supported and has been upgraded recently, to v2.1.

The sQ costs $29.99
The sQ+ costs $49.99

The description of this app says almost nothing about how it actually works.

Cheesy marketing-speak from a lazy (and greedy) developer.