LOSSLESS AUDIO Explained! AAC | Lossless | Hi-Res Lossless | Apple Music

[@andrisoanirindrainy3887]

This guy is actually the kind of teacher generations need

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much! 😁

[@petertoledo9387]

Totally agree

[@daryldraws8083]

I kept blind testing a playlist of songs in their AAC vs ALAC versions often enough and now I can't unhear the difference and finally Lossless ain't so worthless anymore ; )

[@LordDementus1987]

what would you describe the differences as? for me, depends on the music and how new or good the recording is, but i'd say a lot of times you can't hear the difference unless you know what to pick out.

[@BerfroidMorzen]

you need the proper equipment for a proper audio testing. I'm not saying you have to spend lots of money, but a good enough equipment for lossless audio. btw, no Apple device is natively compatible with lossless audio, not even the Airpods Max

[@LordDementus1987]

@@BerfroidMorzen I do have quality equipment. I can tell the difference when I listen to like classical music that was recently recorded. I have listened to lost of test CDs though that show you what differences to listen for and what to pick out. I'd say most popular music isn't recorded well enough to do that.

[@tadeoflucht4057]

​@@LordDementus1987 😂

[@AzraelIgnis]

I'm a car audio enthusiast and to those people who are interested in going down that road. This video summed it up well about lossless and why it's important. Personally I think car audio is better than home audio for one specific reason, space! It's a smaller enclosure and the woofers and the sub woofers can move air a lot better than if you were in a 10 by 20 room. That close quarters experience is a lot more dynamic and can really immerse you in your favorite song. The secret to that sauce is a DSP (Digital Sound Processor). It will control everything from time alignment to polarity and it will center stage your favorite artist while you drive. I recommend going to a car audio show and take the chance and sit a SQ build, your outlook on audio will completely change.

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks for your insight into car audio! :)

[@HalfLife333]

I bought a pico 6|8 with gladen one 200.3 with 2 gladen subs and 4 new speakers. And the DSP sucks ass. Everything sounds shit.

[@thor2408]

Hai where we can get a flac loseless song?

[@AzraelIgnis]

@@thor2408 Ripped CD's and then converted to FLAC is your best bet. There are other questionable methods but hard to control quality.

[@pbgitaba]

Agree, some songs sound so much better in car, especially based on bass. I love Volvo 2009 C70 High Performance Audio!

[@GurdevSambali]

Man, seriously... The best explanation and presentation out there! Hats off! Thank you!

[@ealanosborne]

Aw, man, thank you so much for the kind words! 🎉🤘

[@savjottoor7910]

This guy has so much logic in every statement he made. Everything has been so easily simplified. Thankyou

[@Max-ci9cv]

why am I watching this in 2025

[@TomerGamerTV]

Brother using a time machine

[@Jonny-xj7hj]

2026 for me

[@fryxellissac2107]

I just reached 2025😢

[@1raghvan1]

U got the iphone now

[@VNIK3T]

Algorithm 😂

[@robertb.4202]

I already noticed the difference. I gobbled up most of my new phone’s memory by having the WHOLE music library in Lossless instead of just my newer downloads in Lossless. Now my phone’s library is back to AAC, the stuff I had in Lossless now sounds flat and disappointing. I regret not getting the 1TB hard drive for my phone. It’s totally worth the memory it takes up for the sound quality.

[@robertb.4202]

Update: I switched back to Lossless format for downloads and re-downloaded only a select few of my favorite albums in Lossless format. I am glad I did and your video motivated me to do it! 😂

[@daryldraws8083]

Lossless is silky smooth and full bodied while AAC is like the dried fruit version of it, hard and brittle.

[@RogueAizenYubel]

hey, did you ever get a new phone? If you did you get the one Tbyte? lol

[@mikejuchem9639]

Sounds like he kept his phone and only downloads lossless audio for a select group of records limiting his data storage usage. Seems reasonable.

[@gavinhardy75]

I find Apple 256kbps AAC files with the ‘Apple Digital Masters’ (formerly known as Mastered For ITunes’) mark indistinguishable from lossless/hi-res lossless. Using Philips XR2hr headphones with a Teac HA-P50 headphone amp/dac. There is a very slight difference between older AAC files without the ‘ADM’ tag and its lossless equivalent. Yet it is very small and you have to listen very intently. It’s been proven many times that AAC at 256kbps sounds fantastic even through great quality gear.

