Set it up correctly, understand the signal path, then listen.
This Early Access page is a practical guide to NeuraMuse: installation, supported audio hardware, DIRECT / TUBE / VINYL / AURA, native-rate and bit-perfect playback, AURA room correction, Internet radio and NeuraMuse LINK multiroom.
Supported audio setup
NeuraMuse does not require an external DAC if the computer's own audio hardware provides a compatible output. The important part is the audio driver and the formats supported by the device.
ASIO-compatible output required
Use either an internal sound card with a compatible ASIO driver, or an external audio interface / DAC with its manufacturer-provided ASIO driver. The supported Windows Early Access path is ASIO.
CoreAudio output · Apple Silicon only
NeuraMuse for macOS supports Apple Silicon (M-series Macs) and uses CoreAudio. Intel Macs are not supported by the current Early Access build. The current public DMG is signed with Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple for normal Gatekeeper verification.
Your audio device must support the sample rate of the track you want to play: for example 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 or 192 kHz.
Requires DIRECT mode plus a DSD/DoP-capable device. On Windows, use the device's ASIO driver.
An internal Realtek or other sound device is fine if it exposes a compatible ASIO driver and supports the required formats.
On Apple Silicon Macs, standalone PCM playback through the built-in CoreAudio output is currently validated up to 96 kHz. For higher-rate PCM and for DSD, connect a compatible external DAC.
Install NeuraMuse correctly on Windows or macOS
Windows and macOS Early Access packages are available below. The macOS package is signed with Apple Developer ID, notarized by Apple and published with its current SHA-256 checksum.
Install with NeuraMuseSetup.exe
- Download NeuraMuseSetup.exe from this page.
- Verify the SHA-256 checksum shown in the Downloads section.
- Install the native ASIO driver supplied by your internal sound card, audio interface or DAC manufacturer, if it is not already installed.
- Run NeuraMuseSetup.exe and complete the installer.
- Open NeuraMuse from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
- In NeuraMuse, confirm that the intended ASIO output is detected before starting playback.
Install the signed & notarized DMG
- Download NeuraMuse.dmg from this page.
- Verify the SHA-256 checksum shown in the Downloads section.
- Open the DMG and drag NeuraMuse into Applications.
- Open NeuraMuse normally from Applications. The package is Developer ID signed and Apple-notarized; no Gatekeeper bypass is required.
- Connect a compatible external DAC for higher-rate PCM or DSD playback.
Use NeuraMuse in this order
Start with a simple local PCM track in DIRECT. Only after the basic output is confirmed should you move to DSD, DSP modes, AURA, radio and multiroom.
Install the correct audio driver
Windows: install the ASIO driver supplied by the sound-card, interface or DAC manufacturer. Reconnect or restart the device if the manufacturer requires it.
Open NeuraMuse
Launch NeuraMuse and confirm that the intended output appears. Select that output before starting playback.
Load a familiar PCM track
Start with FLAC or WAV that you know well. A 44.1 or 48 kHz track is the easiest first test.
Select DIRECT
DIRECT is required when your goal is an untouched / bit-perfect path, but always verify the actual endpoint output state: DIRECT can explicitly report PCM Compatibility when a LINK DAC cannot accept the DoP carrier required by a DSD track.
Check source and output
Verify that the output sample rate follows the source and that the UI reports native-rate / SRC off when the hardware supports that rate.
Then explore the other functions
Try TUBE, VINYL, AURA, DSD, radio and finally multiroom. Change one thing at a time so any problem is reproducible.
If you want bit-perfect playback, use DIRECT and verify the actual endpoint output state. TUBE, VINYL and AURA deliberately process the audio and are not bit-perfect. In LINK, DIRECT can also enter an explicitly reported PCM Compatibility path when the local DAC/driver rejects the DoP carrier required by a DSD track; that endpoint is then not bit-perfect DSD.
Know exactly when NeuraMuse is bit-perfect
Native-rate and bit-perfect are related, but they are not identical. Native-rate means the hardware is running at the source sample rate without sample-rate conversion. Bit-perfect additionally means the audio samples are not altered by DSP or other processing.
