Apple Music High Res

Same thing again

44.1k bit perfect test files pass

96k and 192k fails - direct USB connection to ADI-2.

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@wklie

Oh, I just turned Lossless Audio OFF in Music app and 24/96 and 24/192 bit perfect test works now ! Even though these are local drive files , not streamed.

Just selecting ‘Lossless audio’ option affects bit perfectness.

Problem solved but bizarre app behaviour

:crazy_face:

Are you having to manually change sample rates to achieve this as Apple Music doesn’t have exclusive mode or rate switching so will output at whatever the system audio is.

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OK. However contradictory it may seem from a user point of view, it sort of makes sense from a different perspective. So with lossless audio ON for streaming music, they need to add something to it in the least significant bit - probably either a watermark or dither. Based on what we see so far I think this is very unlikely to be a bug but more like a conscious design applied on multiple platforms. My guess is since this is done at a lower software layer it also affects local file playback.

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Another thing I noticed, when PCM44.1k is bit perfect, 96k and 192k is NOT bit perfect.

But when 96k and 192k ARE bit perfect, 44.1k is not…

I can’t find a situation where all 3 sample rate bit perfect test files pass.

Also, SoundSource is completely bit perfect (just re-installed now and re-tested).

It’s the Music app that is determining bit perfectness.

When PCM44.1k is NOT bit perfect, I wonder if that it is why those MQA CD albums are also failing to light up MQA light ?

With AirPlay1 of Apple Music MQA CD I could get MQA light.

With iOS Apple Music USB output I could not get MQA light.

Someone found that after truncating the least significant bit from the USB output, it becomes bit perfect.

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Super interesting.

Ok enough testing for me for today. Thanks for your help with this one.

Testing to be continued next macOS update (to see if behaviour is different or not but may be same and deliberate as you hint)

Back to the tunes :grin:

I have been listening to Apple Music for about a month now and overall it’s quite impressive. When it first came out it was terrible. I trialed it and never subscribed. There is a vast improvement over those earlier days and I will continue with the subscription. Sounds great on Apple Music beta on my Hiby DAP. and downloads music flawlessly even in beta . Qobuz has major difficulty downloading songs on any Android device it seems.
The Radio Station made specifically for my interests was so good I couldn’t stop listening to it for hours.

Spotify is next up to the plate .It is going to get quite interesting.

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But when ???

I assume you were referring to this

The funny thing is that Qobuz often write interesting stuff in an artist’s bio - but then those albums are missing!

Case in point: Jon Hassell (R.I.P.) - they mention Possible Musics Vol.1 (with Eno) but those albums are missing in the catalogue. That REALLY puts me off more often than it should.

Out now (for my timezone - probably later for the rest of you).

Hilariously it’s out in ‘lossless’ on Apple Music before Spotify HiFi even launched.

Who knows how much $$ Spotify paid for their Spotify HiFi ad earlier this year.

Nice album.

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The Spotify HiFi ad 5 months ago :grin:

Ironically, the post below yours lists the new Billie Eilish album…still not on Qobuz. Very much alive on Apple Music.

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Spotify must be embarrassed about this. They make changes about as quickly as the federal government in the U.S… SLOWWWWWWWW.

Apple has really put the whammy on Spotify for not being able to adapt quickly.

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And spotify just lost $23.6 million in q3… doesn’t seem sustainable.

Yeah, really…When you increase your active user base by 22% YoY and still lose $23 million, you have a poor business model.

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I have an old Yamaha av receiver, RX-v465. It does not have Atmos support. Yesterday I set up a new Apple TV 4K box connected over HDMI. When I play Atmos tracks, I get 5.1 PCM out of the receiver set to direct mode. I’m good with that. I was considering getting an Atmos-capable receiver but it’s not like I’m going to be putting speakers in the ceiling. Tried Sgt Pepper, wasn’t impressed, but What’s Going On literally gave me goosebumps.

Yes, Daleq. I’d say the spatial audio released thus far has been pretty hit or miss, but, there are definitely standouts. I’ve personally enjoyed Abbey Road, Pearl Jam’s latest, as well as St. Vincent’s new album.

Yikes, Spotify paid her 23 Billies for the HiFi ad !?