[@skyhero1888]

Absolutely right but there are android fanboys and they say AAC is garbage. They don’t know ,AAC sounds million times better on an iPhone/iPad than on an android device and there are so many android devices out there with crap soundchips. I use an iPad Pro 12,9 M2 with hiby FC3/4 and Meze 109 Pro ( Apple Music ) for the cable solution and it sounds just fantastic. For Bluetooth solution i use AirPods Pro 2 ,Sony XM4 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 and it sounds fantastic too because Apple know how to use AAC and get the best from it. I have some expensive android devices too and aac don’t sound good on them . I tested ldac,aptx hd aptx adaptive and for me there are no differences between AAC. ( if u play AAC on an Apple Device 😊)

[@gavinhardy75]

@@skyhero1888 My humble (by audiophile standards) equipment is still good enough to show deficiencies in recordings and I’d like to think I have healthy hearing for a 48 year old. I agree with you that Apple put a lot of effort into their audio chips, although my TEAC will be by-passing the iPhone 13 dac, yet I recall my old iPhone 6 from 7 years ago having fantastic sound just from its inbuilt headphone jack. I’ve listened to a 20 sec samples of albums on Apple, turning off lossless so as to just get the AAC version, then compared the same samples turning on lossless and then moving up to hi-res lossless if an album is tagged as such. My ears are telling me that everything I’ve posted in my original comment is true. There is a weird ‘fear’ of lossy audio in some circles.

[@djrez2107]

I agree, i hear a tiny improvement, but not enough to be blown away like others claim. Before anyone accuses me of faulty gear i run mosconi class A/B amps and Focal Utopia speakers.

[@bored78612]

@@skyhero1888 you guys are not talking about the same thing.

[@meowgilla4847]

Great video, really explain about everything that you need to know about lossless. I'm surprised this only have 1k viewers you deserve more 👍

[@dreamkiller2947]

Now he have deserve

[@TheSH1N1GAM1]

Really enjoyed this video, great, concise explanations. To get the best experience with lossless, I’ve been using an EarMen TR-Amp and Audeze headphones. USC-C to C connections from my iPad and Mac. Just thought I’d throw that out there for anyone looking for what is, at least for me, an endgame setup. I canceled Spotify.

[@daniannaci3258]

First timer here. I really enjoyed, and learned, from your video. Your visual and description of the difference in sound between lossy and lossless was inspired! Just received my Christmas present from me to me an iFi Hip Dac 3 for use primarily with my home stereo. It streams (and confirms) hi-rez directly from my 2020 iPhone SE direct (just an included wire, no additional adapters necessary) without an issue and sounds better in all metrics than the infamous Apple dongle, even though I always thought the dongle was…🧐…it worked.

[@ealanosborne]

Hooray! So glad it worked out! And thanks for your kind words! 🌈

[@elysium76]

I set the audio quality to hi-res lossless and usb connection on my Ford Focus, the sound quality is out of the world

[@Fatih-xl7yn]

Keep in mind, CarPlay only supports 48kHz. Any Hi-Res song is down sampled to lossless!

[@prateekparbat]

@@Fatih-xl7ynActually you need a dedicated DAC to go up to HiRes and if you have android; forget about even hearing Hi res because the OS itself is caps it at 48khz. I really don’t know how does this work like the wired connection but if it does; you are basically removing that bottleneck of 48khz and you can directly use the DAC chip present in your car’s speaker system which probably is capable of handling Hi Res. I want you to do an experiment, If you have an lastest sony bravia especially with the one with magnetic fluid speakers ; try connecting it to the computer via HDMI, and using it is the sound output source and go to sound quality settings in windows. You will be seeing that it can support upto astonishing 24 bit 192 khz and even more. I have tried it and as those magnetic fluid speakers are certified for Hi Res audio, Nothing in my life was as clear as that music. I am still waiting to try Electrostatic speakers though. or piezoelectric as well.

[@Spazza42]

The problem with Lossless is that it still requires a wired connection from a headphone jack to get the benefits. All of these "hi-res streaming" providers are selling snake oil. The best bluetooth coed is LDAC and even that can only manage 900kb/s which is a far cry from 16bit's 1400kb/s. No one's getting 24bit music streamed from their phone to their AirPods, the file might say 24bit but it'll be compressed to 300kb/s because that's AAC's limit. If you stream or use anything wirelessly, don't bother - you may as well convert down to LC-AAC which is roughly 500kb/s (5mb per song).

