MIDI Audio Output on M1 Mac MacBook Pro ?

[Jaw3000]

My new M1 Mac 16" MacBook Pro only allows 32-bit floating point audio output (in a variety of kHz) via the headphone jack in the MIDI Setup app. Is this normal for M1 Macs or a bug/hardware issue? My old Intel MacBook Pro allowed the same kHz range as the M1, but also offered 16-bit and 24-bit integer output, in addition to 32-bit floating point. It seems this has been removed on the new M1 Macs, which makes the audio output worse because the internal DAC will be converting everything to 32-bit, which defeats the point of lossless audio. It's especially a strange move for Apple, considering these are Pro machines, Apple put a lot of marketing into showing film/audio creation, and most songs on Apple Music lossless are 24-bit or 16-bit (I have yet to see a 32-bit), so the DAC is converting them, rendering them no longer 'lossless.'

 

[BrianBaughn]

I don't know and don't have an M1 Mac but it seems to me when in a critical listening situation a "Pro" would be using an external audio device.

 

[fa8362]

I agree with Brian. Anyone serious about audio won't be using the internal DAC.

 

[Jaw3000]

I totally agree about using a DAC. My question was if this behavior was normal on M1 Macs, because it marks a departure and downgrade from previous Macs (regarding the built-in DAC and system capabilities, which contrasts somewhat with Apple's marketing)? I have not seen this issue mentioned anywhere, so I though I would ask. There seems to be no mention of audio bit-rate, just frequency. Here's Apple's own statement regarding the built-in DAC in the new MacBook Pro's (note, no bit-rate mentioned):

About high-resolution digital-to-analog conversion on new MacBook Pro models
The hardware digital-to-analog converter (DAC) built into MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) and MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) supports sample rates of up to 96 kHz.

MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) and MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) feature a high-quality built-in hardware DAC that can convert up to 96 kHz digital audio to analog audio. Connect an analog device like headphones or speakers directly to the headphone jack on your Mac and monitor your audio at full resolution without needing an external DAC.

To set the sample rate for the headphone jack, use the Audio Midi Setup app, which is located in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.

 

[matthewadams]

Converting anything lower-bit to higher-bit won't create losses in audio. It's only when you go to a lower bit-rate you introduce some kind of loss in dynamics (plus you also add artificial noise by something called "Dithering" to avoid aliasing artefacts)

 

[BrianBaughn]

I totally agree about using a DAC. My question was if this behavior was normal on M1 Macs, because it marks a departure and downgrade from previous Macs (regarding the built-in DAC and system capabilities, which contrasts somewhat with Apple's marketing)? I have not seen this issue mentioned anywhere, so I though I would ask. There seems to be no mention of audio bit-rate, just frequency. Here's Apple's own statement regarding the built-in DAC in the new MacBook Pro's (note, no bit-rate mentioned):

Also, no HDMI mentioned.

What version of macOS are you on? I've seen a thread on Reddit about HDMI audio never working with FaceTime (and perhaps some other apps) in Big Sur but it was fixed in Monterey.

 

[vddobrev]

I have a similar experience with an M1 Mac mini - I find the audio output is downgraded from previous Intel models. In particular, I am comparing the HDMI output of the M1 mini to the 2014 mini Intel i5:

2014 Intel Mac mini: up to 8 channel 192KHz on HDMI, and up to 2 channels 192KHz over optical SPDIF.

M1 Mac mini: up to 8 channels 48KHz.

 

[vddobrev]

Also, I find the audio playback of the M1 mini is degraded, I have posted about it here:

How is Apple Lossless ALAC output to PCM

Yes I will describe. First let me list my equipment: 1. Receiver: NAD T785 7.1, 120W per channel. 2. Front Speakers: Martin Logan Preface 3. Subwoofer: Martin Logan Descent i Objectively nothing seems changed, apart from that M1 Mac mini output is only 48KHz. Other than that there are no...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Wildboy256]

I'm running into a similar problem with my brand new M1 pro MacBook Pro. I am a Logic Pro x "Audio Engineer/recording artist". I use a Denon Amplifier working with my Monitors and subwoofer connected through HDMI and I am not able to adjust my audio sampling rate as needed for my Logic sessions. It is locked in at 48kHz, and I need it at 44.1. On my 2017 intel MacBook Air I've never ran into this problem because It switched the sampling rate automatically and was able to change it with ease. Please let me know if there is any solution or workaround to my problem. It may be a deal breaker on whether I'm keeping this beast or not.

 

[vddobrev]

@Wildboy256 Check my thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-m1-only-48khz-audio.2325804/ for more info on this but there is no solution.