Use Tidal for the best Sound Quality on your AirPods Pro!

[clerkpalmer]

...The bi-directional lightning to 3.5mm cable will work just fine, it might also be possible to connect that cable to a lightning-3.5mm adapter for iDevices with no headphone jack. Waiting for my cable to confirm.

I see. Then I misunderstood your original post. My guess is the Apple dongle plus the lightning to 3.5 will work.

 

[clerkpalmer]

We gonna pretend like Amazon Music Ultra HD is not a thing? It as a bitrate of almost 4,000kbps.

I'm not going to pretend but the Apple fans will tell you that standard AAC is audibly transparent at 256 and anything more than that is unnecessary, overkill and spec hunting - which of course is not true.

 

[FHoff]

Yeah. I’ll take a hard pass on using tidal.

 

[Ds6778]

I'm not going to pretend but the Apple fans will tell you that standard AAC is audibly transparent at 256 and anything more than that is unnecessary, overkill and spec hunting - which of course is not true.

I know that AAC is a better codec, and I think that is where the misconception stems from. I would say that 256 AAC is better than Spotify's 32O MP3. Once you get into FLAC and higher bit-rates, it is gonna depend solely on what hardware you are using. Tidal and Amazon's higher bitrate offerings are impressive and pushing the streaming world further. I think Apple needs to release a higher-tier subscription for Apple Music. If they are gonna push high-end headphones and talk about audio fidelity, their own services needs to match those claims. The fact that Amazon is able to offer Ultra HD and Apple does not if just odd.

 

[clerkpalmer]

How about the Dragonfly dongle from Audioquest? Comes in black (cheapest), red (cost more) and the newest additional cobalt. Should support hi-res audio on iPhones but you need another dongle to connect the Dragonfly to the iPhone or iPad.

Folks on head fi are reporting that these can be used wired with a Dragonfly to access hi re tidal files so that is a positive development.

 

[clerkpalmer]

I know that AAC is a better codec, and I think that is where the misconception stems from. I would say that 256 AAC is better than Spotify's 32O MP3. Once you get into FLAC and higher bit-rates, it is gonna depend solely on what hardware you are using. Tidal and Amazon's higher bitrate offerings are impressive and pushing the streaming world further. I think Apple needs to release a higher-tier subscription for Apple Music. If they are gonna push high-end headphones and talk about audio fidelity, their own services needs to match those claims. The fact that Amazon is able to offer Ultra HD and Apple does not if just odd.

Completely agree and this is why I am disappointed in the Max. It was the perfect opportunity for Apple to go "all in" on audio first with a new subscription tier and second with an upgrade on AAC. If Apple would offer a high end service like Tidal, I would be back to iOS in a flash. For now, Android offers a better audio experience with far more flexibility and compatibility.

 

[macnmac]

sup jigga

 

[maxsquared]

I subscribed to Tidal just before the lockdown, the highest tier.

I tried everything, I just couldn't hear any difference between Tidal and Apple Music, I did have Spotify at the time as well which I feel is slightly worse than the other 2.

I tried with AirPods Pro, Sony XM3, B&O H7, B&W P5 and Master Dynamics MW65, used wired and wireless setup. I posted a question on Reddit and some audiophile mentioned something about needing an amplifier to actually hear any difference, I couldn't be bother get into something else that spending money, so I cancelled Tidal.

 

[clerkpalmer]

I subscribed to Tidal just before the lockdown, the highest tier.

I tried everything, I just couldn't hear any difference between Tidal and Apple Music, I did have Spotify at the time as well which I feel is slightly worse than the other 2.

I tried with AirPods Pro, Sony XM3, B&O H7, B&W P5 and Master Dynamics MW65, used wired and wireless setup. I posted a question on Reddit and some audiophile mentioned something about needing an amplifier to actually hear any difference, I couldn't be bother get into something else that spending money, so I cancelled Tidal.

If you are using an iphone with all of these headphones that outcome is not really surprising. All of those cans are basically BT consumer cans. I think of you had different cans like an HD6xx with a proper amp and dac, you would probably tell. But that's a much bigger investment.

 

[maxsquared]

If you are using an iphone with all of these headphones that outcome is not really surprising. All of those cans are basically BT consumer cans. I think of you had different cans like an HD6xx with a proper amp and dac, you would probably tell. But that's a much bigger investment.

I used my computer....

Pretty much the investment part, I feel like I already have enough hobby to keep myself occupied (I got into photography couple of years ago, and got like £10k plus worth of lens already, plus I am into expensive designer trainers/bags/clothes and I am intentionally try to avoid get into something new)

Plus when I use a headphone with music is usually outdoors.....