Use DIRECT whenever your goal is the untouched playback path.
Source rate and device/output rate should match for native-rate PCM.
If the UI reports SRC active, playback is not native-rate.
For DSD, verify DIRECT plus the actual output state. DoP carriers are 176.4 kHz for DSD64, 352.8 kHz for DSD128, 705.6 kHz for DSD256 and 1.4112 MHz for DSD512. DoP framing is not PCM conversion.
DIRECT, TUBE, VINYL and AURA
Use DIRECT as the reference. The other modes are creative / corrective processing paths and should be judged as different playback experiences, not as bit-perfect alternatives.
Room measurement step by step
AURA is local to each room. A calibration made in one room is not a calibration for another room.
Connect the microphone
Use a suitable measurement microphone and make sure Windows/macOS sees the correct input.
Place it at the listening position
Put the microphone where your head normally is when listening. Keep the room as quiet as practical.
Select the correct input
Do not accidentally calibrate with a laptop array, webcam microphone or another processed voice input.
Run the measurement
Start AURA calibration and leave the microphone still while the sweep / measurement is running.
Validate the result
Make sure calibration completes without clipping or obvious measurement errors.
Compare AURA with DIRECT
Use the same music and compare the corrected room response against DIRECT. Report anything unstable or unnatural.
How to use radio correctly
Radio uses the same local output device as the rest of NeuraMuse. The stream is decoded first; NeuraMuse then opens the output at the stream's actual decoded sample rate when the hardware supports it.
Open RADIO
Choose a supported station from the NeuraMuse radio view.
Wait for format lock
NeuraMuse identifies the stream format before releasing audio to the output.
Check the rate
If the station decodes to 44.1, 48, 96 or 192 kHz and the output supports it, the hardware should follow that rate without unnecessary SRC.
Choose the local mode
DIRECT keeps the decoded PCM path unprocessed; TUBE, VINYL and AURA apply their respective local DSP.
Switch stations normally
Change station, then return to local music and verify that the output re-locks correctly.
Use it as a multiroom source
A radio station playing on the source room can be distributed to LINK followers just like a local PCM programme.
Multiroom: one programme, independent sound in each room
LINK distributes the programme over your local network. Each computer keeps its own local audio device and its own local playback mode. The source controls what is playing; the follower controls how that programme is rendered in that room.
Use the same release
Install the same compatible Early Access generation on every NeuraMuse node. Do not mix old and new multiroom protocol builds.
Put the computers on the same LAN
Connect the rooms to the same trusted local network/subnet. Ethernet is ideal; good 5/6 GHz Wi-Fi can also be tested.
Verify each room locally first
Before joining, play a local PCM track on every node and confirm that its own audio output works correctly.
Start the source
On the computer you want as master/source, start a local track or radio station.
Join from the follower
On the other room, use JOIN when the source appears in NeuraMuse LINK. The follower prepares its local output and then starts on the shared presentation timeline.
Choose the follower's sound
For PCM, the follower can use DIRECT, TUBE, VINYL or AURA locally. This does not change the source room's mode.
Check synchronization
Listen for initial alignment and long-term drift. The follower continuously corrects small hardware-clock differences during PCM playback.
Leave cleanly
Press LEAVE on the follower when you want that room independent again. The source should continue playing.
Test source changes
Change track, album or radio station on the source and verify that the follower continues with the same programme without a runaway buffer or timing jump.
The follower receives PCM, aligns it to the shared presentation timeline, applies its own local DIRECT/TUBE/VINYL/AURA mode, then sends it to its own output.
The DSD source/master remains in DIRECT to distribute the original DSD programme and timing. DoP is the local presentation to each compatible DAC, not the network format. A DIRECT endpoint stays bit-perfect DSD when its DAC/driver accepts the required DoP carrier. If that carrier is rejected, NeuraMuse can warn the user and convert only that endpoint to high-rate PCM Compatibility; other compatible rooms remain DSD. A room may also choose TUBE, VINYL or AURA for intentional local PCM/DSP processing.
