Does Airplay do AAC 256kbps or variable?

[Lvivske]

I'm trying to use my old iPad (mini 2), which doesn't have Lossless Music, with Airplay. I realize then that Airplay must be sending music as AAC, but is this 256kbps AAC, or is it less? I ask because audio from iPad is noticeably worse with Airplay vs. my Macbook Air

Is this an AAC thing, an iPad thing, an Air issue?

 

[Crunchynut]

I'm trying to use my old iPad (mini 2), which doesn't have Lossless Music, with Airplay. I realize then that Airplay must be sending music as AAC, but is this 256kbps AAC, or is it less? I ask because audio from iPad is noticeably worse with Airplay vs. my Macbook Air

Is this an AAC thing, an iPad thing, an Air issue?

AFIK the Airplay 1 standard has always been capable of 16/48 in a lossless ALAC file format, so I believe it is more than capable of sending AAC at maximum bit rate.

When you say that the iPad doesn’t have lossless music, do you mean because you have not loaded any or that it is incapable?

 

[Lvivske]

AFIK the Airplay 1 standard has always been capable of 16/48 in a lossless ALAC file format, so I believe it is more than capable of sending AAC at maximum bit rate.

When you say that the iPad doesn’t have lossless music, do you mean because you have not loaded any or that it is incapable?

It's incapable

 

[Crunchynut]

Ah yes. I didn’t know that.

I started out with a 4th gen Mac mini which did ALAC so assumed it was always so.