Supersonic is lightweight, free, and cross-platform — a solid option if you want something that runs everywhere. EKO is Mac-native, design-first, and the only client with true native-rate bit-perfect output. Here's the precise difference.
Honest about the alternatives · facts as of June 2026
Supersonic has an exclusive-output mode, which deserves credit — it bypasses the system mixer. But it doesn't switch the device's sample rate, so audio is still resampled. EKO sets the native rate track-by-track: no mixer, no resample, sealed and shown.
| Client | Native on Mac | Servers | Bit-perfect | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EKO THIS SITETauri · Rust engine | Native | Navidrome · Subsonic · local | ✓ Yes | Free + Pro · $15 one-time |
| SupersonicGo · Fyne | Cross-platform | Subsonic · Jellyfin | ✗ No | Free |
A precise note on Supersonic: Supersonic offers an exclusive-output mode that bypasses the macOS mixer — that's meaningful, and worth crediting. However, it does not switch the output device's sample rate to match each track. Audio is still resampled to whatever rate the device was already set to. Bit-perfect requires both exclusive access and native-rate switching — EKO does both, and signals it with a visible seal. Facts as of June 2026.
You want something cross-platform that stays lightweight, free, and works with Jellyfin. Supersonic is honest Go software — no Electron, no framework weight — and exclusive-output mode is a real step above the default macOS mixer path.
You want a Mac app that feels like it was made for your machine — and you want true bit-perfect output: native sample rate, no mixer, sealed and shown in the UI. If you can hear the difference, EKO is the only one that proves it.
Most players decode losslessly, then let macOS resample everything to a single rate before your DAC. EKO sends each file at its own rate, straight to the device — and shows you, with a seal that lights only when the path is genuinely untouched.
Free and open source. Native macOS. Navidrome, Subsonic and local files.