May 18, 2026
Winamp nostalgia hits play
Show HN: We missed Winamp, so we built an audio player for macOS
Mac music fans got a new player, but the comments only wanted Winamp chaos
TLDR: 180db is a new $20 macOS music player for people who keep their own audio files, but commenters instantly made it a referendum on Winamp nostalgia. The crowd wanted skins, weird old-school flair, and llama jokes—while critics argued it’s selling retro vibes more than a true Winamp revival.
A Berlin company rolled onto Hacker News with 180db, a $20 music player for macOS aimed at musicians and DJs, promising local files, no subscription, pitch control, flexible layouts, and even a feature that copies the last 30 seconds of audio you played. In other words: a sleek new app for people who still own their music instead of renting it forever. But the second they invoked the spirit of Winamp, the crowd did what the internet does best: turned the launch into a nostalgia tribunal.
The biggest reaction was basically, "Cute app, but where’s the actual Winamp magic?" One commenter immediately demanded original Winamp skins, while another pushed the dream even further: not just skins, but the gloriously weird non-rectangular ones that made old media players look like alien dashboards. Then came the comedy gold: a deadpan check on whether the app still "really whips the llama’s ass," reviving Winamp’s most iconic nonsense slogan like it never left.
And yes, there was shade. One blunt critic dismissed it as paid software with nothing to do with Winamp, which is pretty much the heart of the mini-drama: is 180db a loving tribute, or is it cashing in on vibes? Not everyone was piling on, though. One user came in with a surprisingly wholesome defense of Apple’s built-in Music app, saying they still happily manage a tiny MP3 collection by hand. So the real battle wasn’t just app versus app—it was nostalgia versus practicality, with a side of llama-based heckling.
Key Points
- •180db is a macOS 14+ audio player positioned for musicians and DJs.
- •The software is sold for 20€ as a one-time purchase with no subscription.
- •Highlighted features include pitch changing in DJ mode, customizable layout, and adjustable backgrounds.
- •The player supports multiple audio formats including mp3, flac, wav, and m4a.
- •The product page includes legal details showing it is published by Advanced Research GmbH in Berlin, with Sergey Surganov listed as managing director.