Refers to the built-in audio capabilities of the Mac OS X. Similar to Sound Manager found in earlier Apple OS, CoreAudio deals with the way audio is handled within the computer and any application that is written specifically written to support it. Two of the major advantages that CoreAudio has over Sound Manager are support for multi-channel audio and the ability to specify exact outputs on connected hardware, and the inclusion of high sample and bit rates. Although still in its early days, Apple's move to provide these features as part of the OS will speed the rise of "native" applications, and perhaps bring a seismic shift to computer audio production.