HI-RES AUDIO & Apple Music done right (& WITHOUT an iPad)

What if you download in hi res? Will it not play at that bitrate?

I was told there would be no math. 😊

I got a Mojo 2 and a FOSI BT30d, both are tiny and incredible. Not sure why you don’t review Fosi. Some fun stuff for a budget minded entry into the floor just below expensive Class “S”. But for $89. It’s a hellavvaa kicker. …..not paid, I’m in Seattle where’s raining. So we don’t get out much.

This shouldn't be this damn difficult to sort through

I love Qobuz

Forgive my innocence/ignorance, but you can just use a USB C to HDMI cable out from an iPhone 15 to a home theater receiver and use the receiver’s internal DAC. Would that work? Anyone try?

I like the old solution... iPad and usb DAC.

Hate it. Library is made for a certain bubble I'm not into.

I play my Apple Lossless music files through old SONY pha3 or pha2 DACs into my Vinnie Rossie Integrated Amplifier. It sounds great. The SONY DACs have high-res stickers on them so I hope they are playing full resolution.

Thanks for the in depth analysis and problem solving workarounds. But Jeyzus, way to make life difficult, Apple! It seems to me the simplest and most cost effective solution is to stay far away from Apple Music unless they learn to play nice with the perfectly functioning hardware & software that almost every hifi enthusiast already owns.

i strted using Swinsian a few years ago and prettyy much abandoned apple music. It handles hirez just fine but not SACD files.

Maxinquaye is exceptional

Android phone with inbuilt hi res DAC or external dac like ifi go link will work same right?

And they say vinyl is inconvenient

This is all nonsense. Tidal is the only real choice for “music first audiophiles”. The cross platform support is second to none (Spotify doesn’t count because they refuse to offer even CD quality).

Now am curious, my Apple TV 4K goes into my Onkyo receiver first (simple 3.1) then out my TV so wondering at what bit rate it’s playing!

I find it hilarious that people who listen to electronic and hip-hop music are the ones who are hunkering the most and hungry for more quality. Perhaps the symptom is actually in the quality of the composition of music? in reality live recordings, jazz,classical, some folk music are the genres that need the highest quality because they rely upon the sound being Collected in a space rather than digitally enhanced. The whole thing is quite hilarious really. Not to mention that the files themselves as they come down through the digital means are getting compressed online anyway so you’re still only getting an image of what would be high-quality not the actual high-quality music. It would take days to download the perfect information of one track at 192 samples, the whole thing is bit of a joke

Hi There,

Is there a solution to use Apple Music on Android (Pixel 7 pro) and have Hi-RES lossless audio bit-perfect? Would a FIIO KA5 be enough or that wouldn't be able to solve the issue?

Why is it so difficult to listen to music. Why do audiophiles make it so difficult?

Why rent music? In the end you own nothing. Streaming music is short sighted. Buy your music.

Would love to see Darko cover the state of apps for MacOS and iOS for playing music, such as audirvana, Roon (again), Doppler and the like. There's a small but thriving ecosystem for all kinds of music listeners.

Currently using an Apple TV 3rd gen streaming Apple Music via HDMI out into a Levinson 502 surround processor using the Harman Karden Logic 7 surround processing this is a great way to listen to Apple Music and it sounds fantastic even if its not bit perfect

Interested in the info, the intro music is too long, though.

I recently purchased a D1P outboard DAC from Audioengine for less than $200, and from everything I'm seeing and hearing it's delivering hi-res Apple Music content to my system when used in conjunction with my iPhone. All you do is use the included lighting to USB-C or USB-C to USB-C cable to connect your phone to the DAC, and then I use high quality shielded RCA cables to go from the DAC into my receiver. The LED indicator on the D1P that indicates stream resolution using color codes appears to change in sync with the resolution info for each song displayed on my phone. I use the "stereo direct" setting on my receiver so I don't add any other digital processing, and it sounds amazing. in fact, I tried Qobuz using the iPhone+D1P combo, and IMO it sounds better than the internal streamer on my receiver that can handle hi res Qobuz. Nothing against the Eversolo and FIIO, but if you don't want to spend the price these units command, the D1P merits your consideration.

I have been looking at quite a number of videos to see how I can get Lossless and High Rez from my iPhone’s Apple Music into my (old fashioned) stereo integrated amp. I think I’ll stick to my current method: a spare older iPhone XS, attached to a Dragonfly and a 10 feet 3.5 mm cable into the Aux In on my amplifier. I just have to be careful not to trip over the cable on the floor.

Hi Darko
I have a LG 8 with quad dac listening to Amazon hd thru 3.5 headphone jack. Does this phone down sample like other android phones ? It sounds great with my fiio fh-9 iems.

Without sounding stupid if I’m using a spare Android phone with Apple Music app streaming via Chromecast to my CXNv2 (as an example) won’t this at least support up to 24/96? Just wondering. Can’t tell from the Android as it doesn’t show bitrate or file format.

