Local audio · Windows · Free public beta

Hear the entire signal.

A hardware-aware listening system that configures your complete chain, corrects headphones, measures the signal and produces evidence you can inspect.

Synergy WizardChain-wide setup
Integrity reportsEvidence, not badges
Scientific correctionTarget + AutoEQ
Analysis suiteSignal in motion
One listening environment

From library to truth.

AETHER connects playback, processing, correction and measurement in one continuous workflow. Every active stage remains visible, so sound quality is something you can hear, inspect and understand.

PROVISIONAL PRODUCT IMAGE
Replace with final AETHER overview capture
LISTENING DESKREAL PRODUCT CAPTURE PENDING
HEADPHONE CORRECTION
IMAGE PLACEHOLDER
ANALYSIS VIEW
IMAGE PLACEHOLDER
Flagship systems

More than playback.

AETHER’s defining systems share the same native signal state. Hardware, DSP, correction, measurement and saved listening environments operate as one chain.

01 / CONFIGURE

Synergy Wizard

Build a listening system around the headphones, amplifier and DAC you actually use.

  • Guided hardware matching
  • Chain-wide presets
  • Output and DSP setup
02 / REMEMBER

My Gear & Zones

Recall the entire listening environment when you return to a device, room or use case.

  • Headphone, DAC and amplifier identity
  • EQ, layout, crossfeed and convolution
  • Exportable and shareable presets
03 / PROVE

Integrity Measurement

Inspect what the active chain is doing instead of relying on a decorative quality label.

  • Bit-perfect eligibility and path state
  • Sample-rate and DSP provenance
  • Structured HTML and PDF reports
04 / CORRECT

Scientific Target

Combine a measured headphone profile with a listening target while keeping each contribution visible.

  • AutoEQ profile foundation
  • Target modeling and residual analysis
  • Filter, headroom and A/B evidence
05 / OBSERVE

Analysis Suite

See level, energy, dynamics and stereo behavior through coordinated professional views.

  • RTA and spectrum analysis
  • Oscilloscope and waveform
  • Lissajous, goniometer and StageMap
06 / SHAPE

16-band Parametric EQ

Shape the signal with a visible accumulated response and tactile control over every band.

  • Frequency, gain and Q per filter
  • Per-band level visualization
  • Persistent MIDI Learn mappings
Synergy Wizard · My Gear · Zones

Your system becomes the preset.

The preset is larger than an EQ curve. AETHER associates headphones, amplifier, DAC/output, correction, target, parametric EQ, crossfeed, convolution, gain, layout and MIDI mappings with a saved gear profile or zone. Exported presets carry that setup to another AETHER installation.

Hardware identityComplete DSP statePer-zone recallPreset exchange
SYNERGY WIZARD + MY GEAR
FINAL CAPTURE PLACEHOLDER
THREE-STEP SETUPFULL-CHAIN RECALL
Scientific Target · AutoEQ

Correction you can interrogate.

AutoEQ supplies the measured headphone model. Scientific Target defines the intended response. AETHER exposes the resulting filters, predicted curve, residual error, headroom and processing state so the stages complement one another without hiding redundant correction.

Source provenanceFit metricsModeled phaseABX comparison
SCIENTIFIC TARGET + AUTOEQ
FINAL CAPTURE PLACEHOLDER
MODEL / TARGET / RESULTFILTER EVIDENCE
Parametric EQ · MIDI Learn

Sixteen bands under precise control.

Each band exposes frequency, gain and Q with a combined response curve, live band-energy feedback and direct MIDI mapping. Mappings can live with the active gear profile so a physical controller returns with the rest of the system.

16 independent bandsRBJ filter chainBand VU feedbackHardware mapping
16-BAND PARAMETRIC EQ
FINAL CAPTURE PLACEHOLDER
FREQUENCY / GAIN / QMIDI LEARN
Acoustic Space · Convolution

Place sound inside a measured response.

AETHER’s Impulse Response engine applies the captured behavior of a room, cabinet, device or acoustic system as a deliberate DSP stage. The active IR, mix and gain remain visible throughout the session.

ACOUSTIC SPACE / IR ENGINE
FINAL PRODUCT CAPTURE PLACEHOLDER
PARTITIONED CONVOLUTIONACTIVE IR + ENGINE STATE
01Import and identify

Add an impulse response, select it from the library and always see which file is active.

02Blend with intent

Wet controls the contribution of the convolved signal. Output gain keeps comparison levels under control.

03Compare honestly

Use bypass and the integrated ABX workflow to judge the effect without relying only on expectation.

04Recall the space

Store IR selection, Wet, Gain and related DSP state with My Gear or a Zone preset.

EnginePartitioned FFT convolution

Designed to process longer responses efficiently while keeping the interface responsive.

ControlsIR · Wet · Gain · Bypass

The core parameters remain explicit and available for repeatable setup.

EvaluationABX and diagnostics

Level-aware comparison plus visible engine and active-response status.

ContextRooms, cabinets and systems

Results depend on the source IR. AETHER does not treat every response as corrective or neutral.

An IR is not automatically an improvement. It can recreate a measured acoustic signature, simulate a cabinet or form part of a correction workflow. Accuracy depends on the measurement, sample rate, channel layout, normalization and intended use of the impulse response.

