HomePod and HomePod mini to Gain Support For Apple Music Lossless Audio in Future Software Update

[MacRumors]

The HomePod and HomePod mini will gain support for playing back Apple Music Lossless audio in a future software update, according to a newly published Apple Support document.

At launch, the HomePod and HomePod mini will not support Apple Music Lossless but will instead feature support for Dolby Atmos for Apple Music. Dolby Atmos, otherwise known as Spatial Audio, creates an immersive three-dimensional experience that simulates music all around the listener. Apple Music Lossless provides listeners with higher quality audio.

In June, Apple will offer Apple Music subscribers a "Standard" Apple Music Lossless tier with audio up to 48kHz, and "Hi-Res Lossless" with audio between 48kHz and 192kHz. Hi-Res Lossless requires external equipment like a USB digital-to-analog converter.

Despite support for Apple Music Lossless in a future software update for HomePod and HomePod mini, the AirPods and AirPods Pro will not be gaining support. In the support document, Apple explains that current Bluetooth doesn't support the higher quality format that Apple Music Lossless provides. AirPods Max will also not support Lossless wirelessly, but Apple says that when used with a cable, the $550 over-ear headphones will play back Lossless audio, although not completely:

The Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable was designed to allow AirPods Max to connect to analog sources for listening to movies and music. AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog to digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.

Apple Music Lossless and Dolby Atmos will be available in June with more than 20 million tracks supporting Lossless audio and thousands of tracks supporting Dolby Atmos.

Article Link: HomePod and HomePod mini to Gain Support For Apple Music Lossless Audio in Future Software Update

 

[Kung gu]

bravo Apple. Stop the haters

 

[Seoras]

Ah now that makes more sense. Bluetooth just doesn't have the data bandwidth for uncompressed, raw, digitised music.
But for Apple to not support it on its on Music playing hardware, which it touted at launch a few years ago as being best in class, made no sense at all.

 

[symphony]

Does Jonathon Prosser rumour about radios being enabled to the wifi chipset in the H1 hole to be true? What do you guys think?

wifi doesn’t seem to have a delay. Hopefully Apple can pull this off

 

[rumz]

So much for the suggestion that the AirPods Max had a DAC unable to handle lossless— sounds like the limitation is bluetooth.

 

[szczottie]

Just about when my Homepod died

 

[dannyyankou]

Alright now we’re talking. I was really surprised at first when they said it doesn’t support lossless, it’s definitely possible with the hardware

 

[Abazigal]

Funny that a discontinued Apple product is getting support for a new feature, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[rumz]

Does Jonathon Prosser rumour about radios being enabled to the wifi chipset in the H1 hole to be true? What do you guys think?

wifi doesn’t seem to have a delay. Hopefully Apple can pull this off

Prosser thinks the H1 have WiFi? The article above says clearly that ”AirPods Max will not support lossless wirelessly.”

 

[btrach144]

All the effort for a discontinued product. Why Apple???

 

[doboy]

Ah now that makes more sense. Bluetooth just doesn't have the data bandwidth for uncompressed, raw, digitised music.
But for Apple to not support it on its on Music playing hardware, which it touted at launch a few years ago as being best in class, made no sense at all.

Not really. You expect Apple to put WiFi capability in the AirPods? You think battery is short now, haha.

 

[Think|Different]

Hi Haters!
*Tim Cook Memoji*

 

[doboy]

Yay for HomePod support, although not interested in music subscription

 

[kenni417]

well, it’s something atleast.

 

[robinp]

This all makes sense but why-oh-why didn’t they announce this at the same time as the Apple Music announcement?

 

[symphony]

Prosser thinks the H1 have WiFi? The article above says clearly that ”AirPods Max will not support lossless wirelessly.”

 

[Mrjynx]

Glad I bought those two homepods. Just like 3D Touch, they failed on the marketing. The HomePod sucks when compared to Alexa and all that other stuff for smarts. But it does the basic stuff I need that google home did.

But, it’s a freakishly incredible sounding device and adding this functionality pushes ir closer to soundbar/home audio space.

there’s no way a HomePod successor isn’t inbound. While discontinued, new features are still inbound.

 

[nothingtoseehere]

Funny that a discontinued Apple product is getting support for a new feature, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

One could argue that Apple cares for its customer base

I am really happy about this announcement. Love my paired HomePods, have Apple Music - now waiting for this update.

Apple writes exactly this:
"HomePod and HomePod mini currently use AAC to ensure excellent audio quality. Support for lossless is coming in a future software update."

I wonder if this means that another transmission technique is already build into HomePods/minis? Anyone any idea what this could be?

 

[BvizioN]

So much for the suggestion that the AirPods Max had a DAC unable to handle lossless— sounds like the limitation is bluetooth.

Bingo 👍

 

[George Dawes]

Does this mean there’s going to be a successor to the large HomePod ?

🧐….interesting…

 

[matrix07]

I wonder if this means that another transmission technique is already build into HomePods/minis? Anyone any idea what this could be?

I believe AirPlay 2 already has enough bandwidth for lossless but the firmware doesn’t have tools for handling ALAC.

 

[matrix07]

So much for the suggestion that the AirPods Max had a DAC unable to handle lossless— sounds like the limitation is bluetooth.

Too bad we have no way to send digital stream wired to AirPod Max. That would be actual lossless.

 

[rumz]

View attachment 1779133

What’s your point? My point is that I’m fairly confident the H1 chip (used for wireless communication in the AirPods line) does *not* have Wi-Fi, just Bluetooth. Ergo no wireless “over Wi-Fi” lossless on AirPods Max. There will apparently be an option to listen to lossless via a cable, however. Just not wirelessly. Edit: no new information here about listening to lossless over a cable. Maybe it’s just being officially published in a support doc the same as Apple has reported to various outlets. Cabled listening is just with Apple’s 3.5mm to lightning cable which, because its designed to convert an analog signal to digital, doesn’t provide identical audio to the source.

Wi-Fi & Lossless applies to the HomePod. Which I am also happy to hear is not somehow tragically lacking necessary hardware to handle lossless, as others have claimed.

 

[honglong1976]

One could argue that Apple cares for its customer base

I am really happy about this announcement. Love my paired HomePods, have Apple Music - now waiting for this update.

Apple writes exactly this:
"HomePod and HomePod mini currently use AAC to ensure excellent audio quality. Support for lossless is coming in a future software update."

I wonder if this means that another transmission technique is already build into HomePods/minis? Anyone any idea what this could be?

Airplay 2. They will just Airplay the lossless audio wirelessly.

 

[hagar]

So much for the suggestion that the AirPods Max had a DAC unable to handle lossless— sounds like the limitation is bluetooth.

it was clear from the start the AirPods max wouldn’t support Losess wireless because of the limitations of BT. The criticism is the lack of support over a wire.

One could argue that Apple cares for its customer base

I am really happy about this announcement. Love my paired HomePods, have Apple Music - now waiting for this update.

Apple writes exactly this:
"HomePod and HomePod mini currently use AAC to ensure excellent audio quality. Support for lossless is coming in a future software update."

I wonder if this means that another transmission technique is already build into HomePods/minis? Anyone any idea what this could be?

The transmission technique is WiFi, plenty enough for loseless.