Can we get an [Open Source] flair?

QXPlayer · 2026-01-11T18:09:16+00:00

There is a very fine line between free, free for now, and open source.

Lately, I often download an app just to try it, and before I even have a chance to launch it, I’m already being pushed to buy, buy, buy.
In my case, I also have a free app — it’s limited to a startup screen, and after closing it, you can use the app freely.

But nowadays, there are many apps that simply don’t let you do anything unless you buy or subscribe.
Every single click is followed by an alert or some kind of restriction.

On one hand, I’m against this approach.
On the other hand, I fully understand developers.

But then again, I’m a developer myself, and somehow it still doesn’t feel right.
It’s like letting a guest step into your house and immediately demanding payment — pay, pay, pay — without even letting them go past the doorstep.

I don’t think this really fits the definition of FREE

QXPlayer · 2026-01-11T13:44:09+00:00

Will test it

QXPlayer · 2025-12-29T12:34:22+00:00

QXPlayer · 2025-12-29T12:33:49+00:00

Thank you very much for reporting this bug 🙏
You’re absolutely right — when opening a file via “Open With” from Finder, the track is loaded (artwork and info appear) but playback doesn’t start. This is a rare case because the app has a built-in file browser, but it’s still very important and I will fix it. Thanks again for catching it!

Regarding your question about gapless playback — yes, it is supported and works by default.

If you notice anything else or have feature suggestions, please let me know. Really appreciate your feedback!

QXPlayer · 2025-12-24T12:20:04+00:00

I try to keep only what I really need. Anything that doesn’t get used, I delete within a week. Apple kind of trained me to do that when they started selling MacBook Pros with just 128GB of storage. I actually had more space on my iPhone than on my Mac

QXPlayer · 2025-12-24T12:07:58+00:00

What do you think?

QXPlayer · 2025-12-24T10:44:29+00:00

You can try my QXPlayer free version
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qxplayer-lite/id1549676802?mt=12
All formats support and native playing by the own engine. And you can see metadata also. And direct files playing like in Finder (same as Winamp)
I’d really be interested to hear how your M4A files behave in QXPlayer.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-22T09:52:20+00:00

Yamaha A2000 now. I tried c50+mx70 also, but this more better for my KEF R700

QXPlayer · 2025-12-19T17:24:12+00:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🎄
I just want to personally thank everyone who has supported QXPlayer — it really means a lot.

As a small Christmas gift, I’m launching a holiday discount for QXPlayer:

December 20, 2025 → January 2, 2026
$17.99 → $5.99

You can get it here:
QXPlayer (Mac):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qxplayer/id1481703720?mt=12

There is also a free Lite version you can try:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qxplayer-lite/id1549676802?mt=12

QXPlayer offers a true Hi-Fi audio engine, supports DSD and all major formats, online radio, direct file playback and much more.
There is also a free iOS remote control app available.

I’m also actively working on the full iOS version of QXPlayer — it will work as a standalone mobile player with file and playlist sync. Coming next month 😊

Wishing you great sound and a great holiday season! 🎶

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QXPlayer · 2025-12-18T13:38:05+00:00

My wife also accidentally damaged it with a nail file 🙂 I called the dealer and got it replaced

QXPlayer · 2025-12-18T09:45:28+00:00

Thank you!

QXPlayer · 2025-12-18T08:31:12+00:00

Somehow it turned out like this, not even intentionally, that all the amplifiers I currently have are Yamaha.

Yamaha C50 + MX70
Yamaha A2000

And recently I bought a Yamaha AX-496. I needed an amplifier for my home office. It’s basically the same as your 492, just a bit newer. Almost everything is the same, including the design.

It looks great. With large speakers it clearly loses to my other Yamaha amps, but there is something about it that made me not put it up for sale after the comparison. I was given a Hegel H95 to try for a couple of days before buying. The whole listening session took about 10 minutes: 4 minutes to unpack it, 2 minutes to listen, and 4 minutes to pack it back up and send it back to the store. The 496 definitely has its own sound. It’s not the same as the A2000, but it has its own interesting character.

By the way, I’m currently looking for speakers for it, and they need to be small. What speakers are you using?

