Reference route
The analogue modelling stages and room-correction path are bypassed.
DIRECT · Reference digital path
The reference before anything else.
DIRECT keeps the modelling and room-correction paths out of the way and exposes the state of the digital route to the selected output device.
Reference playback
A stable baseline for every comparison.
DIRECT is the control condition inside NeuraMuse. It provides a clear baseline against which TUBE, VINYL and AURA can be judged.
Native-rate behaviour
With compatible hardware and drivers, NeuraMuse can follow the source sample rate rather than forcing a fixed output rate.
Visible transport state
Source/output rate, buffer state, XRUN count and timing indicators remain visible for verification.
Output chain
Designed around the DAC you choose.
NeuraMuse does not require a proprietary converter. For reference listening, use a dedicated DAC or interface and its manufacturer-provided driver when available.
Recommended chain: Windows PC → compatible ASIO output, or Apple Silicon Mac → CoreAudio output → DAC / amplifier / active monitors.
Output deviceUser-selected DAC / interface
Platform audioASIO on Windows · CoreAudio on macOS
Supported library formatsWAV · FLAC · MP3 · DSF · DFF
Playback familiesPCM + DSD · rate follows hardware / driver support
Processed DSD → DIRECTBit-perfect DSD resumes at the next track boundary
Audio file support
Formats supported by the current Early Access builds.
NeuraMuse can add and play these library formats directly:
WAV · FLAC · MP3
Standard PCM and compressed library playback supported by the current build.
DSF · DFF
DSD file playback is hardware-aware. DSD128 is verified; higher rates up to DSD512 depend on the selected DAC, driver and output path.
Hardware-aware
Supported file formats describe what NeuraMuse can open; actual output mode and rate depend on your DAC, driver and configuration.
Why DIRECT matters
Hear the processing, not the marketing.
A reference path is useful because it gives each optional model or correction mode something stable to compare against.
Return to the reference path
DIRECT remains the baseline for comparison. If a DSD track is already running through TUBE, VINYL or AURA, selecting DIRECT queues bit-perfect DSD for the next track boundary.
See the route
The transport status makes the active playback path explicit.
Your DAC remains the converter
NeuraMuse prepares and routes the stream; the selected DAC remains the conversion stage.
DSD transition rule: once a DSD track has entered TUBE, VINYL or AURA, the current track stays on the processed PCM path. Selecting DIRECT arms the reference path and bit-perfect DSD resumes with the next track.
Try the reference first
Install NeuraMuse and start in DIRECT.
Then compare TUBE, VINYL and AURA against the same source.