 

[827538]

Completely agree and this is why I am disappointed in the Max. It was the perfect opportunity for Apple to go "all in" on audio first with a new subscription tier and second with an upgrade on AAC. If Apple would offer a high end service like Tidal, I would be back to iOS in a flash. For now, Android offers a better audio experience with far more flexibility and compatibility.

I have to also agree, APM + Lossless audio tier would've been great. It would also be great if they moved to OPUS instead of AAC.

 

[827538]

I subscribed to Tidal just before the lockdown, the highest tier.

I tried everything, I just couldn't hear any difference between Tidal and Apple Music, I did have Spotify at the time as well which I feel is slightly worse than the other 2.

I tried with AirPods Pro, Sony XM3, B&O H7, B&W P5 and Master Dynamics MW65, used wired and wireless setup. I posted a question on Reddit and some audiophile mentioned something about needing an amplifier to actually hear any difference, I couldn't be bother get into something else that spending money, so I cancelled Tidal.

I have a Bowers & Wilkins 7.1.4 setup in my living room and you can definitely appreciate the difference with a lossless track, but that's maybe $40k worth of speakers and a $4000 receiver. Wireless headphones are always going to be limited, not being an audiophile snob here, I love my AirPods and I'm seriously thinking about the APM but if you really want to hear the difference try going to an audio store and seeing if you can try out high end cans with a separate DAC and you'll really notice a difference, I'm a big fan of Sennheiser's HD800 S headphones but those are around $1500 and you would need a DAC on top of that.

I don't really put wired and wireless headphones in the same category. I like my AirPods for portability, I like my B&W surround sound when I'm at home and want the best, I like my Sennheiser GSP 500 when I want to chill out and game.

 

[Absrnd]

I am not an Audiophile in any way, just looking for info on a quality streaming service, but I saw this vid and found it interesting, on how the Airpods Max might be handling wireless music.

 

[NJRonbo]

Qobuz over Tidal. You don't have to worry about incompatible codecs (at least there is with Sonos)

 

[jamface]

Completely agree and this is why I am disappointed in the Max. It was the perfect opportunity for Apple to go "all in" on audio first with a new subscription tier and second with an upgrade on AAC. If Apple would offer a high end service like Tidal, I would be back to iOS in a flash. For now, Android offers a better audio experience with far more flexibility and compatibility.

They'll offer that in a year or two. Better headphones... better streaming... They just wanted to get people to buy these lesser options in the meantime.

 

[DRKMADR]

Just did a random blind A/B (Tidal vs Apple Music) with my wife at the controls pitting Tidal master tracks against the Apples in 10,15 and 20 second flips. I failed miserably at identifying the master over the lesser, in our home studio I was able to correctly identify the same tracks with an accuracy of 90% (two tracks were too close to call). I have to say I’m a little disappointed in that there wasn’t any extra quality to sneak out of these guy’s.

That said I am a collector, I own/have owned lots of different setups Amps, DACs, wired and wireless and the AirPods Max in all their artificial colored DSP goodness sound great. Would recommend to a friend would buy again.

 

[Brewc]

Ok have a question if I turn off Bluetooth and use the apple lightning to 3.5 mm dongle and 3.5 cable to lightning to iDevice should the headphones not work or is it BT only?
I a Anker 3.5 to lightning to Max and plug into the headphone jack on my Mac Pro and get no sound at all. Will that only work with the Apple cable?

 

[AppelGeenyus]

Ok have a question if I turn off Bluetooth and use the apple lightning to 3.5 mm dongle and 3.5 cable to lightning to iDevice should the headphones not work or is it BT only?
I a Anker 3.5 to lightning to Max and plug into the headphone jack on my Mac Pro and get no sound at all. Will that only work with the Apple cable?

As far as I'm aware based on my own testing these are the only cable solutions that work:

Bi-directional lightning to 3.5mm cable (must specify it is bi-directional or it won't work). At this time I believe only Apples cable is bi-directional. This will allow connecting APM's to any device with a 3.5mm jack.

Bi-directional lightning to 3.5mm cable + lightning to 3.5mm dongle. This allows connecting APM's to any device with a lightning port. However the dongle isn't bi-directional, so it must always be connected to the source device or it won't work.

Also, you don't have to disable bluetooth to use either of these options. Just make sure you select 'headphones' on your device.

 

[Harvey Zoltan]

I feel the same way about streaming from Bandcamp. It seems to be better sound than Apple Music.

 

[MICHAELSD]

If you’re listening over Bluetooth Tidal gets re-compressed to 264kbps anyway so you’re better off saving the money and using Apple Music with its 256kbps AAC, which is superior to Spotify’s 320kbps MP3 format.