The basics
What is QSYNC?
A media platform for people whose collections are more than stereo MP3s. QSYNC Media Player (QMP) plays high-resolution lossless audio bit-perfect to 192kHz / 24-bit, immersive formats including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and MPEG-H 3D, and 4K HDR and Dolby Vision video - on a self-contained appliance. Around it sit QSYNC Remote Control (QRC), QSYNC Metadata Editor (QME) and QSYNC Media Reports (QMR).
What can I run it on?
QMP runs on Linux (NUC or PC), Windows, macOS and Android. QSYNC Remote Control (QRC) runs on iPad and Android tablets. QME and QMR run on Windows, macOS and Linux, and QMR on Android as well.
Do I need a TV connected to play music?
No. QMP does true headless playback - the appliance can sit in a rack with no display attached and be driven entirely from QSYNC Remote Control (QRC) on a tablet.
Formats and audio
Which surround and immersive formats are supported?
Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, MPEG-H 3D and Dolby Digital Plus with Joint Object Coding for immersive; Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HDMA, DD+, FLAC, ALAC and DSD/DSF among others for surround and stereo. Matroska (MKV/MKA), ISO and disc-folder backups are handled as first-class sources, not as an afterthought.
Can QSYNC decode quad - CD-4, QS and SQ?
Yes, along with stereo-to-quad and 5.1 upmixing - but these come from the QSYNC Surround Master add-on, the native QSYNC build of Involve Audio's acclaimed upmixer, rather than from the player itself. See Partners for the technology and Pricing for how it is licensed.
Who controls the volume in bitstream mode?
Your AVR does. When QSYNC is passing an untouched bitstream to an AV receiver - which is the whole point of bitstream mode - the receiver performs the decode and owns the volume. QSYNC says so on screen rather than showing you a slider that quietly does nothing.
Is there streaming?
TIDAL Hi-Fi is built in, and appears alongside your local library rather than in a separate silo. A TIDAL subscription is required and is not included.
Your library
Do I have to tag my music first?
No. QSYNC identifies releases by audio fingerprint, so a folder of untagged rips - even a disc backup with no embedded tags at all - is recognised and filed correctly. QSYNC Metadata Editor (QME) is there for when you want to go further and curate.
Will it modify my files?
Only if you ask it to. QME can write tags and artwork straight into the QSYNC library and never touch the files on disk. Writing back to the files themselves is a deliberate choice you make, not the default.
Where does the metadata come from?
Discogs and MusicBrainz, plus a cached metadata service run by QSYNC so common releases resolve quickly without hammering anyone's API.
Is my library shared with anyone?
No - not unless you switch it on. Contributing what you tag back to the shared QSYNC metadata cache is opt-in and off by default; it only happens if you enable Share Metadata in Settings.
How big a collection can it handle?
The reference library used for our own testing and for the screens on App UI is roughly 2,500 albums and 30,000 tracks across local NAS storage.
Buying and support
How is QSYNC licensed?
Per product, with add-ons such as QSYNC Surround Master licensed separately. Current tiers and prices are on the Pricing page.
Can I try it first?
QSYNC is in beta with a small test group at the moment. For eligibility and timing, please ask - [email protected].
Can QMP run on my Kodi device?
Yes. QSYNC Media Player installs on most Kodi-compatible devices, and it does not overwrite or remove anything Kodi has set up - your Kodi settings and media databases are left untouched. If you decide to go back, reinstall Kodi and every previous setting, library and piece of artwork is still there and still used. Trying QMP costs you nothing you already have.
Something is not working. Where do I go?
Technical help is at [email protected]; anything about products, licensing or buying goes to [email protected]. See Support.