Built-in Output not showing up on Mac (ref#Y6GAAM)

[AlexSiufy]

Hi! What’s not quite right with Roon?

· None of the above quite fits

None of the above quite fits

· None of these quite match

Tell us what's going on

· Built-in Output not showing up under my Mac

Tell us about your home network

· TP-Link, no VPN.

[AlexSiufy]

Running Roon Core on my MacBook Pro (16" Nov 2024). Normally I stream to a DAC on my network, but now I just want to listen through AirPod Pros.
Using “System Output” I get a “high quality” signal path, and I read that I’m supposed to be using the “Built-In Output” option, which I do remember seeing before. But since I don’t use it that much, I am not sure when it disappeared, but it certainly is no longer there.
I’ve tried to reboot the machine and even create a new “RAATServer” folder, but I just can’t get the “Built-In Output” option to show anymore…
Any ideas?
Thanks,
alex

[vadim]

Hello @AlexSiufy,

Thanks for the screenshot — it actually helps clarify what’s going on here

What you’re seeing is expected behavior, and there isn’t anything missing or broken.

Why “Built-in Output” is no longer shown

On recent versions of macOS, Roon no longer exposes “Built-in Output” as a separate CoreAudio device. Instead, macOS presents audio through a single logical device called System Output, which dynamically routes audio to whatever macOS currently considers the active output.

That’s why you now see:

• System Output (this is the Mac’s built-in audio path)
• No separate “Built-in Output” entry

This change is driven by macOS audio architecture, not by Roon, and it’s normal on newer Macs / newer macOS versions (including Sequoia).

About signal path & quality

• System Output → uses CoreAudio and follows the system’s active output
• If you switch macOS audio to:
  • AirPods Pro → System Output will play to AirPods
  • MacBook speakers → System Output will play to speakers
• Seeing “High Quality” in Signal Path is correct and expected

There is no functional or quality disadvantage compared to the old “Built-in Output” entry.

What to do going forward

Just:

1. Enable System Output in Roon
2. Select your desired output device in macOS Sound settings (AirPods, speakers, etc.)
3. Play normally in Roon

No need to recreate RAATServer folders or troubleshoot further — everything in your screenshot looks healthy.

If anything still behaves unexpectedly with AirPods specifically (dropouts, sync, etc.), let us know — but from what you’ve shared, this is working as designed.

[AlexSiufy]

Thank you.