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Apple Music Lossless: What Devices are Supported?
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You really REALLY aren't noticing lossless audio in a car.
They make everything sound like 128kbps MP3s, so no.
I have a much better car stereo than you, I guess. I most certainly am noticing, and have been using it for the last five years in my car.
For what it's worth and you have an amp that takes a HDMI audio input and able to process it well enough, then yes it will output this without a separate DAC (obviously the DAC is now built into your AMP so it depends how good that is)
I don’t understand this. How can you listen to lossless songs on the tiny speakers in the iPhone & iPad? It won’t sound any different.
This entire announcement went from exciting to confusing to just annoying, at least for me.
Excited about the spatial audio thing, the lossless is probably not anything my aging 47-year-old ears would be able to hear anyway.
Still, there had to be a different way for Apple to roll out this announcement, right?
Excited about the spatial audio thing, the lossless is probably not anything my aging 47-year-old ears would be able to hear anyway.
Still, there had to be a different way for Apple to roll out this announcement, right?
Which is why I think they're asking the wrong questions - or at least providing one answer to perhaps multiple questions. 16/44.1 would still be a 'less loss' improvement over the current Apple Music stream. It may not be pure (Hi-Res) lossless (lossleast?), but a free improvement that can be leveraged by the HomePod would certainly be welcome... and not be the PR mess that's currently being put out.
Agreed. It feels like the software was ready for lossless audio but the hardware wasn't - yet someone decided that it should be announced anyway. I don't get why this had to be rushed out.
I reall hope the Apple TV HD can do it, it is just a 2.0 PCM 24/192 stream max.
You wouldn't be able to tell on HomePods anyway - so it's irrelevant.
Measurements of the dongle disagree with you. It's a great implementation of the CS42L42.
Or you know, it's for people who own other hardware that does make use of it - which HomePods and Airpods wouldn't - not sure why people are fretting so much over that. It's not rushed out - they've just pushed ALAC versions of the library online for people who care, 99% of Apple Music users shouldn't care or worry about it.
I must say as a regular on MacRumors and following Apple stuff in general this is one of the more confusing things I can recall coming from Apple. Maybe just because I don't care about music all that much.
Thanks Macrumors- this is the clear guide everyone needed.
Its unfortunate that Apple botched this messaging. I think all of their music playing devices are meant to make the best sound out of what are some compromised situations (like wireless streaming, bluetooth in particular). In the case of the HomePod, I wonder if it is the "special sauce" they use to make it seem more room filling that makes lossless impossible. If it is- that's exactly what I mean- Apple tweaks imperfect source info to sound the best, and probably does to most non-audiophiles.
Re the messaging, if I were Apple PR, my ad would have said:
Its unfortunate that Apple botched this messaging. I think all of their music playing devices are meant to make the best sound out of what are some compromised situations (like wireless streaming, bluetooth in particular). In the case of the HomePod, I wonder if it is the "special sauce" they use to make it seem more room filling that makes lossless impossible. If it is- that's exactly what I mean- Apple tweaks imperfect source info to sound the best, and probably does to most non-audiophiles.
Re the messaging, if I were Apple PR, my ad would have said:
- Look we have these cool new Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos features, for free!
- Also, for our most discerning audiophile customers, we do offer higher resolution files if they have the necessary equipment to listen to it.
Yes, but this capability should now bring a 'less loss' stream of music into the device itself that wasn't there before.
Again, T3 said that Apple told them that both the Apple TV AND the Homepod support lossless audio as well at Atmos, so something is fishy here, Macrumors.
We had hoped that Apple could enable some kind of Bluetooth secret sauce to allow for higher-quality audio over Bluetooth to its top-tier headphones, since the iPhone 12 and AirPods Max all support Bluetooth 5.0, which is theoretically capable of CD-quality audio transmission. But alas, it proved to be wishful thinking. And we presume the forthcoming AirPods 3 will be the same story.
It raises questions over what the best options for listening to the higher-quality music will be – Apple has already noted that listening to the 'Hi-Res Lossless' tracks will definitely require wired hardware such as an external DAC, but with no aptX Bluetooth support on iPhone, that means some kind of wired headphones and likely a dongle for 'Lossless' listening listening from an iPhone too.
Apple has also confirmed support on Apple TV and HomePod, which may make it easier to hear the high-quality tracks. And if you have a Mac plugged into great speakers, that'll be an easy source, potentially.
We had hoped that Apple could enable some kind of Bluetooth secret sauce to allow for higher-quality audio over Bluetooth to its top-tier headphones, since the iPhone 12 and AirPods Max all support Bluetooth 5.0, which is theoretically capable of CD-quality audio transmission. But alas, it proved to be wishful thinking. And we presume the forthcoming AirPods 3 will be the same story.
It raises questions over what the best options for listening to the higher-quality music will be – Apple has already noted that listening to the 'Hi-Res Lossless' tracks will definitely require wired hardware such as an external DAC, but with no aptX Bluetooth support on iPhone, that means some kind of wired headphones and likely a dongle for 'Lossless' listening listening from an iPhone too.
Apple has also confirmed support on Apple TV and HomePod, which may make it easier to hear the high-quality tracks. And if you have a Mac plugged into great speakers, that'll be an easy source, potentially.
I'd change the opening blurb to say equivalent to CD quality - as opposed to the cheesy PR speak about "how the artists intended it..."
It costs about £5 - at the very least invest in a AudioQuest to drive "high end headphones" which this won't.
Because Tim couldn't be more excited to sell you new hardware...
I keep waiting to hear about Airplay, but no article even mentions it. Doesn't Airplay stream lossless? I have a Kenwood aftermarket Apple Wireless Carplay head unit in my car with speakers, amps, and a sub that's nicer then my annual salary budget allows.. lol. I already "pirate" apple lossless files into my iTunes and have been Airplay playing my music that way (maybe to no avail now) for awhile. Besides my car, I also have a wireless Airplay Bowers&Wilkins speaker in my home. I'd love to get an answer either way if my "now lossless compatible iPhone 12 pro max" - if Airplay streaming will stream (or has ever streamed) lossless format. Bluetooth is mentioned, so it's clear that Bluetooth doesn't support the format. Thank you
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