Spotify Launching 'HiFi' Lossless Streaming Option Later This Year

[TwoBytes]

I would be happy enough if Apple wouldn't downgrade audio quality of old music (80's). Every time I play an '80s track on Apple Music the sound quality is very far from what I get from a current pop hit like Dua Lipa, Ed Sheehan, Lady Gaga, etc. And it is not because '80s music is old or has not been remastered, my car has a Bose audio system and if I play an '80s audio track from my personal collection (ripped CDs to iTunes), it just blows your mind in the same way that a new song does, the same happens with de radio, an old song sounds as good as a new one. But just play an '80s track on Apple Music and the quality is just flat, dull.

Have you got soundcheck switched on? Makes a positive difference to me

 

[nortonandreev]

How about Apple Music…

 

[Abombito]

The iPod craze decades ago pulled a fast one on a whole generation of young listeners -128kbs MP3s. It's safe to say that a significant portion of the human population now has no idea what Hi Fidelity is / cuz they've never heard it

Neo: Why do my ears hurt?

Morpheus: It's because you've never used them before.

 

[JDHiro]

yeah get that sweet HIFI straight to your bluetooth 320kbps codec. It's a gimmick.

Not everyone listens on Bluetooth headphones. I listen daily on a high end audio system (Bowers & Wilkins 804 D3 speakers, McIntosh type amps). Apple Music is still my favorite UX, but I have to switch over to Amazon Music for critical listening. It’s not a small difference on this type of equipment, it’s huge and Apple Music totally fails at it.

 

[TwoBytes]

'CD quality' is outdated since we have audio fidelity that can go higher than 16-bit/44.1kHz.

On another thought, Apple can really make some money by selling hi-fidelity monitors that are optimised to play higher frequencies that most speakers are capped with and then release higher than CD quality music..

 

[tknelson]

This is ********. I can clearly tell the difference, specially on cymbals, percussions and classical guitars. It's not about the higher frequencies, it's a about dynamics and compression specially on very crowded ranges. On my genelecs and KEF LS50 with acoustical instruments, I can clearly tell the difference. If it was produced naturally, without a lot of killing dynamics compression, a lot of people can tell.

This. For me, cymbals or hi-hat are dead giveaways: even high bitrate mp3 makes them sound "fuzzy" almost like filled with static, rather than crisp. It's not an obvious difference, but one of those things that once you hear it, you cannot unhear it. That said, as I get older, I suspect my ability to hear this will diminish, because studies clearly show that older ears start to lose the high-frequency acuity required.

 

[4jasontv]

Apple isn't getting rid of a direct connection because it would make it near impossible to troubleshoot. We are more likely to see a MagSafe with data than a completely sealed-off brick.

 

[MyRomeo]

Even if your track is ALAC, it will be transmitted over Bluetooth by AAC. I was referring to a Bluetooth codec that would allow high quality tracks (like ALAC) to be transmitted at a practically lossless level.

And Apple Music can’t stream ALAC anyway.

You mean like Sony LDAC? That’s up to 990kbps bluetooth and apparently can stream 24bit 96khz. Sounds great between my Walkman NW-A105 and WH-1000XM4’s mostly playing ALAC CD rips

 

[Abombito]

Where’s my lyrics Spotify?

Spotify Testing Live Lyrics Feature in the United States

I'm not sure if you're in the US but it looks like they started testing it recently, which I know is somewhat irrelevant as it's not a live feature so it may never fully launch.

 

[tknelson]

It is. If I am not mistaken, that is the max for the standard mp3.

Anyone who thinks *any* MP3 is CD quality grew up in the iPod era for sure.

 

[MyRomeo]

Listening to low-quality MP3s makes me nostalgic. 😔

I love this song. Recently ripped the American pie 2 soundtrack to ALAC and enjoying it over LDAC it sounds incredible. So far from 128kbps!

 

[MecPro]

Can someone please explain the appeal of Spotify? Every time I read about them I cringe. Now they want to charge extra to get the same audio quality we had in the '80s? Why? Because other services do the same thing? Streaming audio is all they do - of course they should be better quality than everyone else. For what they charge they should be offering Atmos or High-Resolution audio formats standard.

