New Macbook Pro 15 inch touch bar 2017 - internal DAC only 48khz?

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I don't see why the surprise. Neither the iPod plays higher than 48 and it doesn't oven do 24 bits afaik (files are truncated down to 16 bits). 

 

Imho also the iPod 6 was a step down from the 5/5.5 in terms of audio quality.

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2 minutes ago, foodfiend said:

That was a change in DAC chip. In the iPhone 7, the really tragic fact is that a better DAC sits in the phone for the speakers, but cannot output to analogue headphones without the headphone jack. Instead, we are saddled with the poorer DAC on the adapter, or to use Bluetooth (with its limitations) for wireless transfer.

 

That's a very weird arrangement - the quality of the audio through the speakers is anyway objectionable to be polite.

 

The Video is the only Apple player I have, and I had to fight for a refurbished 5.5 unit after the 6 was launched. Luckily it is still working a good 15 years later.