AirPods Max Won't Directly Support Lossless Apple Music Over Lightning

[lazyrighteye]

What a screw up that Apple's best headphones can't play lossless.

Gotta love though, that since they won't playback lossless, the article goes on to say, basically, not a big deal as you probably can't hear a difference anyways! So which is it, is the new Lossless service useless or not?

I think anyone can hear the difference between uncompressed and compressed audio. Especially in an A/B scenario. The latter is quite a bit muddier because each end of the sonic spectrum is shaved off - leaving more middle tones. Now, would most users care? Prob not. But for those that do, and are Apple Music users (hand raised emoji), this is good news.

Agree with the poster who said the timing feels off. Like they felt pressure to announce now, or something, ahead of the software and/or hardware to support. It would make me hope those technologies are close. Until then, I guess I could plug my iPhone, iPad, or Mac into my receiver. From my perspective, that uncompressed audio is a thing, again, is a great step back to where we were pre-mp3. So very long overdue.

 

[Sarkany]

Please share when you find other Bluetooth headphone supporting lossless.

I never mentioned Bluetooth. The Max can’t play Lossless through their cable either.

 

[paulovsouza]

You’re telling me in a building that cost billions of dollars, so people can “collaborate more easily”, no one was like “hey we’re making these cool new headphones” “oh cool, well is it going to work with our new cool high fidelity service we’re releasing a short time later?”

 

[buckwheet]

I definitely understand the frustration of AirPods Max users here, but I will say that it does still make sense for them to release this. The vast majority of people who want this feature don't use BT headphones anyway—they'll be listening on high-end wired headphones or speakers, from their Macs (or PCs). It's just not really a mobile feature, imho... at least not yet. Once a truly lossless option is available for BT, then we'll definitely see things change.

Mind you, it will be a great option for my studio (either on KH120s + BlueSky Sub, NDH 20s, or HD660s)!
So I'm happy!

 

[kennyt72]

Another overpriced half baked product

 

[ian87w]

So if one connects the APM to an iPhone / iPad / Mac via that dongle, the APM will output lossless?

Huh? The output is from the device, your iPhone. Use the lightning to 3.5mm dongle and you can enjoy your lossless songs on any wired headphones. The output is already analog.

The APM only works in wired mode using the optional lightning to analog 3.5mm anyway. So dongle from the iPhone, then wired. The magic of analog, when everything just works. But then you’re transcoding the audio.In the end, for APM, best is to just use AAC wireless straight, as intended.

 

[scrobert]

Wait so if I buy a DAC like this and plug my APM to it via the correct lightning to audio cable, I won’t get the high res audio?

 

[deebinem]

Wait so if I buy a DAC like this and plug my APM to it via the correct lightning to audio cable, I won’t get the high res audio?

How you going to power it? It looks like you either need to use USB or a power supply to give it juice in order to connect 3.5mm/ 1/4" cans. Unless you are talking about trying to use your cans with your laptop?

 

[darngooddesign]

Its like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.

Great job on your $550 headphones Apple.

 

[smulji]

Huh? The output is from the device, your iPhone. Use the lightning to 3.5mm dongle and you can enjoy your lossless songs on any wired headphones. The output is already analog.

The APM only works in wired mode using the optional lightning to analog 3.5mm anyway. So dongle from the iPhone, then wired. The magic of analog, when everything just works. But then you’re transcoding the audio.In the end, for APM, best is to just use AAC wireless straight, as intended.

Ahh, ok. The headline of the article stating that APM doesn't support lossless over Lightening was a bit confusing. I assumed one also couldn't listen to lossless even with the lightening to 3.5mm adaptor.

 

[JarvisMeier]

Earlier today, we confirmed that AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max will not support lossless audio over Bluetooth because of Bluetooth limitations, and it turns out there's no direct wired lossless option for the AirPods Max either.

Apple's AirPods Max headphones are equipped with a Lightning port, but it is limited to analog output sources and will not natively support digital audio formats in wired mode. Apple has not yet said whether the AirPods Max support lossless audio over Lightning with a digital to analog converter.

Apple has confirmed that lossless audio can be listened to on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, but the higher quality audio is not available on AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. Apple lossless is also not available on the HomePod.

Listening to lossless audio on an iOS device will require wired headphones compatible with the ALAC format, and possibly a digital to analog converter. That the $549 AirPods Max do not work with Apple lossless is sure to upset some fans, but there is debate about whether most people can even tell the difference between standard and lossless audio formats.

Though the AirPods Max headphones do not support lossless audio, they are compatible with Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, another new feature that Apple is bringing to Apple Music. Spatial Audio will allow artists to create multidimensional music that sounds like it's coming

Earlier today, we confirmed that AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max will not support lossless audio over Bluetooth because of Bluetooth limitations, and it turns out there's no direct wired lossless option for the AirPods Max either.

Apple's AirPods Max headphones are equipped with a Lightning port, but it is limited to analog output sources and will not natively support digital audio formats in wired mode. Apple has not yet said whether the AirPods Max support lossless audio over Lightning with a digital to analog converter.

