Introduction to the Channel D Pure Music High Resolution Music Server Software

Computer audio is quickly becoming the source of choice for high-resolution audio playback. A vast number of products focused on computer audio are available today, but most of the attention is paid to hardware: DACs and computer audio interfaces like the Bryston BDA-1 and Halide Design USB to SPDIF Bridge I reviewed last year. In all our reviews, we forget one key component of the playback chain: the software player. I have complained extensively about the difficulty of getting no-compromise audio playback from a computer. Most of this complaint is due to mass-market software tools that don’t have the audio enthusiast in mind. Channel D’s Pure Music software is one of the few available players that have been specifically written with the audiophile in mind. Pure Music solves many of the problems inherent in computer audio playback software, and does it at a reasonable price particularly when compared to the competition. Is it worth it to spend $129 on a piece of software that “does the same thing” as iTunes? The answer is yes. As long as you have a Mac.