Audio On macOS

Audio On macOS

Overview

Roon supports two output mechanisms on macOS: CoreAudio and ASIO
  1. CoreAudio is Apple's native audio framework. 
  2. ASIO support on Mac is extremely limited--currently the only devices we are aware of are manufactured by exaSound. If you don't have one of these, you will be using CoreAudio.

Both are capable of bit-perfect playback. CoreAudio is a more modern system, with stronger support for convenience features like volume controls and device identification, and ASIO is more bare-bones and minimal.

For an in-depth overview of the Audio Configuration in Roon, check out our Audio Setup Basics page.

This page is for mac-specific notes and issues.

MacOS Monterey

With the release of MacOS Monterey, MacOS has a new feature called Private Relay. Private Relay works in a similar fashion to a VPN and can sometimes cause Audio Outputs to not show up properly in Roon. If you are making use of Private Relay, please be sure to disable it when using Roon.

Help, I'm having Staticky or Unstable playback with Dirac!

Make sure that the following options are enabled:
  1. Use Exclusive Mode
  2. Enable Integer Mode
  3. Use Power-of-2 Buffer Sizes

Make sure that the exaSound dashboard is set to "ASIO" mode. If it leaves ASIO mode, or if the dashboard exits, Roon will have difficulty accessing the device. If you have having problems unexpectedly, this is the first thing to check:



Then, in Roon's audio settings, enable the (2ch) version of the driver, even if you have an 8-channel device


Finally, make your setup screens look like this:



Then play some music.

    • Related Articles

    • Audio Setup Basics

      Accessing Audio Settings To access audio settings, first enter Roon's main settings screen, then choose the Audio tab. Inside the Audio tab, you'll be presented with a list of audio output devices, grouped by type, and in some cases, by which ...
    • Audio Analysis

      What is Audio Analysis and how is it used? During audio analysis, each file in your library is analyzed in order to extract information about their audio content. Data extracted during audio analysis is used for several purposes: Volume Leveling ...
    • MUSE - Precision Audio Control

      MUSE - Precision Audio Control (DSP) gives you tools that can potentially create loud or damaging sounds. Begin by experimenting at low volume levels until you are confident that your settings produce the desired effect. If you experience unwanted ...
    • FAQ: What audio outputs or devices are supported by Roon?

      Connected Outputs: Built-in outputs, USB DACs, and Sound Cards Any audio devices recognized by the OS will be recognized by Roon, from Built-in Sound to PCI Soundcards to USB DACs. In the settings of Roon, you will select which recognized audio ...
    • MUSE - Precision Audio Control: Audeze Presets

      Audeze Presets are part of Roon's MUSE suite. For more information on accessing MUSE, see here. Audeze Presets are not included in MUSE for ARC but can be approximated using EQ. What are Audeze Presets? Audeze presets apply carefully designed ...
    Visit the Roon Community!
    Need help? Thousands of Roon subscribers and audio enthusiasts are chatting over on our community site right now, join them! You don't even need a Roon subscription to sign up.