Support

What does “bit-perfect” mean?

Every sample in the file reaches your DAC unchanged. LACQUER switches the DAC to the file's sample rate, avoids the macOS mixer's resampling and leaves volume to your device. The status at the bottom right says when this is true, and why when it isn't.

Why does it say “Resampled”?

Your output device can't run at the file's sample rate (for example a 192 kHz file on a 96 kHz headphone output). LACQUER then converts once, with Apple's highest-quality converter, and tells you.

What is pre-emphasis?

Some CDs from the 1980s were mastered with a treble boost that the player was meant to undo, signalled by a flag in the disc's subcode. Many rips lose that flag, so they play too bright. LACQUER reads the flag from .cue sheets, FLAC cuesheets, rip logs and tags, and can de-emphasize with the exact 50/15 µs curve.

What do the pre-emphasis levels mean?

CD FLAG CONFIRMED the disc's own flag, preserved by the rip in a cue sheet.

RIP/LOG CONFIRMED a rip log or tag says so.

STRONG SPECTRAL EVIDENCE compared with another master of the same songs, the difference is the 50/15 µs curve in magnitude and phase. The audio shows it; the flag itself is not available.

POSSIBLE no flag, and the treble is above the normal range. That fits emphasis or a bright mastering.

NOT DETECTED no flag and nothing in the audio points to it (not proof of absence).

UNKNOWN not analysed.

How does master identification work?

Every track is fingerprinted: exact length (in CD sectors where it applies), sample and true peaks, RMS, BS.1770 loudness, DR value, a third-octave spectral fingerprint, the loudness contour and the treble balance. An album is compared with the masterings in your catalogue track by track. CONFIRMED means every track is identical to the sample in length, peaks, RMS and spectrum: the same digital master. STRONG MATCH, PROBABLE and POSSIBLE need fewer independent agreements; each result lists exactly which checks passed. A file can identify a mastering, sometimes the release (via its table of contents), but never the physical pressing.

My album says “Not identified”. Why?

Naming a mastering needs something to compare with: another master of the same songs in your library, a reference you saved, or an imported catalogue. Without one, LACQUER still tells you two things. Which CD release the files match: when the tracks are whole CD sectors or a rip log is present, the disc's table of contents is looked up on MusicBrainz (if you allow it). And the master profile: real source resolution, dynamics, and whether those fit the year on the tags.

Where do reference masters come from?

From you, or from catalogue files you import. “Save as Reference Master” stores your album's measured fingerprint together with what you know about the disc (label, catalogue number, matrix). LACQUER ships no invented data: a match is only ever against a record whose fingerprint was measured from real files.

What is the Disc ID?

The MusicBrainz identifier of a CD's table of contents. LACQUER takes the TOC from a rip log or FLAC cuesheet, or reconstructs it when every track is a whole number of CD sectors (marked “derived”). The MusicBrainz link shows which releases have discs with that layout.

My album says “Upsampled from 44.1 kHz”. Is that better?

No, and not worse. It is CD-quality audio stored in a higher-rate file. The quality is the CD's; the extra rate holds no music and only adds file size.

What does DR mean?

The DR value from the TT Dynamic Range meter: how far the peaks stand above the RMS of the loudest passages. Higher values mean less peak limiting. It is not the music's literal dynamic range (the difference between its quietest and loudest moments).

What does “Verified lossless” mean?

FLAC files store an MD5 checksum of their audio. LACQUER recomputes it from the decoded samples; a match proves the file decodes bit for bit as it was encoded. It does not prove the source was lossless – see Lossy origin.

What is “Lossy origin”?

A lossless file (FLAC, WAV) that was made from an MP3 or AAC. It looks lossless but the detail the encoder removed is gone.

What does Direct lock do?

It gives LACQUER exclusive use of the output device, so no other app can play through it or change its settings while you listen.

How does the volume work?

LACQUER has its own volume, separate from your Mac's. At 100% (the default) the music is untouched and bit-perfect. Lower it to listen quieter; LACQUER never changes your system or DAC volume.

Can I stream to a network player, like a WiiM or a NAD / Bluesound (BluOS)?

Yes – UPnP/DLNA players and BluOS players. Click the device under Output, bottom left, and pick the player under Network players. It fetches the file from LACQUER over your network and decodes it itself, so it gets the file byte for byte, at its own resolution. Tracks with de-emphasis or overs protection are corrected first (a few seconds). Use the player's or amplifier's volume. On BluOS players tracks change with a short pause (BluOS has no gapless hand-over for streamed files). AirPlay speakers work too: choose them in Control Center → Sound; AirPlay carries CD quality only.

Can I show what's playing on my TV?

Yes, on a Chromecast or a TV with Google TV / Android TV. Click the device under Output, bottom left, and pick the TV under Show on TV. It shows a still picture: the record, the title and the signal status, updated with every track. The sound stays where it plays. The TV has to be on and on the same network; a TV that is switched off appears again by itself when it's back on. If someone starts something else on the TV, LACQUER steps aside.

Which formats are supported?

FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, CAF, MP3 and AAC, up to the highest rate your DAC supports.

Do the media keys work?

Yes. Play/pause, next and previous on your keyboard, AirPods and headphones control LACQUER, and it appears in Control Center's Now Playing with the cover.

Does LACQUER upload my music or listening history?

No. Everything happens on your Mac. If you allow it, LACQUER looks up missing album covers on MusicBrainz, sending only the artist and album name. See the Privacy Policy.