Apple has confirmed that lossless audio can be listened to on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, but the higher quality audio is not available on AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. Apple lossless is also not available on the HomePod.

Listening to lossless audio on an iOS device will require wired headphones compatible with the ALAC format, and possibly a digital to analog converter. That the $549 AirPods Max do not work with Apple lossless is sure to upset some fans, but there is debate about whether most people can even tell the difference between standard and lossless audio formats.

Though the AirPods Max headphones do not support lossless audio, they are compatible with Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, another new feature that Apple is bringing to Apple Music. Spatial Audio will allow artists to create multidimensional music that sounds like it's coming from all around you, and this feature is available on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip.

Article Link: AirPods Max Won't Directly Support Lossless Apple Music Over Lightning

I hope lossless is supported by third party connected services such as sonos.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Wait so if I buy a DAC like this and plug my APM to it via the correct lightning to audio cable, I won’t get the high res audio?

You don't say what your source device is...

 

[TheSynchronizer]

So my non-apple wired headphones will support lossless just fine connected to my macbook or my ipad pro, but apples own airpods max can’t do so even when wired..?

yikes

 

[zaneliu]

Wait so if I buy a DAC like this and plug my APM to it via the correct lightning to audio cable, I won’t get the high res audio?

I think that might work. I'm going to plug mine into my Schiit Jotunheim to see how it goes. It's possible the APM supports this method but apple is just saying it's not supported by wired because it doesn't want people to plug it into just the iPhone and expect it to work.

I also wonder if Apple did this on purpose because a true audiophile experience wouldn't be represented by a phone anyways and would ALWAYS require an amp/dac. Honestly, even the lossless sound quality may not be up to par when amped to a phone.

 

[scrobert]

You don't say what your source device is...

You‘re right. Let’s say, an iPhone via lightning to audio cable?

Another question…
This setup doesn‘t support the new lossless audio either? That black cable is connected to APM.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

No. You cannot. 3.5mm + lossless = nope. You people need to get learned, or bow out of the lossless audio discussion.

What? 3.5mm is analog. How else are you supposed to listen to lossless?

 

[ian87w]

So my non-apple wired headphones will support lossless just fine connected to my macbook or my ipad pro, but apples own airpods max can’t do so even when wired..?

yikes

What? Just Use the optional 3.5mm jack to lightning cable for your APM. The AirPods Max only works in wired mode with that cable anyway. When the source is analog, everything works.

 

[zaneliu]

What? 3.5mm is analog. How else are you supposed to listen to lossless?

I think they're indicating the use of something like XLR cables or a quarter adapter.

 

[VaruLV]

Enter the 3.5mm.

Will it return to iPP and iPhones one day? Or will they keep on pushing bluetooth headphones, regardless what prosumers and audiophiles would want?

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

What? Just Use the optional 3.5mm jack to lightning cable for your APM. The AirPods Max only works in wired mode with that cable anyway. When the source is analog, everything works.

Does that little cable contain a DAC or does the iPhone lightning connector output analog and so the adapter is just connecting a couple pins on the lightning connector to the 3.5mm jack?

My head is spinning with what everyone is saying and whether Lightning is a digital or analog connector?

 

[stuckwithme247]

What a frustrating decision by Apple if this is true. I'm assuming they mean we can only play standard quality (AAC 256kb/s) audio in those cases.

I've been a Tidal HD, and now Amazon Music HD, subscriber for over 5 years. I have this in addition to Apple Music because I prefer managing a music library with Apple Music.

Have always been aware that Bluetooth is applying it's own compression to the audio, and can't play the full quality --and yet I still hear a great increase in audio quality listening to Amazon Music HD vs Apple Music -- whether in my car or on my AirPod Pro's

Who cares if we are losing quality?? Pump it through that compression, let us make the decision ourselves what quality to play back. Seems like a cheap ploy to sell us more of their exorbitantly priced headphones.

And don't even get me started about them saying that we can't even play Apple's new HD audio through their existing Lightning to Aux adapter...

 

[355922]

Apple is becoming the greediest anti-customer company out there…save for privacy concerns. They have all these products and services mapped out years in advance and while they physically last quite a while, they are quickly scheduled to be obsolete or incapable.

 

[ian87w]

Enter the 3.5mm.

Will it return to iPP and iPhones one day? Or will they keep on pushing bluetooth headphones, regardless what prosumers and audiophiles would want?

Straight AAC is already excellent in terms of wireless audio for majority of consumers. So I don’t see the headphone jack returning.

 

[hajime]

Apple is becoming the greediest anti-customer company out there…save for privacy concerns. They have all these products and services mapped out years in advance and while they physically last quite a while, they are quickly scheduled to be obsolete or incapable.

I miss Steve.

 

[Wildkraut]

Let me know if you find other wireless headsets with lossless support over Bluetooth.
LDAC and aptx HD are not lossless, mind you.

Get a Xperia 1 ii or soon Xperia 1 iii + XM4s and be happy, together they offer more than Apple ever will over BT, stable 990kpbs sound, that sounds 3 times better than on these fancy fashion 550€ SBC (low-complexity subband) like AAC codec headphones. Or just use the headjack of both for true lossless.

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