On this publish, I hope to sort out a few of the points raised within the feedback part of my current video about Apple Music’s leaky hi-res plumbing. Apple actually doesn’t make it straightforward for us to get CD-quality and hi-res audio from its streaming service and into our hi-fi and headphone programs. And at the moment I wish to add just a few additional factors of curiosity to the dialog earlier than firmly drawing a line below the matter.
Let’s begin with my almost-dead iPad. The battery not holds a cost for greater than a few hours. However the iPad – an Air 2 – had a very good run. I purchased it again in 2014 for round AU$600. Kindly do not forget that truth as we’ll be coming again to it. Additionally spectacular is that this iPad Air 2 acquired common software program updates from Apple proper up till the battery’s full demise final month. Virtually ten years of updates isn’t unhealthy. Keep in mind this as nicely as a result of we’ll even be coming again to it.
One remark that continues to floor is how we (apparently) don’t want to fret about Apple AirPlay when Bluetooth powered by Sony’s LDAC codec on an Android cellphone can deal with hi-res audio’s carriage simply tremendous. And that, audio mates, is flatly unfaithful. LDAC will carry a hi-res file over a Bluetooth connection however it may well solely achieve this by first discarding some audio information. Ergo, it’s not lossless. Per Sony’s web site explainer, LDAC isn’t even lossless in its dealing with of CD-quality audio. The one method to carry CD high quality content material losslessly over Bluetooth (on the time of writing) is to pair an iFi Neo iDSD 2 DAC – or the Bose QC Extremely headphones – with a smartphone geared up with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound chipset and its aptX Lossless codec. And even with these bits of Bluetooth {hardware} in play, lossless hi-res stays very a lot out of attain.
One other widespread space of confusion pertains to the Apple TV 4K. I’ve seen some commenters assert that it sends hi-res audio out of its HDMI port, when in actuality it doesn’t. Properly, not the hi-res that the majority audiophiles consider i.e. 24bit/96kHz or 24bit/192kHz. How do we all know this? Firstly, Apple’s personal web site tells us that the Apple TV’s hi-res assist tops out at 48kHz. Secondly, a fast dive into the Music app’s settings panel on the Apple TV permits us to bump up the audio output from AAC 256kbps to Apple Lossless – however solely to 24bit/48kHz. This implies something greater might be downsampled to 48kHz – which my Mytek DAC confirms. That very same DAC additionally tells me that CD-quality streams are upsampled by the Apple TV 4K to 48kHz. So the Apple TV is just not bit-perfect. From a private viewpoint, I don’t thoughts as a result of I’m not a lot of a hi-res fanatic or a bit-perfect diehard however I can see the way it may rub some audiophile idealists the incorrect approach.
Sonos gadgets function in an identical method the place hi-res assist tops out at 48kHz on all of them however I don’t assume CD-quality streams are upsampled to 48kHz. Sonos is a vital a part of the Apple Music dialog as it’s the solely firm to be given permission by Apple to combine Apple Music into its app. Sonos will get this particular therapy as a result of it’s an enormously standard streaming platform; and the likes of WiiM and Roon a lot much less so. They’re plankton to Apple’s blue whale. And this ought to be all the reason we have to perceive why we received’t see Apple Music built-in by Roon or WiiM anytime quickly, if ever. The trick but to be mastered by some audiophiles is to completely realise simply how slender is our audiophile area of interest.
There have been some murmurings of late of Android 14 shelling out with its 48kHz pattern price conversion. From the Android Builders Weblog: “Android 14 good points assist for lossless audio codecs for audiophile-level experiences over USB wired headsets. You possibly can question a USB system for its most well-liked mixer attributes, register a listener for modifications in most well-liked mixer attributes, and configure mixer attributes utilizing a brand new AudioMixerAttributes class. It represents the format, equivalent to channel masks, pattern price, and conduct of the audio mixer. The category permits for audio to be despatched instantly, with out mixing, quantity adjustment, or processing results. We’re working with our OEM companions to allow this function in gadgets later this yr.”
Earlier than we get carried away: we must always contemplate which smartphone fashions have acquired an Android 14 replace. On the time of writing, it’s solely the previous couple of generations of Pixel gadgets that appear to have gotten in on the good things. Early entry to new OS releases is a Pixel privilege. I personal the Google Pixel 7 Professional, which lately acquired its Android 14 replace. That brings us to our subsequent query: does Android 14 nonetheless resample all digital audio streams to 48kHz? Sure, it does. So regardless of the Google engineers have in retailer for Android’s SRC, it isn’t with us but.
There are two caveats to this. USB Audio Participant Professional circumvents Android’s SRC however doesn’t combine Apple Music (and certain by no means will) — and it doesn’t allow us to offline content material. Roon ARC working on Android optionally hundreds in its personal USB driver for bit-perfect playback between it and a USB DAC however Roon doesn’t combine Apple Music (and certain by no means will). ARC’s key benefits are its capacity to offline content material from native libraries – however not Tidal and Qobuz – and an in depth new DSP function set referred to as MUSE. The crossfeed settings for headphones inside MUSE are most welcome.
Keep in mind my iPad Air 2? Its settings panel tells me it’s working iPadOS 15.7.9 – an replace launched by Apple final month for older iPhones and iPads. Apple appears to actually care in regards to the long-term assist of its gadgets. So we have now to ask: for the way lengthy will the likes of FiiO and Eversolo situation software program updates for his or her Android-based community streamers? The R7 runs Android 10 as a result of, in keeping with FiiO, it comes tied (by their provider) to the Snapdragon 660 SoC used contained in the R7. Sadly, Google ceased issuing safety updates for Android 10 in March of this yr. The Android 11 working on the Eversolo DMP-A6 continues to be supported by Google — however for the way lengthy?
We don’t have to ring the alarm bell simply but. An absence of safety updates doesn’t render the system unusable in a single day nevertheless it might, in time, open a safety gap in your house community. At that could be a perhaps. And even when we do ultimately determine to chop off the FiiO or the Eversolo from the web on account of safety issues, each items would nonetheless perform as DACs. The R7 would additionally proceed to function as a file server because of its SDcard slot. And it’s additionally a really highly effective (3+ Watt) THX headphone amplifier. The FiiO’s headphone amplifier is one cause why I feel it bests an iPad as a supply for Apple Music – which brings us to my ultimate level.
I now have to purchase a brand new iPad. If I need one with USB-C to sidestep the Lightning adapter, I’m taking a look at at the very least $450. If I then wished to show my new iPad into an Apple Music streaming supply, I’d additionally want a USB-C dongle adapter to maintain the iPad fed with energy while concurrently pulling digital audio from its USB socket. That’s one other $10-20. I might then add an iFi Zen 2 DAC for one more $200, which might give me first rate D/A conversion and balanced headphone drive – identical to the FiiO. Solely now my working whole sits at $650 – however I’m nonetheless brief the SD card reader and the adapter cable wanted to show the iFi’s 4.4mm Pentaconn socket into XLR connectors. From iFi, that’s one other $100 – which then pushes my spending nicely north of the R7’s asking value.
My level? iPads and their equipment don’t come totally free. They value cash. Similar to the FiiO and the Eversolo. And sure, I can positively admire the irony of recommending Android gadgets to resolve an Apple drawback.
Additional info: Apple Music