Why does anyone have to explain?!

Why do people like apples?

 

[mi7chy]

yeah get that sweet HIFI straight to your bluetooth 320kbps codec. It's a gimmick.

Only iPhones are limited to AAC. Other devices support aptX HD, LC3, LHDC, etc.

 

[RedTheReader]

Apple isn't getting rid of a direct connection because it would make it near impossible to troubleshoot. We are more likely to see a MagSafe with data than a completely sealed-off brick.

I’d love to see a sort of cross between MacBook style magsafe and the iPad’s smart connector. I’m just… concerned that they’ll go for the brick approach anyway.

 

[Abombito]

Finally! I just hope the add-on price isn't too high.

Like most have pointed out, it shouldn't really make a difference when listening over Bluetooth, but with hard wired devices and Airplay it should.

 

[Spooner83]

Finally! This is the only thing that would make me switch from Apple Music. I like Apple Music, hopefully they have it also

 

[kalafalas]

Airplay is lower quality than Spotify/Tidal connect, plus with airplay the phone is busy transmitting the audio (battery drain)

Airplay is not lower quality than Spotify connect.

Airplay 2, when using Apple Music, works exactly like Spotify connect and the HomePod/Apple TV or whatever just takes the link and does all the streaming itself, no battery hit from the controller device.

When streaming anything that’s not Apple Music, or using legacy AirPlay 1, the device sends it to the speaker via Lossless codec (ALAC), with no sound quality loss whatsoever from the original source but does take a hit on battery

 

[InnocenceMyth]

66% percent of the time, it works every time.

Still want lossless audio from Apple Music.

66% of the time, while focusing exclusively on differentiating audio samples, which is not the same as listening to music for enjoyment.

 

[sos47]

i hope this is for spotify connect.
otherwise fail.
apple lacks completely in this discipline, a lough.

 

[jhoff8600]

I don't believe you can create a mp3 at that rate (unless something has come along I don't know about), though. I believe that that is what his point was.

OMG, the l lack of understanding of audio standards and quality among the modern listeners is astounding. (I'm in my mid 40's so I was around when access to great used analog audio equipment was still easily had, as well as quality interconnects. in the 90's CD (AIFF/PCM) technology was still being innovated to improve DAC.

Bit rate comparisons don't mean much between compressed standards, and quote "lossless" standards. One is compressed and by nature can never be meaningfully turned up to the same bitrates as PCM. Although not always exactly true, compression = loss of fidelity. information that could be relayed to your ear is permanently lost.

From my perspective, CD quality is not lossless. It has it's treble bias (meaning, when multiple sounds are happening as the same time, CD's will prioritize encoding fidelity for treble over bass). and even with "lossless" PCM, the higher the frequency the less "space" There is to add definition which is why treble can be harsh and grating, and mid range can be muddled and lost even on CD's. even more so in compressed standards.

when Apple was in the process of birthing the compressed portable music revolution, Sony, Phillips, and Panasonic were developing amazing sound technologies to improve sound in the digital space. Super Audio (DSD) and DVD-Audio were developing and growing and people around the word were learning what Studio master quality sound really was.

I've listed to super audio (DSD) tracks that have brought me to tears. That's never happened with ACC over Bluetooth, not once. even if you aren't good at picking out the difference when listening to a 30 second ABX test between different sound sources, I promise you that if you spend time immersing yourself in music with high fidelity sources compared the same content on a compressed source, the emotional reaction will differ. For some it will differ dramatically. some people just aren't emotionally moved by music so it doesn't matter to them.

I'll admit, I've grudgingly moved away from component systems with all their complicated/ugly enclosures, switches, and wires. but I've had to spend a lot of time and a decent amount of money to find a digital system I am remotely happy with.

That said, I would gladly double my payment to apple to even bring back CD quality sound to the streaming space. I've all but given up hope that DSD technology will be brought back into the mainstream into affordable components that don't require analogue interconnects.

