Decaud ships three ways: the Direct download on the home page (a notarized Developer ID build, checksums published), the Mac App Store edition, and the iPhone and iPad app. The Mac and mobile apps share library tools, TrueHz analysis and an inspectable signal path, with controls appropriate to each platform. Apple TV joins the family in 1.5 with an interface focused on browsing and playback.
A key difference is how the build controls the output device. The platform and connected hardware determine which paths are available.
| Capability | Direct Mac | Mac App Store | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusive device access | Yes | No. The sandbox forbids hogging a device | No. iOS owns the audio route |
| Automatic sample-rate switching | Yes, matches the file | No. Plays at the device's current rate | Managed by the system |
| Native DSD over DoP | To DSD256, on DACs you confirm | No. DSD is converted to PCM | In 1.5 on iPhone: optional USB output to a compatible DAC you have verified |
| DSD playback | Native over DoP, or labeled conversion | High-quality PCM conversion, labeled | Labeled PCM conversion by default; optional verified USB DoP on iPhone in 1.5 |
| CD ripping | Error-corrected secure rip | Filesystem rip from the mounted disc | Not applicable |
| Updates | Signed updates through Sparkle; manual Check for Updates is available | Through the Mac App Store | Through the App Store |
| Price | Free; optional tips do not unlock features | ||
the signal path tells the truth in every edition: exclusive output says so, shared mode says so, conversion says so
The Mac App Store requires the app sandbox, and the sandbox does not let an app take a device for itself or change its nominal sample rate. Those two calls are the mechanism behind exclusive access, automatic rate matching, and DSD over DoP. Rather than pretend, the App Store edition plays shared mode at the device's current rate, converts DSD to PCM with a high-quality decimator, and its signal path labels every stage. Same app, honest about the sandbox it lives in.
Settings ▸ About names it: Direct Edition or App Store Edition.
The TV app browses your catalog, plays from a Mac or compatible media server, and offers explicit downloads through iCloud. Its shared system output may convert sample rates; DSD is decoded to PCM, with no native DoP output. Timed lyrics, Audio Path and optional experimental visualizers are available. A bundled demo works offline on a fresh installation. The TV does not include the NativeDSD Starter Pack or a tip-purchase screen.
If you listen through an external DAC and want exclusive output or native DSD, take the Direct download. If you prefer App Store installs and updates through Apple, the App Store edition is the same app minus device control. The Direct edition also checks for signed updates itself. On iPhone and iPad the App Store is the only channel, and the app is built for that platform's rules from the start.
Both Mac editions are free, and moving between them later loses nothing: your library lives in your files and your local database either way.
