Astra 0.7.0-beta

What's new in 0.7.0-beta

Welcome to Astra v0.7.0-beta
Astra v0.7.0-beta is the largest update the project has received so far, and a major expansion of what Astra can be.
This release introduces Parallax, Astra’s new local multi-room audio system, alongside Parallax Receiver and the dedicated Parallax OS for Raspberry Pi devices. It also brings native IAMF and Eclipsa Audio playback through the Astra Spatial Engine, with local binaural and multichannel rendering, three-dimensional speaker positioning, and support for height-channel layouts.
Beyond those features, v0.7.0-beta adds dynamic playlists, track ratings, listening statistics, Astra Mobile synchronization, Companion API v2, light mode, controller support, session restoration, major library and queue improvements, Astra Signal sharing, expanded visualizers, and extensive performance, stability, and testing work.
Nearly every part of Astra has been worked on in this release.
Parallax
- Added Parallax, an opt-in experimental system for synchronized, gapless playback across multiple devices on your local network
- Guided discovery and secure PIN pairing with authenticated, certificate-pinned connections
- Astra can operate as a Parallax host or sink, with dedicated zone displays and connection status controls
- Per-zone playback selection, naming, volume, output trim, delay calibration, test tones, and bulk controls
- Automatic clock calibration, drift correction, mid-track joining, reconnect recovery, and gapless track handoffs
- Added a standalone headless Parallax Receiver daemon for Raspberry Pi-class Linux devices, including web-based pairing, status, output selection, and automatic updates
- Added Parallax OS, a flashable Raspberry Pi image with Wi-Fi onboarding, automatic security updates, service watchdogs, health-checked upgrades, and rollback
- Parallax OS TV mode includes artwork and now-playing displays, on-TV pairing and settings, transport controls, HDMI-CEC wake/standby/input switching, and TV remote support
- Added zone enable/disable controls without disconnecting receivers, allowing speakers to rejoin playback without being paired again
Spatial Audio
- Added native IAMF and Eclipsa Audio playback as first-class local library formats
- Added the Astra Spatial Engine for fully local decoding and rendering of channel-based and scene-based spatial audio
- IAMF/Eclipsa content can render binaurally for headphones or directly to supported multichannel hardware …

Full release notes »