Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Please don’t lock it behind AirPods. Kinda defeats the purpose. Here is high quality audio but you need to listen to it on low quality hardware. Makes no sense.

also, put out a dedicated Music app for Windows? No, i’m not using iTunes and the web player sucks.

if Apple is seriously wanting to compete with Spotify they need to think about people who buy high end headphones, speakers, and the vast majority of people who use Windows.

i’ll see how things go but all i’ll say is i’m on my 3 month Apple Music trial and i’ll not hesitate going back to Spotify.

do you want my money or not Apple?
From my understanding, the only thing that will be locked behind AirPods is the spacial audio features.
Those will require AirPods, and those will require an iPhone/iPad.
The Lossless tracks will play on anything though
 
How would spatial audio work on music recorded in stereo?
Depends what you do with it. I’ve heard a demo once where you out mics in your ears, and then simulate the sound of speakers in hedphones. This changes the soundstage completely, so that instead of hearing the music “inside” your head, you have a soundstage in front of you. This does not require surround material, but it DOES require a measurement of your HRTF (look it up) to be really effective. If they can make that work reasonably well (a big if), I would reconsider my usually quite purist approach to music listening. It needs to be said, I’m not overly impressed by the spatial audio for movies, so I’m not convinced before I hear it.
 
Not related to this thread, but 3D is still a thing outside of the US. And a lot of enthusiasts in the US still hunt for and collect 3D movies. Importing 3D Marvel and Disney movies from Europe is quite popular. I have a handful of friends that have their every day tv and also a 3D tv just for watching their 3D collection. I personally don’t get it. Hate it. But it’s still a thing.
It’s a thing in the same way that cassette tapes are still a thing.
 
I thought so too, but all the rumors say that it will still be only $9.99
I’ll bet a good amount of money that it will be no extra charge, just like 4K. The amount of people willing to pay extra “only” for quality is way too small for Apple to bother.
 
I’m kinda hoping they announce some sort of partnership with Sony to bring LDAC and 360RA to Apple Music, only better and that Sony will be updating their compatible hardware to fully support it… I’m dreaming I know.

I just hope apple don’t make this exclusive to their own headphones….
I would not be surprised if they come up with something that is exclusive at launch, but others can implement in new products.
 
If they can do it at no extra charge, including special spacial audio features for AirPods users, I think it’s gonna be really really tough on Spotify.
Especially with Spotify increasing their prices.
So of course, I expect Spotify immediately to file an anti-trust lawsuit against Apple within the hour of the announcement, because that’s all these other companies really know how to do anymore
THIS.
 
Thinking about it, it seems logical that apple would not launch a Hifi tier until they have a technology to transmit that quality to their own wireless headphones. I’d guess there will be a firmware update for the headphones to take advantage of whatever the new feature is, including some way to transmit either 16/44 lossless, or 24/96 lossy (which would be a bit of a bummer).
 
I’m really hoping this works lossless/HiRes via AirPlay 2 with compatible streamers WITHOUT needing hardware upgrades on the streamer side. I just bought B&W Formation Duos and keep dual Tidal and  music subscriptions. For those of us who want higher quality audio, but have moved passed physical media, this could also be a great Roon replacement. Let me upload my personal CDs in full lossless quality, stream in full lossless quality, and use the  music library in lossless quality for everything else and I’ll be in heaven!
 
Last edited:
Settings>TV
There’s two headings, “streaming options” and “download options.
Under both, it gives an option for Wi-Fi and cellular. And clicking into either of those, you get an option for “faster/data saver,” which is lower quality, and “high quality.”

Brilliant, thank you!
 
It’s out!!
D1309038-3161-4A5D-8F9E-79D70D02A3EA.png
 
If "Music is going to change forever" simply means better sound quality, that is a disappointingly over-the-top marketing slogan. Hopefully Apple has more up their sleeve than simply that.
We're talking about Apple marketing here though. everything is over the top and hyperbolic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: srbNYC
Audio is audio. How would they make this a headphone-only feature or service?
using two way communication with bluetooth headphones, Apple would easily be able to detect if it's an Apple or Beats branded headset and from the iOS device level control what content is available to be sent to it.
 
Spacial audio requires the H1 chip. That is where its created
Maybe I'm not understanding the topic. I thought we were talking about high-fidelity streaming, not spatial audio. I totally get why spatial audio would be headphone-only, but that has nothing to do with hi-fi music.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.