Apple makes it clear: wireless headphones have to do without

According to the latest announcement from Apple, users of the AirPods feel disadvantaged. Wireless headphones are completely unsuitable for a new feature in Apple Music. GIGA explains the background.

In June, the iPhone manufacturer will upgrade its Apple Music streaming service with “Lossless Audio”, when there will be millions of songs in the new, lossless format ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) – initially 20 million pieces will be available, then over 75 million by the end of the year. It’s kind of like that HiRes version of Apple Music, for customers though not a cent extra have to pay. So much for the good news but now the rude awakening follows.

Apple becomes clear: No lossless songs for AirPods users

In the official press release, Apple is still holding back and is not particularly specific, but a footnote immediately caused confusion:

“Because of the large file sizes and bandwidth required for Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless Audio, subscribers must actively select this option. Hi-Res Lossless also requires external devices such as a USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC). “

What Apple actually wanted to say with that, was revealed later Colleagues from T3. Short and painless: None of the AirPods, not even the Pro or even the damn expensive AirPods Max will end up supporting Apple Lossless – the Bluetooth protocol is simply too “weak” for that. The same applies, of course, to all other wireless headphones, including those from sister brand Beats. What a hammer: if you buy Apple headphones for 600 euros, you won’t even be able to access the best possible audio quality with Apple Music. Instead, a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) with wired headphones is required. However, Apple still leaves open which configurations are ultimately recommended.

No expensive price helps either, the AirPods Max have to do without Apple Lossless:

If you think you can use the optional Jack Lightning cable to make your AirPods Max suitable for Apple Lossless, you will be disappointed again, how The Verge found out. In this case, the audio signal is converted into an analog format and then re-digitized to 24-bit / 48 kHz, but this re-digitization is not identical to the source and Apple cannot speak of a lossless audio signal. Ultimately one bitter disappointment for music loverswho think they can hear the slightest difference.

Finally the easiest way to benefit from Apple Lossless, be one Mac with decent analog speakers to use. There is currently no real, mobile solution in this sense, or only with a disproportionate amount of effort.

Bizarre: In the run-up to the announcements, there were reports that the new feature was intended exclusively for AirPods. In fact, it is now the opposite, all AirPods are excluded directly. There was probably a “minimal” mix-up in the rumor mill within the “silent post”.

Thank goodness: 3D audio is possible with Dolby Atmos

Little one Comfort patch for AirPods owners: The one that was also announced 3D audio with Dolby Atmos can easily be used with all AirPods. With headphones with an H1 or W1 chip from Apple and Beats, Apple Music even automatically plays 3D audio Dolby Atmos. The feature enables musicians to create immersive experiences that provide listeners with multidimensional sound and clarity. Something that you actually hear and, in our opinion, is more relevant for practice than Apple’s new HiRes format.

The basic requirement for lossless audio and 3D audio with Dolby Atmos is generally a software update to iOS 14.6 (iPhones), iPadOS 14.6 (iPads), macOS 11.4 (Macs) and tvOS 14.6 (Apple TV). The updates will be released by Apple in the next few days.