Darko, some of us, are forced in audio shops to purchase expensive devices and so i am sitting with Atom Uniti by Naim that is fantastic streamer for qobuz and tidal if you wanted those two but, i am really longing for Apple music and have no idea how to implement this into it. Ok roon and audirvana are never allow also to play it and the only way is the 3rd parties.
Now, i really would like to carry on using naim since i love dac inside, but have no clue how.
I have tried with my integrated amp by Rotel Michi x3 and cable going to my ipad but not sustainable, also Naim dac is better then michi.
Please advise anything on this. 😊

Currently using a iPhone 14 Pro with a Ifi Go Bar connected to Sennheiser IE800’S with Snug custom ear mouldings which sounds very good using Qobuz, my question is there anyway of improving the sound quality significantly bear in mind this is for the gym and running. I’ve tried a A & K 70MK11 prior but wasn’t a good as the dongle route plus dreadful software.

I own and use the newest Apple TV 4K which is connected to my Denon AV-Receiver. It actually does switch the sample rate between 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz depending on the source. I guess Apple implemented that feature at some point in the last weeks or months. Unfortunately the Denon AV-Receiver only shows the input sample rate but not the bit depth so I can only assume that it also switches between 16 and 24 Bit depending on the source. I love this setup for its simplicity and I don't care much about Hi-Res. And to all the other Apple TV users: Go into the "Music" app settings and activate lossless streaming. It's set to AAC by default.

After seeing this video, I don't think my Arcam AVR10 is giving me 16/44.1

What’s wrong using eARC tv set paired with an
HDMI hi-res home cinema receiver ?
It should work, right ?

Dear John.
Thanks again for a most helpful and informative video. Does the use of either the Fiio or Eversolo trump the old iPad method? The iPad will play Apple Music natively and if connected via a USB cable, can stream into a good DAC and then into the main system. Isn't that a cheaper option that buying a new piece of equipment? Naturally, the only downside I can see is that you need to disconnect to charge the iPad every now and then. Thanks.

I may pick one of these up for £50 in a few years, when they are obsolete and pair them with my decades old amp or speakers.

Apart from the FiiO and Eversolo, any other good streamers with Apple Music? I know Sonos has the Port, but the reviews I’ve read/seen are not great.

I wish you would get to the point more quickly.

Use a cable and get full resolution.

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT HOMEPOD 2 or the HOMEPOD MINI ?!??!? Gosh!!! The answer/solutions is right there in front of us. Apple's own "inexpensive" smart speaker/streamer THAT NATIVELY STREAMS their ALAC (24-bit/48 kHz)!! Now the issue is, that ALAC stream will be limited to one speaker only. The speaker you start the streaming from. If and when you group other homepods together, ie when you beam the stream from the "parent" homepod to the other homepods (which is done via Airplay 2), Airplay 2 is actually downgrading the lossless stream from Apple Music to AAC256. In other words, although Airplay 2 is actually capable of doing proper lossless with other apps (e.g. Qobuz), Apple's own Apple Music will stream AAC256 over Airplay 2. There are numerous posts about this on the net. No idea why Apple has chosen to do this.

Sir i am using realme air buds 5pro having highres and Dolby Atmos is it is suitable for this apple service 😢😢

Hi, just watched this so a bit late. I want to share my low cost and easy way to get 24/192 from apple music. Please don't laugh or give me a course in input and output impedance mismatch, but it works for me and that's what counts.

1. Iphone or ipad as source running Apple music.
2. Apple camera USB adapter (the square one that has USB and lightning power input) and lightning out to the iphone/ipad. This allows me to stream music while keeping phone charged.
3. Shanling UA3 connected to the Apple adapter. (AK4493SEQ DAC)
4. Balanced 4.4 mm out to XLR cable. This cable goes into my stereo XLR pre-amp inputs , then to my amp then speakers.

Volia, 24/192 straight to my speakers, bit perfect when the Apple adapter is powered. My only free advice to everyone trying something like this is not all lightning to USB-C cables will work and carry music. I tested several to my surprise. many will charge, a few will pass data files, and very few will pass music streams. Sure the UA3 was meant for headphones not a pre-amp input, but it works and sounds good to my over 50 ears.
The hardest part is finding hi-res music on Apple Music, there is no easy way to search for it. But there seems to be more every month.

No no what about via Bluetooth? Something like an LDAC codec, does Apple have that?

Hi res audio is pointless.

How do I get it to my Q990D soundbar???

I was an assistant engineer in a recording studio in LA from 2007-2010 most sessions were recorded in Pro Tools at 24bit-88k/96k. Rarely would anything get recorded in 192k. I’ve been buying CD’s since the early 90’s my ears are trained at CD quality. I’m happy with CD quality it has a certain sound.

Hey John . FINALLY Apple in OS18 allow you to control your iPad from your iPhone in Apple Music. Apple SHAREPLAY pops up on your screen in Apple Music and iPad and you can then add a "guest" ( guest device). Barcode /photo fromiPhone camera and you are connected. Your iPhone music can then be played through iPad or iPhone can control music on iPad . Only testing since OS18 released only today but seems to work. I'm happy to dedicate iPad to connect to Hi-Fi ( DaC). In this way I get the best sound quality of the tracks from Apple Music. Controls volume as well by adjusting volume on iPhone.
SharePlay is a lot more extensive than this one particular application in terms of what I need it for .

Just wondering if the A&K Acros ca1000 can do Apple Music right? Seemingly you can install Apple Music in their OS.

I’m good with just CD quality