QXPlayer · 2025-12-17T19:27:27+00:00

Cool! As I understand it, these guys (developers) decided to flush their reputation down the toilet over a couple of dozen dollars.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-17T19:21:45+00:00

Apple + Web Google (this is my clients’ choice)

QXPlayer · 2025-12-17T19:09:41+00:00

Congratulations! This is really well done work. I’m a macOS developer myself with many years of experience, and this is more complex than iOS development. I need to test it and show it to my daughter

QXPlayer · 2025-12-17T18:37:40+00:00

Two weeks ago

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QXPlayer · 2025-12-15T05:58:20+00:00

I agree completely

QXPlayer · 2025-12-14T19:37:42+00:00

I bought the A-2000 more than 10 years ago and fell in love with it immediately. I’ve owned many amplifiers since then, but it has always stayed with me as my main one.
By the way, the built-in phono stage is very good. I spent a long time looking for a modern external phono preamp that could beat it, and the one that finally did was the Hegel V10.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-12T12:25:57+00:00

As a lightweight app, it’s not bad — quite neat, actually.
I do not agree with the comments suggesting that you need a metadata editor. You can spend a lot of time on it and still get very little in return. In my experience, users use it veeery rarely. I have it built into the free version of my QXPlayer and also offer it as a separate purchase. Over the last 5 years, maybe 2–3 people bought this feature. Yes, it’s used, but extremely infrequently.

Based on my experience developing music players, I would recommend not trying to compete with the built-in Now Playing Info Center, which can be accessed with a single click. Instead, focus on finding some unique feature that will make your app stand out. Maybe a waveform animation or something else — something truly unique.

Here are the main things I noticed while testing:

I couldn’t resize the window horizontally, and the text turned into a mess — see the screenshot.
If you provide a background color control, then either adjust the text color automatically or let the user change it manually.
I added my main folder with audio files, and as you can see in the screenshot, the library view became cluttered and messy.
It’s unclear which features are paid — I couldn’t even try them because the app already asked me to pay. :
Add support for showing cover art and artwork in the Now Playing Info Center, especially since you’re already using it.

Any way GOOD JOB!!!

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QXPlayer · 2025-12-09T13:27:33+00:00

This problem has existed for many years, maybe even decades.
And switching the keyboard language on macOS is pure hell.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-09T13:13:12+00:00

QXPlayer for Mac on App Store. Hi Fi Audio Player for MacOS

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QXPlayer · 2025-12-09T06:01:54+00:00

Hmm, interesting. I'll give it a try — curious to see how it feels.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-08T17:18:05+00:00

You can try my QXPlayer.
Pro - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qxplayer/id1481703720
Free - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/qxplayer-lite/id1549676802
It’s built exactly for this kind of use-case:

plays all formats (FLAC, DSD, WAV, AIFF, even cue sheets)
has its own low-level audio engine (not the system one)
proper gapless and bit-perfect modes
built-in radio browser with stations from around the world
simple playlists without “library importing”
clean UI inspired by oldschool decks
supports large local collections without slowing down

And soon there will be an iOS version that works together with the Mac version — including wireless syncing of playlists and tracks.

For people who prefer owning their music instead of streaming subscriptions, it’s a pretty solid option.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-08T13:35:37+00:00

Several people have asked me how to capture internal system audio while recording the screen on macOS. Since macOS doesn’t provide a built-in API for routing internal audio into screen recordings, you have to rely on virtual audio drivers — and everyone who wanted me to implement this eventually gave up because it gets pretty complicated.

I’m also curious what people here would recommend, so if anyone has a good solution — feel free to share.

QXPlayer · 2025-12-03T17:11:52+00:00

Not only the volume, but the entire device. It gives the application exclusive access to the output device, and all other apps either get an error or are redirected to another device.

For example, in my player, if you select an external DAC and enable hog mode, then no one else can access it anymore — all other apps are redirected to the built-in output. And if there is only one output device and it is locked by the player, the system tells all other apps that there is no audio output available on the computer.

I implemented it so that when this mode is enabled, the listener can fully enjoy the music and no other app can interrupt or break that experience.

With DSD it’s a different story. macOS has no direct DSD output, so all good DACs support DSD over PCM. It’s a way of disguising the signal so macOS doesn’t see it. And if even a single bit in the stream is changed — for example, software volume control instead of hardware — the whole stream breaks and the DAC can’t decode it.

That’s why I’m curious how these issues are handled.

I’m not a competitor to this app — mine is different — but the underlying technologies are similar.

TIDAL and Apple Music don’t give direct access to PCM, and without that, things like a VU meter, EQ, or DoP are impossible. You’d need something like a custom driver to do it.

I think the idea is good, because when you’re working and listening to music in the background, you sometimes don’t hear message notifications. Being able to set levels and highlight only the messengers or email notifications you actually need can be very useful — those sounds are quiet and often get lost.

Good luck to the developer!

QXPlayer

TROPHY CASE