Apple Music Cheap DAC for Hi-Res Lossless on USB-C iPad

[riggles]

Unfortunately iOS/iPadOS lacks any meaningful adjustments to audio output other than selecting what device to use. I tried in vain to hook my iPad up via HDMI to my AV Receiver for Atmos Apple Music only to find it constantly defaulting to stereo, it would play the Atmos file as I had it forced on but only send stereo output to the receiver as indicated by its signal info screen.

I assume for stereo iPadOS adjusts output on the fly, so if you play a 96/24 file it will adjust the DAC accordingly but I have no way of confirming this. However posts above show users with a more expensive DAC with quality indicators are noticing the DAC changing output according to the songs being played, so I assume it’s doing the same with our cheap DAC if it is reporting to the OS as capable of handling that quality level.

I haven’t seen where Apple has said that Atmos in Music is actually multi-channel. It may simply be Dolby’s 2 channel mix down, like an Atmos receiver would for a 2.1 channel home theater setup.

And I can also confirm that the sample rate indicator on my DAC changes when the Music app switches from a Lossless song to Hi-Res Lossless.

 

[MrJandali]

Recommendation: Soundblaster E5 - used - ~60-80$

 

[Stuey3D]

I haven’t seen where Apple has said that Atmos in Music is actually multi-channel. It may simply be Dolby’s 2 channel mix down, like an Atmos receiver would for a 2.1 channel home theater setup.

And I can also confirm that the sample rate indicator on my DAC changes when the Music app switches from a Lossless song to Hi-Res Lossless.

I believe Atmos is multichannel as Apple are using the same files as Tidal and when I play those via their App on my Smart TV (which Apple is sorely lacking) I get full multichannel audio and it’s glorious.

I believe that the Apple TV is multichannel Atmos too, if it wasn’t then Atmos would be pointless it’s all about creating a surround experience. As Apple are lacking any Smart TV or Console apps for Apple Music I lack the ability to test if Apple Music is truly multichannel, but I doubt it wouldn’t be.

 

[riggles]

I believe Atmos is multichannel as Apple are using the same files as Tidal and when I play those via their App on my Smart TV (which Apple is sorely lacking) I get full multichannel audio and it’s glorious.

I believe that the Apple TV is multichannel Atmos too, if it wasn’t then Atmos would be pointless it’s all about creating a surround experience. As Apple are lacking any Smart TV or Console apps for Apple Music I lack the ability to test if Apple Music is truly multichannel, but I doubt it wouldn’t be.

I don’t doubt Apple has the multi-channel Atmos recordings. I just wonder if they are actually streaming the multi-channel audio to the Music app on iOS because those devices don’t have multi-channel surround speaker systems. It would be a waste of bandwidth, from their perspective.

 

[Stuey3D]

I don’t doubt Apple has the multi-channel Atmos recordings. I just wonder if they are actually streaming the multi-channel audio to the Music app on iOS because those devices don’t have multi-channel surround speaker systems. It would be a waste of bandwidth, from their perspective.

Atmos doesn’t work like that, the surround info isn’t channel based like the old days its object based and speaker setup agnostic. It will be the same file and its up to the device outputting it to then know how many and where your speakers are to then position the objects in 3D space.

My problem is getting my iPad to recognise that my AV receiver is Atmos capable, on Windows & Xbox you have to download the Dolby Access app to enable Atmos output over HDMI and obviously no such thing exists for iPad and no advanced audio output options exist either.

I don’t doubt that if I had an Apple TV I would be getting the full surround effect from these files as that will have the configuration option to tell it that you have an Atmos receiver Or it will just pass the Bitstream data over and the AV Receiver then decides what to do with the data. This is why the Tidal App on my Sony TV works perfectly and Atmos plays in its full 360º glory. If Apple would hurry up and release apps for Smart TV‘s and games consoles then my issue is fixed.

 

[riggles]

It will be the same file and its up to the device outputting it to then know how many and where your speakers are to then position the objects in 3D space.

Ah, I knew that Atmos was object-based audio positioning, but I didn't know the same Atmos source file would be used everywhere.

 

[Stuey3D]

Ah, I knew that Atmos was object-based audio positioning, but I didn't know the same Atmos source file would be used everywhere.

Yeah that’s the beauty of Atmos is it’s scalable nature. It’s designed to work on anything from headphones and stereo speakers all the way up to a 128 speaker cinema setup. The files contain the object data and where it’s meant to be positioned and the decoder will know what speakers you have and where they are and attempt to position that audio correctly. Obviously the more speakers and better positioned they are the better the effect, but it will happily play on your headphones with virtual surround processing too.

So for me my height channels are front heights at ceiling level on the top of my wall, Atmos recommended placements are actually meant to be in the ceiling above your head firing down. However my receiver knows they are front heights and not ceiling speakers so will adjust the audio accordingly so that helicopters and thunder and stuff still sound like they are above you, and it works very well.

For Atmos there is only really 2 types of file and that is the lossy Dolby Digital+ Atmos, and the lossless Dolby True HD and Atmos. The only real differences between the 2 is quality, the objects and spacial data will be the same. Streaming services will be using Dolby Digital+ whereas BluRay uses the TrueHD variant.

 

[JasonHB]

I wouldn't necessarily call that decent but certainly cheap. I have the Dragonfly Black which is classed as low to mid-range and was around £90. If you want to experience hi-res then you may want to take a look at something like a Dragonfly, Schitt Modi or Chord Mojo.

Superb sounding DAC, the Dragonfly range is brilliant value for money. However, they max out at 24/96 so technically won’t do full Hi-Res

Jason

 

[maxsquared]

CREATIVE Sound Blaster Play! 4, high resolution audio adapter, USB-C External Stereo Sound Card DAC compatible with Windows, MAC, PS4, PS5, PC, Headphones, Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets

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I got this one delivered today, and it can definitely do 192khz 24bit and it sounds pretty awesome with my MW65.

 

[SigEp265]

Weird. Just played something off my iPhone with no DAC connected or anything and it shows Hi-res is playing (before it downsamples)
View attachment 1789442

Pumpkins!

 

[drunkmouth]

Superb sounding DAC, the Dragonfly range is brilliant value for money. However, they max out at 24/96 so technically won’t do full Hi-Res

Jason

While true the catalog of hi-res as has been for many years typically tops out at 24/96, there are some that are higher which Apple supports but nowhere as vast as 24/96

 

[sneeks]

CREATIVE Sound Blaster Play! 4, high resolution audio adapter, USB-C External Stereo Sound Card DAC compatible with Windows, MAC, PS4, PS5, PC, Headphones, Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets

Auto Mute and Two-way Noise Cancellation for Conference Calls Really, communications shouldn’t be this complicated. Instead of fussing over mute controls or being distracted by unwanted background noises, you should really be focusing on your work and ideas. A must-have for any work calls, the So...

www.amazon.co.uk

I got this one delivered today, and it can definitely do 192khz 24bit and it sounds pretty awesome with my MW65.

I’ve ordered one of these, only £20 so worth a try.

 

[maxsquared]

I just discovered the audio output of my monitor (Dell U2720Q) allows hi res output, I am not sure how light is that.

 

[sneeks]

I’ve had a listen to the standard file vs both lossless quality versions using headphones and I honestly would struggle to notice any difference at all. I suppose they are ok to have for no additional cost.