[James Tanner]

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/05/apple-music-announces-spatial-audio-and-lossless-audio/?fbclid=IwAR2gnrmaxTJ7DQ6W-8OAyF0znZdLezNyVgVHwYXdsXafroL-FvthkEsUeAw

[RDavidson]

This is GREAT news all around. FINALLY we have arrived. This will not only help MP3's to their overdue death (which Apple played a massive role in their life), but will also hopefully end the spread of MQA. It sets a precedent for all others and will force them to step up the quality of their music offerings for download and streaming. I love it.

[dB Cooper]

Technically, Apple never used the MP3 format. The AAC codec (successor to mp3) has been the format in the itunes store (and later, Apple Music). The lossless files will use the ALAC codec which uses very different coding parameters despite sharing the .m4a file extension. The software has supported the mp3 format, however.

They are specifying launching with 20 million tracks in lossless (probably the big-selling usual suspects) with the rest to follow "by the end of the year". I hope they beat that time because I guarantee there will be slim pickin's for me in that first wave LOL. All content is already submitted to Apple at 24/96 right now so here's hoping.

They are putting real pressure on the competition with the pricing. $9.99 a month, same as it is now. Cheapest lossless out there. How does Tidal justify charging twice as much? Even Qobuz is 50% higher. They better have some good spinmeisters.

Gonna be interesting.

[GrooveControl]

Apparently, Spotify is not far behind.  I prefer Spotify’s architecture.  It’s the most flexible for me. The app available for most major platforms  and acts as a remote.  The media and player is on the cloud, then pick your target playback platform: volumio, Alexa, TV, or whatever. I gave up on iTunes as a player several years ago, although I still use it for ripping ALAC and cataloging my own collection. 

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/22/22295273/spotify-hifi-announced-lossless-streaming-hd-quality

[RDavidson]

Yes. That's correct. Apple has (had?) their own "MP3." I guess I associate actual MP3's with Apple, because of the iPod. iPods (especially later models) could store many lossless files, but people were more interested in storing and carrying their ENTIRE music collections with them. The MP3 really enabled the iPod I guess, not the other way around. They're just so closely linked and no doubt fed the growth of eachother.

Anyway...this is all good stuff. CD quality should be the absolute minimum we all listen too, buy, stream, whatever and it appears it is going to happen.

I'm with GrooveControl. I actually listen to Spotify quite a bit too, primarily for background tunes while I work. I like the selection of music and convenience. I know it isn't amazing quality, though some music sounds surprisingly good. I'm looking forward to it getting better (hopefully very very soon).

[GSDaudio]

I assume one requires a dedicated Mac to run hirez through your dac to get any hirez benefit?   Somewhat of a deal breaker for me since I have a BDP-3 to get a computer out of the stereo cabinet.   But I appreciate the competition Apple brings.    Also, I'm guessing Apple would not allow audio manufacturers to build in apps either...or at a price.

[GrooveControl]

I assume one requires a dedicated Mac to run hirez through your dac to get any hirez benefit?   

You can use an iPhone or iPad and airplay to an Airport Express or Volumio rPI and connect those to your dac. This solution will get you 44.1khz, but it needs the iPhone or iPad to be on doing the streaming and wasting battery.  Not nearly as elegant as the Spotify solution IMHO. 

[Stovebolter]

You may have the option to connect through an Apple TV box via HDMI as well.  An onboard Airplay 2 connection via a firmware upgrade would be the optimal solution.  Are there significant barriers for this, James?

[James Tanner]

You may have the option to connect through an Apple TV box via HDMI as well.  An onboard Airplay 2 connection via a firmware upgrade would be the optimal solution.  Are there significant barriers for this, James?

Hi - I have asked our software engineers to look into it.

I wonder if ROON will be affected?

james

[Stovebolter]

I think the Roon interface is excellent, but its appeal to a Canadian is limited by Qobuz's absence from our market.  From the streaming perspective, Roon only offers access to Tidal, with no connectivity to either Amazon or Apple.  For me, it's simple.  The $500/yr that Roon & Tidal cost equate to a "free" BR-20 over twelve years.

[James Tanner]

HI

Engineering tells me we already have Airplay 2 on all our Wireless speaker products and that will filter into all our other products as we develop our new software.

james

[GrooveControl]

Hi James,  do you support Spotify Connect as well?

[James Tanner]

Hi James,  do you support Spotify Connect as well?

Yes in the wireless product already and will be in the BDP's in the future.

james

[R. Daneel]

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/05/apple-music-announces-spatial-audio-and-lossless-audio/?fbclid=IwAR2gnrmaxTJ7DQ6W-8OAyF0znZdLezNyVgVHwYXdsXafroL-FvthkEsUeAw

I seem to remember something similar when Warner and other major labels decided to jump on the high-res band wagon. The only reason this is relevant is because "it's Apple" and so, it is completely irrelevant to majority of Europe and the greater portion of Asia.

To quote the article, "...more than 75 million songs in Lossless Audio — the way the artists created them in the studio."  Hilarious! This is something that's been said, repeated and heard a million times over.

This post is not a direct reply to the opening post by James Tanner, it is merely my opinion on the topic at hand.

Cheers - Antun

[planet10]

The lossless files will use the ALAC codec

ALAC is Apple’s work over of FLAC.

dave

[dB Cooper]

I assume one requires a dedicated Mac to run hirez through your dac to get any hirez benefit?   Somewhat of a deal breaker for me since I have a BDP-3 to get a computer out of the stereo cabinet.   But I appreciate the competition Apple brings.    Also, I'm guessing Apple would not allow audio manufacturers to build in apps either...or at a price.

Apple brought iTunes to the Windows platform. I assume they'll do the same for this. They'd be insane to ignore a market that size.

[GSDaudio]

Cookie Marenco from Blue Coast Music has an interesting take on Apple streaming.   She believes that with Apple in the game,  new music recordings will become more mediocre.  I hope she is wrong.


https://bluecoastmusic.com/cookies-corner/87-apple-announces-hd-and-atmos-are-we-headed-to-more-mediocrity

[gbaby]

Hi - I have asked our software engineers to look into it.

I wonder if ROON will be affected?

james

I recently cancelled Apple Music in HD as it did not sound good using airplay to my Bryston SP3 using HDMI. Hopefully, Apple Music can be added to the BDP3 in the future.

[dB Cooper]

The lossless tier doesn't even launch until next month. Not understanding the previous post.

[dB Cooper]

ALAC is Apple’s work over of FLAC.

dave

Not sure what 'workover' means. It's a different codec that serves the same purpose. FLAC is not based on MPEG4 whereas ALAC is. FLAC has much higher adoption, probably because Apple took years before finally releasing ALAC source code. By that time FLAC was a standard. Apple provides only limited support for FLAC.