OS X software guru Stephen Booth turned heads late last year with his minimal software player AyreWave; apparently the coalescing of some the great audiophile minds at both Ayre Acoustics and Wavelength Audio. It swiftly became my audio player of choice when using my Macbook and J Kenny-modded Hiface as transport.
It transpires that the AyreWave name was just for beta purposes. The final, ready-for-prime-time version is now called Decibel (and already up to v1.04). Charles Hansen of Ayre Acoustics gives a more erudite explanation in this thread.
However, Decibel ain’t a free lunch – it’s US$33. Still a bargain in my book – particularly for the ‘hog mode’ – and still cheaper than PureMusic and Amarra.
Download a (24 hour play time) trial of Decibel here.