If you've read this far, thanks for taking the time to read this rant from this semi "old codger" by todays standards.

 

[Eorlas]

yeah get that sweet HIFI straight to your bluetooth 320kbps codec. It's a gimmick.

it's not at all a gimmick for people that have hardware supporting it. i'm not an audiophile, but more than a handful of those people exist.

you just have to, you know, open your mind to the notion that other people exist on this planet...

 

[tdar]

I have Amazon Music HD to go along with my Apple Music. I used to have Spotify and this will likely bring me back. Apple Music is now going to be the only major Music service without an HD option. Seems like they won't really have a choice but to add one. I'll upgrade on day one. If you listen to music only on AirPods, don't bother, but if you have some quality audio equipment, it makes a huge difference.

 

[TheDailyApple]

You mean like Sony LDAC? That’s up to 990kbps bluetooth and apparently can stream 24bit 96khz. Sounds great between my Walkman NW-A105 and WH-1000XM4’s mostly playing ALAC CD rips

Yes, exactly! I have the WH1000XM4s, but I’m limited to AAC without a device supporting LDAC.

I wish they had aptX like the XM3s, that at least comes in handy on my Mac.

 

[Apple_Robert]

OMG, the l lack of understanding of audio standards and quality among the modern listeners is astounding. (I'm in my mid 40's so I was around when access to great used analog audio equipment was still easily had, as well as quality interconnects. in the 90's CD (AIFF/PCM) technology was still being innovated to improve DAC.

Bit rate comparisons don't mean much between compressed standards, and quote "lossless" standards. One is compressed and by nature can never be meaningfully turned up to the same bitrates as PCM. Although not always exactly true, compression = loss of fidelity. information that could be relayed to your ear is permanently lost.

From my perspective, CD quality is not lossless. It has it's treble bias (meaning, when multiple sounds are happening as the same time, CD's will prioritize encoding fidelity for treble over bass). and even with "lossless" PCM, the higher the frequency the less "space" There is to add definition which is why treble can be harsh and grating, and mid range can be muddled and lost even on CD's. even more so in compressed standards.

when Apple was in the process of birthing the compressed portable music revolution, Sony, Phillips, and Panasonic were developing amazing sound technologies to improve sound in the digital space. Super Audio (DSD) and DVD-Audio were developing and growing and people around the word were learning what Studio master quality sound really was.

I've listed to super audio (DSD) tracks that have brought me to tears. That's never happened with ACC over Bluetooth, not once. even if you aren't good at picking out the difference when listening to a 30 second ABX test between different sound sources, I promise you that if you spend time immersing yourself in music with high fidelity sources compared the same content on a compressed source, the emotional reaction will differ. For some it will differ dramatically. some people just aren't emotionally moved by music so it doesn't matter to them.

I'll admit, I've grudgingly moved away from component systems with all their complicated/ugly enclosures, switches, and wires. but I've had to spend a lot of time and a decent amount of money to find a digital system I am remotely happy with.

That said, I would gladly double my payment to apple to even bring back CD quality sound to the streaming space. I've all but given up hope that DSD technology will be brought back into the mainstream into affordable components that don't require analogue interconnects.

If you've read this far, thanks for taking the time to read this rant from this semi "old codger" by todays standards.

Not everyone cares to be an audiophile, especially when mobile.

I don't know why you picked my post to rant on when my post was correct.

 

[Kenmat]

From my perspective, CD quality is not lossless. It has it's treble bias (meaning, when multiple sounds are happening as the same time, CD's will prioritize encoding fidelity for treble over bass). and even with "lossless" PCM, the higher the frequency the less "space" There is to add definition which is why treble can be harsh and grating, and mid range can be muddled and lost even on CD's. even more so in compressed standards.

If you've read this far, thanks for taking the time to read this rant from this semi "old codger" by todays standards.

From an even older codger, That's not how PCM works, that's how lossy formats work. Since any frequency takes up the amount of data in a PCM file it's very efficient to drop higher frequencies (and lower ones to)
But in a lossless PCM/FLAC/ALAC file treble is simply not depreciated compared to other frequencies.