Adherents say the SQ is improved over the non-direct mode. If I can get hold of another laptop I would test it myself, but I’m not about to mess with my perfectly good lappy. Anyway, if Apple issue a security update you need to re-hack…
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You gain maybe 0.0001 % better sound 
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So, not really worth the ball-ache then?
Must say that having to ‘hack’ something to give a minimal advantage really doesn’t seem to be worth the ag. IMO, of course.
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Some says you gain, i don’t see any difference, and stop playing with it at each new update, i prefere a more updated system then putting an old .ktext extension in it.
If i remember well, there was always 2 mode in direct mode…
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Your audio system should be tuned like a formula 1 car, a gram here a gram there it adds up. I’m going to try carbon fiber drink coasters in the audio room next 
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What os are you currently on reddog? I think most people are doing this on their older computers?
Hopefully yesterday’s 13.3 doesn’t make work for Antoine.
I’m on an older computer! Catalina.
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I’m keeping my air on Catalina as well. Good deal
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Direct Mode worked for me till 10.15.6 with Catalina,
then, Apple made some audio changes and a security update in macOS
that stop for good Direct Mode.
i was tired trying to wrote that text to make it worked, i was live at each macOS update
to see if it was still working because it stop working at each update, but now those OSs are down, might be easier to test and stay with that after?
The hack takes around 20 to 45 minutes maybe if you are slow…
The most important thing is to read the text 
The 4 OS links are still in my dropbox.
Links for enabling Direct Mode back in Audirvana after El Capitan (10.11.6):
Sierra Link:
High Sierra Link:
Mojave Link:
Catalina Link:
Hi RunHomeSlow, thanks for the insight, no wonder it doesn’t work after i just did the hack using the El Capitan files. I currently have High Sierra.
I downloaded your High Sierra zip file thinking I’d re-do the hack but have run into a problem when I tried copying the .kext file into the extensions folder. Since I already have one there from my previous hack, the OS is saying it relies on it and I can’t delete or modify it. I thought, no problem, I’ll just use the existing .kext file since it worked with my El Capitan hack long ago. But the new .kext file is 276kb and the existing one is 340kb.
So I’m wondering, why are they different sizes and what’s my next step? Any ideas?
You have to read the text and use file i gave, no think, just read and follow if you don’t want to reinstall your os, you can’t simply try to put to old file to be replace… all steps in text must be followed…
This from the “information” found in the AUDIO settings menu of Audirvana Studio 2.2.7:
Audirvāna optimizes and streamlines the audio data path to minimize the undesirable effects associated with synchronous audio stream processing. Thus, the only real-time operation is reduced to a simple broadcast of the data in integer mode - Integer Mode.
This mode provides a data stream in a native format to the DAC, thus optimizing the load on your computer’s processor.
As you can see on may screenshot I do prefer Mode 1. I have asked several time what was physically the difference between the 2 modes without a clear response from either Damien or Antoine. It seems the way to transfer data is different.
For more information. This is extract from a previous Audirvana + user manual.
See Direct Mode: and Integer Mode:
The difference is very audible with acoustic instruments, like guitars, cello, piano, Jazz or chamber music and certainly less with heavy content like rock music etc.
for example Kind of Blue vs Who’s Next 
I do like both, but the pleasure is different.
I would be pleased to make anyone ear the difference here with my setup.
RunHome Slow, Ok, I’ll retry following the text exactly, thanks.
Alain, I tend to agree with the manual extract regarding integer 1 and 2. Nice to see my experience is confirmed in the manual
Ok, just finished the IOAudioFamily.kext hack. Everything went fine and not being an Apple guy, I learned a bit about csrutil. Thanks for your assistance RunHomeSlow.
However, direct mode is still not available in Origin. I wonder if I need to reinstall Origin for it to discover the hack - I’ll try that later today.
Ok, tried reinstalling Origin, no luck. I still get the integer on/off option, but don’t get direct mode or integer -1 and -2. Does anyone know if there’s a config file I need to edit to make direct mode available?
If @Alain can have it like with his picture up there, then you missed something or did not do all was written or didn’t took the right direct mode for your system…
Do you know how I can remove all of the Audirvana files - any system configuations, library settings, preferences, etc? I’d like to delete Origin and all associated files, re-do the hack and then reinstall Origin. Maybe that sequence will do it?