diff --git a/crates/qbz-audio/src/backend.rs b/crates/qbz-audio/src/backend.rs
index 0d982c7b2..d282762d7 100644
--- a/crates/qbz-audio/src/backend.rs
+++ b/crates/qbz-audio/src/backend.rs
@@ -488,6 +488,14 @@ impl AudioBackend for CpalDefaultBackend {
         #[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
         let effective_device_id = config.device_id.as_ref();
 
+        #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+        if !config.exclusive_mode {
+            return self.open_macos_shared_stream_with_retry(
+                effective_device_id.map(|name| name.as_str()),
+                MACOS_SHARED_OPEN_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
+            );
+        }
+
         let device = if let Some(device_id) = effective_device_id {
             self.host
                 .output_devices()
@@ -504,54 +512,13 @@ impl AudioBackend for CpalDefaultBackend {
                 .ok_or_else(|| "No default output device found".to_string())?
         };
 
-        #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-        let shared_mode_override = if !config.exclusive_mode {
-            Self::shared_mode_nominal_stream_config(
-                &device,
-                effective_device_id.map(|name| name.as_str()),
-            )
-        } else {
-            None
-        };
-
         let builder = DeviceSinkBuilder::from_device(device)
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create device sink builder: {}", e))?;
 
-        #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-        let mixer_sink = if let Some(override_config) = shared_mode_override {
-            let buffer_size =
-                rodio::cpal::BufferSize::Fixed((override_config.sample_rate() / 20).max(64));
-            builder
-                .with_supported_config(&override_config)
-                .with_buffer_size(buffer_size)
-                .open_stream()
-                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create output stream: {}", e))?
-        } else {
-            builder
-                .open_stream()
-                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create output stream: {}", e))?
-        };
-
-        #[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
         let mixer_sink = builder
             .open_stream()
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create output stream: {}", e))?;
 
-        #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-        if !config.exclusive_mode {
-            if let Some(nominal_rate) =
-                Self::current_macos_nominal_rate(effective_device_id.map(|name| name.as_str()))
-            {
-                let output_rate = mixer_sink.config().sample_rate().get();
-                if output_rate != nominal_rate {
-                    return Err(format!(
-                        "CoreAudio shared stream opened at {}Hz while device nominal rate is {}Hz",
-                        output_rate, nominal_rate
-                    ));
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
         Ok(mixer_sink)
     }
 
@@ -602,8 +569,98 @@ impl AudioBackend for CpalDefaultBackend {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+const MACOS_SHARED_OPEN_MAX_ATTEMPTS: usize = 2;
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+const MACOS_SHARED_OPEN_RETRY_DELAY: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_millis(50);
+
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 impl CpalDefaultBackend {
+    /// Open a macOS shared-mode CPAL stream and verify it actually opened at
+    /// CoreAudio's current nominal rate. CPAL caches device configs and can
+    /// return a stale rate when the OS rate has just changed; passing the
+    /// stale rate to CPAL produces a stream that runs at the wrong speed.
+    ///
+    /// Retries up to `max_attempts` times because the mismatch is racy — a
+    /// fresh resolve + reopen usually lands on the correct rate.
+    fn open_macos_shared_stream_with_retry(
+        &self,
+        effective_device_name: Option<&str>,
+        max_attempts: usize,
+    ) -> BackendResult<MixerDeviceSink> {
+        debug_assert!(max_attempts >= 1, "max_attempts must be at least 1");
+
+        let mut last_err: Option<String> = None;
+        for attempt in 0..max_attempts {
+            let device = if let Some(device_name) = effective_device_name {
+                self.host
+                    .output_devices()
+                    .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to enumerate devices: {}", e))?
+                    .find(|d| {
+                        d.description()
+                            .map(|desc| desc.name() == device_name)
+                            .unwrap_or(false)
+                    })
+                    .ok_or_else(|| format!("Device '{}' not found", device_name))?
+            } else {
+                self.host
+                    .default_output_device()
+                    .ok_or_else(|| "No default output device found".to_string())?
+            };
+
+            let override_config =
+                Self::shared_mode_nominal_stream_config(&device, effective_device_name);
+
+            let builder = DeviceSinkBuilder::from_device(device)
+                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create device sink builder: {}", e))?;
+
+            let open_result = if let Some(ref cfg) = override_config {
+                let buffer_size = rodio::cpal::BufferSize::Fixed((cfg.sample_rate() / 20).max(64));
+                builder
+                    .with_supported_config(cfg)
+                    .with_buffer_size(buffer_size)
+                    .open_stream()
+            } else {
+                builder.open_stream()
+            };
+
+            let mixer_sink = match open_result {
+                Ok(s) => s,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    last_err = Some(format!("Failed to create output stream: {}", e));
+                    break;
+                }
+            };
+
+            let nominal_rate = Self::current_macos_nominal_rate(effective_device_name);
+            let output_rate = mixer_sink.config().sample_rate().get();
+            match nominal_rate {
+                Some(nominal) if nominal != output_rate => {
+                    let msg = format!(
+                        "CoreAudio shared stream opened at {}Hz while device nominal rate is {}Hz",
+                        output_rate, nominal
+                    );
+                    drop(mixer_sink);
+                    if attempt + 1 < max_attempts {
+                        log::warn!(
+                            "[CoreAudio] {} — retrying open (attempt {}/{})",
+                            msg,
+                            attempt + 2,
+                            max_attempts
+                        );
+                        std::thread::sleep(MACOS_SHARED_OPEN_RETRY_DELAY);
+                    }
+                    last_err = Some(msg);
+                    continue;
+                }
+                _ => return Ok(mixer_sink),
+            }
+        }
+
+        Err(last_err
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "Failed to open CoreAudio shared stream after retries".to_string()))
+    }
+
     fn current_macos_nominal_rate(effective_device_name: Option<&str>) -> Option<u32> {
         use crate::coreaudio_direct;