AudiophileStyle has published Part 2 of his testing of Apple Music:
Whereas Part 1 uses USB output from Apple devices, Part 2 focuses on AirPlay delivery of 16/44.1 music.
To summarize, Part 2 reconfirms the followings:
iOS - AirPlay 1 is bit perfect at 16/44.1 - To my knowledge, I first published this finding using Fairtyales MQA CD on Apple Music with Lumin USB output (at max digital volume, no resampling) to a third party Full MQA decoder DAC (whereas the article uses a HDCD methodology instead of MQA CD authentication)
iOS - AirPlay 2 delivery is not bit perfect due to the use of AAC, as first discovered by Naim
macOS can send bit perfect AirPlay 2 if and only if the system-wide AirPlay is used instead of the Apple Music in-app AirPlay, as @Marco_Klobas first discovered
Note 1:
For stereo speakers I recommend disabling Sound Check, EQ, and Dolby Atmos. Enable (Hi-Res) Lossless and Do Not Disturb. Set AirPlay Volume to Max if your setup has a preamp such that AirPlay is not totally controlling the final volume. On Mac, the output sample rate needs to be set manually.
Note 2:
On AirPlay1 shairport-sync open source implementation, it may change the bit stream by default due to synchronization, which can optionally be configured to be disabled but the audio may lose sync in a prolonged playback. If the stream is captured to stdout it does not perform synchronization.
As we know by now, AirPlay1 of iOS Apple Music 16/44.1 is bit perfect as I discovered above and confirmed by others.
Not that this is adding new findings, just for the sake of completeness of testing MQA: I have changed the above test from AirPlay1 to iPad USB output via Apple Lightning to USB3 CCK. Same iPad unit. Same iOS. Same track. Same Apple Music settings. Same USB MQA DAC.
MQA light never shows up, so the integrity of 16/44.1 lossless is destroyed via iPadOS 14.6 USB output.
As a control to prove the CCK and the iOS itself, Tidal app on the same setup successfully shows MQA on the external USB DAC (after disabling loudness normalization, and optimized playback which are on by default. Crossfade is off).
Airplay (1 and 2) is capable of lossless streaming up to 44.1kHz. However if you connect your iPad Pro via its USB-C port to a DAC USB-B input youāll pretty much enjoy lossless and hi-Res lossless for a maximum of 24-bit/192 kHz. Now thatās something I am looking for soon as I intend to connect my iPad to the Pontus II via USB.
My one concern so far with Apple Music lossless is it seems to be brighter, perhaps too bright at times and quite disturbing to be honest. My observations came from my headphone listening sessions, Iāve yet to try with my 2-channel audio room and I am excited .
Has anyone else been connecting their iPads to their system and what are your observations?
Capable: yes, but is it really lossless, it depends:
AirPlay1: yes if the receiver is not adjusting the data stream for synchronization.
AirPlay2: 256kbps AAC is sent from Apple Music app. ALAC is only sent from mac OS system wide AirPlay.
Not bit perfect unfortunately.
I did and reconfirmed the non bit perfect nature as documented in AudiophileStyle.
Thanks so what weāre saying is all the 0 and 1ās travelling from Apple Music server to your home network then router then wirelessly down to your iPad then arrives to your DAC for bits conversion isnāt truly perfect i.e. some bits were just not carried over. Is my understanding correct?
Can we say the same thing with Roon Nucleus or is it bit perfect?
Roon, or any common music software player (if configured correctly to bypass the OS mixer in exclusive mode), is of course bit perfect when you donāt use DSP, volume leveling and zone grouping.
At the moment on mac computers the Music app does not support exclusive mode which means you need to switch manually through the midi interface. But on newer model iPad and I believe iOS exclusive mode is automatic. However to get 24bit 192khz you need a lightning to USB connector. Lightning to headphone is capped at 24bit 48khz. However Iām sure Apple will be working toward OS upgrades making bit perfect exclusive mode standard across all products.
Thatās right, this is for older models. The 2018 iPad Pro has a USB-C connector so I am planning to get a USB C to USB B cable to my DAC from Audioquest (Cinnamon type).
I tried this two years ago before I subscribed to Roon. I copied my ALAC files to my iPad. I connected my iPad to a Soundtouch speaker and I also did Airplay to my AV receiver. The music sounded good but the battery drained very fast with both scenarios. I donāt remember which took more battery. Experiment ended, I went back to the AAC format for my iPad. I usually connect small speakers or Bluetooth headphones to my iPad so I donāt need full res music on it.
I have the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9" and I have it going to my Chord Hugo TT via the AQ Cinnamon USB-C to USB-B. Hugo TT is recognizing and agreeing with the sampling rates that Appleās Music app shows.
Youāre welcome! I use Roon with Qobuz, and was using Amazon Music HD because of the more complete catalog. But, when I saw that Apple came into the lossless sphere, and it actually streams bit perfect into my DAC [Amazon doesnāt by the way] it was an easy switch.
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