Top 5 Devices for Lossless Apple Music Streaming

Hearing your favorite song in high-quality audio just hits different. Every strum of a guitar or beat of a drum comes through crystal clear. If you’re an Apple Music user, you might be surprised to learn which devices actually support lossless audio streaming.

Apple Music offers a range of high-resolution lossless audio options, thanks to the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). This means you can enjoy audio quality starting from CD quality 16-bit/44.1kHz all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz. Keep in mind, to get the full experience of lossless audio on Apple Music, you may need some additional gear, like an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or a set of compatible wired headphones.

But before you get too excited, not all content on Apple Music is available in lossless. Music videos, live radio, and on-demand content from a few Apple Music channels may not be available in this format. And, it’s worth noting that lossless audio files eat up more data and storage space compared to standard audio files.

Now, here’s some good news for iPad and iPhone users. If you’re running the latest iOS or iPadOS, you can enjoy lossless audio through the Apple Music app. Just remember, AirPods do not support lossless audio, but AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Max (2024) work just fine. To make sure you’re set up for lossless listening, follow these steps:

– Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
– Select Music.
– Choose Audio Quality.
– Pick Lossless Audio and enable it.

If you’re using Bluetooth, it’s important to note that only AAC is supported, as Bluetooth connections can’t handle lossless audio. To get the best portable setup for Apple Music, consider investing in a portable DAC recommended by experts.

Mac users, don’t worry, you’re not left out. Just like iPads and iPhones, Macs can support hi-res audio through Apple Music. Just make sure your Mac is running the latest macOS version. Some newer Mac models have built-in DAC hardware that supports 96kHz sample rates. If your device isn’t on the list, you’ll need an external DAC for bitrates beyond 48kHz.

Wondering if your Mac supports lossless? Here’s how to check:

– Open Apple Music.
– Go to the menu bar and select Music.
– Click on Preferences.
– Choose the Playback tab.
– Enable or disable Lossless audio under Audio Quality.

And what about Apple TV 4K? It supports 24-bit/48kHz lossless audio. While Hi-Res audio isn’t currently supported, that might change in the future. If you’re curious about the difference between lossless and Hi-Res lossless, don’t worry too much – some listeners can’t even tell the difference.