AETHER Analysis Suite

One signal. Many truthful views.

The central analysis workspace and side analyzer are independent. Each can show a different instrument while reading a defined point in the signal path.

RTA / Spectrum20-band RMS and FFT spectral energy with frequency and dBFS values.
OscilloscopeTime-domain waveform for transient shape, clipping and periodic signals.
Lissajous XYLeft/right phase relationship, image width and mono compatibility.
Goniometer M/SMid/side spatial distribution with correlation and stable persistence.
AETHER StageMapFrequency-aware artistic spatial view of the perceived stereo field.
VU & LoudnessRMS, LUFS M/S/I, LRA, crest factor, true peak and correlation.
ANALYSIS SUITE — CENTRAL + SIDE VIEW
FINAL CAPTURE PLACEHOLDER
INDEPENDENT VIEW SELECTIONDEFINED SIGNAL TAP
Signal integrity

No mystery badges.

AETHER distinguishes requested settings from verified signal conditions. “Bit-perfect” only makes sense when sample rate, output mode, volume and every processing stage support that result.

FILE
DECODER
DSP CHAIN
OUTPUT MODE
DRIVER
DAC

Transparent by design. Shared-mode resampling, digital gain, correction, convolution and other processing are disclosed as modifications. Reports describe the observed path; they are engineering evidence, not a substitute for independent laboratory certification.

SIGNAL CHAIN & INTEGRITY REPORT
IMAGE PLACEHOLDER
VERIFIABLE PATHHTML / PDF REPORTING
STEREO & LOUDNESS
IMAGE PLACEHOLDER
LIVE METRICSDSP PROVENANCE
Playback IntegrityWhat reached the output?

Source codec and rate, decoder, sample-rate conversion, output mode, digital volume, active DSP and bit-perfect eligibility.

MeasurementWhat did the meters observe?

LUFS M/S/I, LRA, true peak, RMS, crest factor, correlation and the availability of a loopback measurement endpoint.

DeliverablesEvidence that can travel.

Human-readable HTML and accessible PDF reports with methodology, status classes, build identity and technical details translated with the interface.

Deep processing toolkit

Every stage has a purpose.

AETHER exposes processing as an intentional chain, with clear bypass state and diagnostics instead of invisible enhancement.

Convolution & IRPartitioned processing for acoustic spaces and imported impulse responses, with wet and gain control.
Crossfeed & ReplayGainHeadphone spatial blending and consistent program level as separate, auditable stages.
Pure / ExclusiveControls for a minimal DSP route and compatible direct output, with safe fallback when conditions fail.
VST3 plugin rackIsolated beta hosting with discovery, bypass, parameter control and native editor support where compatible.

Foundation features. The local collection supports albums, artists, persistent playlists, queue recovery, artwork and tag editing. Playback covers FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, MP3, AAC/M4A, OGG and Opus, plus device-dependent DSD/DoP. These are the foundation beneath AETHER’s differentiating systems.

Windows beta · free to use

Help shape the next listening instrument.

Download AETHER at no cost, test it with your own system and tell us where the experience can improve. This is pre-release software and may contain compatibility issues.

Support development

Windows 10/11 · 64-bit · Clean Beta profile · Native IR, AutoEQ and Scientific Target libraries included.

Price
Free public beta
Current build
S1088
Recommended
USB DAC with vendor driver
Downloads
Setup or self-contained Portable edition
Download transparency

Why Windows may show a warning.

The current independent Beta does not yet have an Authenticode certificate. Windows SmartScreen may therefore identify the publisher as unknown even when the file is unchanged.

01Use the official download

Download AETHER only from this page. Avoid copied installers or third-party mirrors.

02Verify SHA-256

Compare the file checksum with the release record before running the installer.

Open checksums
03Read the manifest

The release manifest records build identity, file size, native banks and clean-profile validation.

Open release manifest

Unsigned does not mean hidden. It means Windows cannot yet verify AETHER through a paid code-signing identity. The project publishes cryptographic hashes and a release manifest while Authenticode funding and validation are completed.

Back independent development

Support the signal.

Contributions fund device testing, code signing, accessibility work and the long hardware validation sessions required by serious desktop audio.

Contributions are voluntary, one-time support for development. They do not purchase equity, guarantee features or replace a future software license. Stripe processes payment details; AETHER does not receive card numbers.

Clear answers

Before you listen.

Is AETHER already a certified reference instrument?

No. AETHER implements engineering-oriented measurement and integrity diagnostics, but the current beta should not be presented as independently certified laboratory equipment.

Does AETHER always produce bit-perfect output?

No application can promise that for every configuration. AETHER reports bit-perfect only when the observed route supports it: compatible source and output rates, suitable exclusive or ASIO path, unity gain and no active DSP.

Does AETHER play MIDI files?

The current build uses MIDI Learn to control transport, EQ and mapped parameters. It does not currently provide a Standard MIDI File sequencer or built-in instrument.

Will every VST plugin work?

VST3 hosting is in beta. Compatibility varies by vendor, architecture, channel layout, user interface and copy-protection system. Unsupported plugin formats should not be treated as active processing.

What data does AETHER upload?

AETHER is designed around local audio. A final public privacy notice will document optional online services, diagnostics and support flows before public distribution.