Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4.

For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which result in some data loss. Then, there are lossless compression standards like Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), which preserve all of the original data. The entire Apple Music catalog of more than 100 million songs is encoded in both AAC and ALAC.

In a post on X today, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak said lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio are the "ultimate" audio upgrades for the AirPods Max, promising "mind-blowing sound quality." However, this marketing claim appears to be at odds with what Apple states in a support document on its website.

In the document, Apple says AAC already delivers audio that is "virtually indistinguishable" from an original studio recording. Accordingly, the company also says "the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable."

If lossless audio offers no major improvement over AAC, according to Apple, then calling it an "ultimate" upgrade is unjustified marketing hype.

As for lower latency, that does not directly impact sound quality.

All in all, lossless audio is far less significant of an upgrade than Joswiak is making it out to be, as Apple admits on its very own website.

Update — March 25: While the increased sound quality of lossless audio is not perceptible to everyone, it is worth keeping in mind that the upgrade will unlock another benefit when paired with ultra-low latency. According to Apple's announcement, these two upgrades combined will make the AirPods Max with a USB-C port the only headphones that enable musicians to both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking.

Article Link: Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

 

[TechWhisperer]

“…and a man of your advanced age definitely cannot.”

💀

 

[marinersaptcomplex]

Schrödinger’s distinguishability.

 

[Plerf]

Watching Apple turn into Dell lately has not been fun.

 

[Kylo83]

They need to start telling the truth, they sound like iJustine

 

[Aquamite]

The ability to mix in lossless Spatial Audio at ultra low latency is indeed an ultimate upgrade.

 

[InnocenceMyth]

Apple adds a feature that "audiophiles" want (not me, by the way) and uses marketing terms to hype it up and gets criticized. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[xraydoc]

They need to start telling the truth, they sound like iJustine

I'm not sure I understand that reference...

 

[newton4000]

Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4.

For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec (AAC), which result in some data loss. Then, there are lossless compression standards like Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), which preserve all of the original data. The entire Apple Music catalog of more than 100 million songs is encoded in both AAC and ALAC.

In a post on X today, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak said lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio are the "ultimate" audio upgrades for the AirPods Max, promising "mind-blowing sound quality." However, this marketing claim appears to be at odds with what Apple states in a support document on its website.

In the document, Apple says AAC already delivers audio that is "virtually indistinguishable" from an original studio recording. Accordingly, the company also says "the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable."

If lossless audio offers no major improvement over AAC, according to Apple, then calling it an "ultimate" upgrade is unjustified marketing hype.

As for lower latency, that does not directly impact sound quality.

All in all, lossless audio is far less significant of an upgrade than Joswiak is making it out to be, as Apple admits on its very own website.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1904290676696916426

Article Link: Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

You could be right. But maybe wait until you listen to it? I can tell the difference between lossy and lossless easily.
I think there is hype here - but the other way - that AAC is 256 is a good as a lossless file.
AAC works well for most people and for many use cases indistinguishable. But it's like RAW versus JPG - it's vastly superior for some people.

 

[Kylo83]

Just like how apple intelligence was so good. The hype apple does now isn’t the truth anymore.

 

[CalMin]

I think the headline feature should have been latency vs. quality.

Like many folks - now that I am past my 'audiophile' phase and now that I'm older I've accepted that I can't really tell anymore. Heck a well encoded MP3 or AAC sounds like CD-quality to my ears and even then, I doubt that AirPods Max would the audiophile grade device to help distinguish between them.

Low-latency on the other hand would be a game changer. Going wireless with Logic Pro would be a dream. Then again, I only have the lightning version of AirPods Max. 😭

 

[Zapski]

Honestly I can’t tell the difference on any mp3 encoding rate that’s higher than 128kbps, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[zedsdead]

If they added the W2 chip so it would have adaptive audio I seriously would have considered updating, but without it no way.

These are not going to make any difference, except being able to plug in the headphones.

The lossless/low latency features are fine, but almost 99% of people won’t notice or take advantage of this.

 

[iObama]

Criticism of this is stupid, and I criticize Apple on the regular lol.

 

[orbital~debris]

When did MacRumors activate its emotion chip?

 

[kalimdor]

For Apple, giving back the 3.5mm audio jack on iPhones and iPad would be the "ultimate audio upgrade". Also the difference between AAC and ALAC is like JPG and JPEG.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Watching Apple turn into Dell lately has not been fun.

As a decades-long fan of Dell, I thought for sure it was the opposite with Dell charging "Apple-tax" like prices for upgrades and ridiculous street prices for their hardware. But I suppose in some ways, Apple might be turning into Dell with regards to hype.

ps. I'm no longer a Dell fan. Their service has become crap and their prices are through the roof.

 

[g0estoeleven]

It’s also worth noting that while they are finally enabling “lossless 24/48,” note the continued silence on HiRes 24/96 or 24/192.

It continues to amaze me that Apple still doesn’t offer any way to listen to HiRes on any of its headphones at all, on AppleTV, or on any of its computers and mobile devices without an external DAC.

 

[SanderEvers]

Lossless audio is not all about quality. 256kbps AAC is basically for 99,9% of the people the same as CD quality. (CDs are, however, lossless) But lossless allows you to listen exactly to how the artist / producer meant the music to sound. (lossy compression might flattern some sounds outside of the audible range)

Lossless audio really fits into the law of diminishing returns. A $ 1.000 headphone does not sound 10x better than a $ 100 headphone.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

I grew up when Van Halen were in their prime. My ears have been lossy ever since.

 

[aevan]

I'm not sure I understand that reference...

iJustine enthusiastically likes a lot of Apple stuff (and not just Apple stuff), so some people who have turned into cynical black clouds of sadness consider her a natural enemy of their kind.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

If they added the W2 chip so it would have adaptive audio I seriously would have considered updating, but without it no way.

These are not going to make any difference, except being able to plug in the headphones.

The lossless/low latency features are fine, but almost 99% of people won’t notice or take advantage of this.

Wait for the .999 silver USB-C to 3.5mm $500 cables from the high end audio companies and people say how they sound so much better! 😂

 

[russell_314]

It’s kind of funny to see MacRumors staff trash talk Apple. At least we know they’re not being paid by Apple 😂

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

iJustine enthusiastically likes a lot of Apple stuff (and not just Apple stuff), so some people who have turned into cynical black clouds of sadness consider her a natural enemy of their kind.

The fact that she makes a living "enthusiastically liking" Apple stuff makes it very easy for people to doubt her. She's basically a paid Apple shill.

 

[Avenged110]

…Apple says AAC already delivers audio that is "virtually indistinguishable" from an original studio recording. Accordingly, the company also says "the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable."

If lossless audio offers no major improvement over AAC, according to Apple, then calling it an "ultimate" upgrade is unjustified marketing hype.

AAC is an outstanding audio compression codec, but it really depends on the listening setup as well as one’s hearing. I don’t even have a ‘golden ear’ for listening and the difference is still rather obvious on a good stereo system. In reference to AirPods, however, I agree that the difference is probably insignificant or even indistinguishable to most.