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Apple Music Gaining Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio in iOS 14.6, Not All Tracks Supported at Launch
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Perhaps critical listeners who are using high end cable connected audiophile headphones or speaker set ups. Folks using conventional consumer gear, especially if used via bluetooth probably not. Of course there will be a placebo effect. Some will at least believe they can hear a difference. I know that with my ears and the equipment I have it will be of no consequence to me.
It's not like the HomePod Mini has the audio fidelity for lossless to matter.
My biggest issue with Apple Music (having switched from Spotify) is how unresponsive the app is. Virtually every click requires a new page to load—it’s simply not quick or satisfying to navigate.
Somehow I doubt these changes are going to help…
Somehow I doubt these changes are going to help…
Apple completely removed DRM from store-bought music in 2009, so your comment is about 12 years out of date.
I guess DRM wasn’t the right term but they still have copy protections, correct? Can only have them on a limited number of devices, can only burn a certain number of times, and the song is forever tied to your account so you can’t give away ownership.
By biggest gripe with Tidal atmos was not being able to use my Mac (hooked up to an AVR) to play back Atmos tracks. I’m a bit worried this is going to go the same way, I am not interested in using my MacBook (stereo) speakers for anything besides beeps and boops, and I would rather not buy another Apple TV just for this.
Bluetooth 3 easily supports this with regards to the amount of data to transfer per second. Problem is probably that to limit energy consumption headsets use the more limited low energy modes in version 4 and 5, which then maybe too low. Specifications say 1Mbit for low energy modes, which should be enough, but I guess it is a stretch that still would drain the battery too much.
You have to remember that these transfer rates are best-case scenarios. By simply having parts of your body between the receiver in your headphones and the transceiver (your phone) the fluids in your body itself will cause enough resistance to toss you straight out of a best-case scenario.
This is the major problem with LDAC and why it's only a lossless codec in theory and not in practice. You won't see it utilising its full 909 kbps capabilities in any real-world scenario. You end up with 606 kbps at best, and often 330 kbps. Which is still decent but far from being capable of offering lossless transmission even at normal resolution. When you start tossing in 24-bit and 192kHz you are not even close to lossless transmission and you are most likely better of by passing smaller 16-bit and 44.1kHz tracks over 330/606 kbps transmissions instead of trying to shoehorn in 24-bit and 192kHz using the same transmission as it would require too much compression.
Soundguys.com have done some decent tests with SBC, aptX, LDAC and AAC and they pretty much conclude that Apple's implementation of AAC is on the levels of the best you are able to get out of aptX and LDAC. It doesn't allow for the use of higher than 16-bit depth or any higher sampling rates than 44.1kHz but there is really no value in going any higher especially over Bluetooth as increasing depth and sampling rates just results in you having to add even more compression to the transmission.
Completely agree.
I am happy with my HomePod Mini but given only the HomePod (2018) supports Dolby Atmos I wouldn’t expect them to add support for this until the second gen HomePod Mini launches.
My admittedly anecdotal experience with friends and family is that the few people I know who do care about music quality, have lots of wired equipment and the wireless only HomePods failed in that regard.
Meh. I suppose if you rent music it might be ok, but since BT won’t handle it, kinda pointless on mobile (and it’s blow out data a
I’ll stick with buying cds and ripping or buying hires tracks and downloading. For real hq, dvd-a and sacd still are top dog, if the content exists and you have equipment that can handle it.
I find it amusing that Apple is both pushing streaming exclusively and selling devices with ever more storage at the same time.
I’ll stick with buying cds and ripping or buying hires tracks and downloading. For real hq, dvd-a and sacd still are top dog, if the content exists and you have equipment that can handle it.
I find it amusing that Apple is both pushing streaming exclusively and selling devices with ever more storage at the same time.
Nope. No limits but the metadata does have your info in it. Otherwise it’s the same (but inferior quality) to buying a cd.
You hit the nail on the head. Mobile or auto users won’t notice any difference in the vast majority of cases. Much of modern music has been mixed for lossy compression as well so even on high end gear it won’t make a difference. But if you have a good original source, mixed properly, and hq equipment…and good ears it does.
thank you for airplay 2 info. I am pretty new in this Apple ecosystem, didn't know about it.
BUT to answer : neither the built in speakers nor the homepod mini (or any other of those speakers that support airplay, I'm pretty sure about it) are good enough to provide the sound quality that is required to take advantage of any lossless format
and to be honest I have already listened some times ago to airpods pro, and not long ago listened to a binaural audio demo of those on youtube : the sound is pretty bad, really voice focused, no real details in it, pretty bad soundstage...
What headphone specs should we be looking for to take advantage of this? For 24 bit at 192 kHz do the headphones frequency response need to hit 192 kHz?
I don't think that's the case. Music purchased through iTunes has no copy protection.
96 Hz output to take full advantage of 192 kHz files. You'll also need a DAC that outputs at 24-bit/192 kHz.
From everything I've read, whatever advantage there is from "Hi-Res" files tops out at around 60 kHz, so I'm surprised Apple is even offering 192 kHz files.
This completely snuck by me! I believe there’s just the permanent Apple ID association now. It’s not true ownership until you can officially transfer ownership to anyone you want, but that may be something only blockchain will be able to solve.
I stand corrected. If HomePods support I wonder why AirPods Max don't. Makes no sense.