Popular Post ChipotleCoyote Posted May 17, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 17, 2021 1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said: Apple Music won't change the sample rate automatically, so we are back to the Audio Midi issues of 2007. I think it's a little early to be sure of that -- Apple Music won't change the sample rate automatically in its current incarnation, but it hasn't had any pressing reason to from Apple's POV yet. The press release you quoted specifically calls out (albeit in a footnote) the need for an external DAC to get 24/192 playback, though, so Apple is at least now admitting bit rates are a thing. I wouldn't be surprised to see an iTunes Music.app update that gives it the ability to switch bit rates automatically when streaming, although I also wouldn't be surprised if that update leaves people with local high bit rate tracks in the lurch. 1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said: Without integration into products from Roon, Aurender, Lumin, Audirvana, etc... it will be really tough. That'll be the big trick I'm curious about. Apple obviously already has an Apple Music API used by Sonos, Amazon Alexa, and their web player, and the proliferation of Apple TV+ clients suggests they've become much more open to the idea of "the more places our streaming services are the better." (I also noticed KEF's LS50 Wireless II page now lists the Apple Music in addition to the AirPlay 2 logo, making me wonder if they have, or plan to, integrate it directly.) But IIRC, Roon has observed in the past that for services the size of Spotify and AM, their entire user base is virtually a rounding error, so I'm not optimistic. (Apple also doesn't have a real great reputation for catering to developers.) I'm already both a Tidal and Apple Music subscriber—Tidal because I wanted lossless in some circumstances, using Roon and now Audirvana and Tidal Connect, and AM because there are other circumstances I'm not really that concerned about the drop to AAC 256kbps (in the car, background music, etc.) and because I find AM's radio stations and playlists, particularly the human-curated ones, to be way better than Tidal's. The chances are I won't give up Tidal and go AM-only, but I'm definitely curious to see where it goes. (I do have an Apple TV, and I suspect its next update will provide support for this service…which means I'll technically have hi-res Apple Music streaming everywhere I'd want to listen to it.) spin33 and The Computer Audiophile 2 Life was so much cheaper when I couldn't hear a difference between these things. Link to comment
Popular Post ChipotleCoyote Posted May 17, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 17, 2021 20 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said: Personally, I am waiting for the first report of someones MQA light coming on while streaming from Apple Music. I am pretty sure if Apple were supporting MQA they would be contractually obligated to use the bolded phrase Master Quality Authenticated® at least three times in every press release. The Computer Audiophile and Rosewind 2 Life was so much cheaper when I couldn't hear a difference between these things. Link to comment
ChipotleCoyote Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 37 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said: There are some labels that have slipped MQA files in to Qobuz, maybe someone with a set up that can stream lossless right now can find a 2L label album on Apple Music and see if the MQA light illuminates. When this rolls out, I'll give it a try. (They said "coming in June," so it's all still AAC for now.) Life was so much cheaper when I couldn't hear a difference between these things. Link to comment
ChipotleCoyote Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 29 minutes ago, Rexp said: Maybe they'll use a new bluetooth codec? They will not. :) Apple confirmed to The Verge that lossless audio is not supported on any model of AirPods, which use AAC over Bluetooth; if they're not bringing it to their own Bluetooth hardware, they're definitely not bringing it to anyone else's. (To be fair, I don't think they could bring it to anyone else's, since I don't think there are any lossless Bluetooth codecs, period; even if Apple came up with one, both ends would need it.) According to MacRumors, not even the (no longer made) HomePod or the (still made) HomePod mini will work with Apple's lossless audio, although MacRumors is living up to their name and quoting "unnamed sources" on that -- it's documented that AirPlay is at capable of CD-quality lossless ALAC streaming, but reports are fuzzy as to whether it can currently do higher resolution. As I mentioned earlier, I'm less pessimistic than some others about the potential of Apple opening this up -- on their video streaming service, they've taken a "the more the merrier" approach to third-party clients, and there are a few third-party Apple Music clients out there, and even first-party clients for Android and Samsung TVs. But "less pessimistic" isn't the same as "optimistic." I'm pretty sure that personally, the only way I'll get it on my living room system is through my Apple TV hardware. (My A/V receiver has BluOS in it and could almost certainly be upgraded to support Apple Music with proper API support, but -- based on my experience with NAD/Bluesound so far -- I wouldn't be holding my breath for them to do that any time soon, even if Apple not only gives the okay but Tim Cook personally delivers API documentation to them.) Life was so much cheaper when I couldn't hear a difference between these things. Link to comment
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