Each room may use a different compatible audio device. LINK is designed to compensate for small differences between physical DAC clocks during PCM playback.
Allow NeuraMuse / NeuraMuse Link Service on your trusted local network when Windows Defender asks. LINK is not required for standalone playback.
Check these before reporting a bug
Confirm that an ASIO driver is installed and that the device appears in NeuraMuse. Internal audio is valid only when it provides a compatible ASIO path.
Check that the selected device supports the source sample rate. Try a known 44.1/48 kHz PCM track first.
Confirm DIRECT and check the actual endpoint output. DSD64/128/256/512 require DoP carriers of 176.4/352.8/705.6/1411.2 kHz respectively. If the DAC/driver rejects the required carrier in LINK, NeuraMuse can report PCM Compatibility and that endpoint is intentionally no longer bit-perfect DSD for the track. If the track has entered TUBE, VINYL or AURA, the return to DIRECT occurs at the next track boundary.
Verify local playback on both nodes, same compatible build generation, same LAN/subnet, firewall permission and a working local audio output on the follower. On Apple Silicon using the Mac's built-in output, LINK follower mode is currently supported for radio only; use an external compatible DAC for local-track PCM LINK.
Report source/follower device, sample rate, Ethernet/Wi-Fi and approximate drift direction/time. Do not change several settings at once.
Repeat calibration with the correct microphone at the listening position and a quiet room. Report clipping or invalid measurement behaviour.
15–30 minute validation sequence
Play 44.1/48 kHz, then one higher-rate PCM file your device supports.
Try DIRECT → TUBE → VINYL → DIRECT, then AURA after calibration.
If supported, play DSF/DFF in DIRECT and verify DSD/DoP on the device.
Change several stations and return to local playback.
Join a follower, leave it, rejoin it, then test a different sample rate.
Leave PCM multiroom playing long enough to catch drift, dropouts or unexpected rate changes.
Control the Master. Join the LINK room.
The iPad app is available now as a public beta through Apple TestFlight. It can control a NeuraMuse Master on Windows or Apple Silicon macOS and can also join the same LINK room as a synchronized listening endpoint.
Library, Radio and transport
Browse albums, select tracks, control Internet Radio and switch DIRECT / TUBE / VINYL / AURA from the iPad interface.
This iPad becomes an endpoint
Join NeuraMuse LINK and render the Master programme directly through the iPad's own local output.
JOIN iPAD BETA · APPLE TESTFLIGHT INSTALLATION GUIDE
Early Access downloads
Every published package is paired with its current SHA-256 checksum. When a public binary is updated, the checksum shown here is updated at the same time. During the current Early Access phase, desktop downloads are available without registration.
Windows 10 / 11 x64
Audio requirement: an ASIO-compatible internal sound card, audio interface or DAC with a working ASIO driver. For the intended audiophile / bit-perfect experience, a dedicated DAC with its manufacturer-provided ASIO driver is strongly recommended.
DOWNLOAD FOR WINDOWSmacOS · Apple Silicon only
CoreAudio — no ASIO driver required. Apple Silicon (M-series) only. A dedicated DAC is strongly recommended for reference listening. Package signed with Apple Developer ID, notarized by Apple and stapled.
DOWNLOAD FOR macOSThe current Windows Early Access installer is distributed without an Authenticode publisher signature, so Windows SmartScreen or the browser may show an unrecognized publisher / unrecognized app warning.
- Download only from the official NeuraMuse site.
- Compare the SHA-256 shown on this page with the file you downloaded.
- If the hash matches and you intentionally downloaded the Early Access build, use Windows SmartScreen's additional information option to continue.
The current NeuraMuse DMG is Developer ID signed, Apple-notarized and stapled. Download it only from the official NeuraMuse site and verify the SHA-256 above. No Gatekeeper bypass is required.
Send feedback
Tell us what you tested and the exact sequence. Device compatibility, sound, glitches, UI confusion, radio behaviour and multiroom timing are all useful.