[@digitalx3136]

Lol it's called Tidal and I get all the benefits with Samsung S23 Ultra paired with Galaxy Buds 2 Pro....modern era of music listening wireless is INCREDIBLE

[@robertthurston6858]

Wow , so your comment is to just copy everything the fellow said in "HIS" video ? Except that you're calling it snake oil because you can't use it on your wireless eyebuds which he already told us about.

[@irfanmaruf7617]

@@robertthurston6858 exactly. Hahahaha 🤣

[@eraysubas2193]

Ldac is better than ssc hifi if you do not conmect with cable you are not using all benefits@@digitalx3136

[@petertoledo9387]

I finally understood lossless and got feedback on my experience listening lossless. Yes darn right you teach well sir and I enjoyed your sense of humor😂

[@ealanosborne]

Heehee! Glad I could help while making you laugh! 😁🎉

[@decaf77]

Great video! Now I finally know what a dongle DAC is lol. Clear concise and always entertaining thank you!

[@mikeartzcom]

Ealan, you production quality is amazing!

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks, Mike! It takes SOOOO LONG doing it all myself, but I sure do enjoy the process and think it's worth it in the end! :)

[@mikeartzcom]

@@ealanosborne no doubt!! I’m Turning on bell 🔔. The entertainment 💪 is worth it even if I’m not trying to learn the topic

[@samstraughan6481]

You can get wireless lossless audio with AirPods Pro and the Apple Vision Pro that is the only way for now to get wireless lossless audio

[@Chris_Hruska]

I would love to hear a demo of High res Lossless vs 320 AAC on some super hifi speakers and see what the real difference is

[@ealanosborne]

Me too! I have pretty decent Sennheiser headphones, but nowhere near “audiophile” quality.

[@skyhero1888]

I do this very often with my iPad Pro 12,9 M2 ,Hiby FC3/4 (and other Amps Dacs) with Meze 109 Pro Headphones. For Bluetooth is use AirPods Pro 2 ,Sony XM4 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 . I can say there is a little difference but not much ,both sounds fantastic.

[@Chris_Hruska]

@@skyhero1888 that's great to hear!! I keep all my music on my phone in 320 AAC and I think it sounds great, but always hope im not missing out on higher quality. when I hear strange things in songs and think it might be the compression ill go and listen to the original lossless version and it'll have the same issue so most issues in music is in the mastering.

[@skyhero1888]

@@Chris_Hruska absolutely right but i think AAC is in 256 kbits not 320 kbits.

[@Chris_Hruska]

you can choose the bitrate in iTunes/Apple Music when ripping your own CDs or on other audio conversion platforms. I rip all my music at 320 AAC from CDs and from FLAC Lossless files. I have software that lets you go to 192 per channel which is 384 but I stick to 320@@skyhero1888

[@irunonwindows]

My new favorite KZbinr. I loved your humor well made explanations. I’m moving to Apple Music until Spotify gets it together.

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks!! And yeah, me too - held on for far too long, but finally deleted my Spotify and went to Apple Music a couple months ago.

[@javtimestwo]

Great job explaining lossless and for mentioning the Apple lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. Here is my set up and mostly because I'm a newbie to lossless music, not an audiophile and do not have expensive wired headphones: iPhone 13 mini-i recently purchased the $9, 3.5mm headphone jack adapter because I learned it features a built in DAC or the $39 Belkin lightning audio + charger because it features a built in DAC So with my Apple EarPods I can use either adapter to get lossless music, yeah? I also reviewed my MacBook Air set up to make sure the music playback settings were correct. They were not. When plugging in my 3.5mm Apple EarPods they were previously set to AAC audio(rookie move). I just changed the setting to lossless and now I can see the lossless icon next to the song title. I guess I could purchase an external DAC for much more money but do I really need to?

[@ImranDanish01]

Available on Android?🤔

[@PoochandiDamu]

Yup

[@varadvithalkj1716]

Finally, I’ve found a video that I can send my friends who always get mad because I use wired Apple CarPlay.

[@ealanosborne]

Hahaha! Do it!!! 😁🤘

[@hwamilka]

I found this video because I was trying to see what is the difference between cds and mp3. Last year I started buying cds (when you’re a kpop fan you eventually start doing it, regardless of your finances). I thought I was buying the albums for the photobooks, photocards, stickers, even the box, I didn’t expect to get much value from the actual cds, since I already had access to the songs, but I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of the audio, it was definitely different to what I had always listened to. I decided to stop paying for streaming and continued to buy the albums. I never listen on shuffle, btw, and always listen to either individual songs at a time or to the whole album. I also don’t like “discovering new music”, I deliberately search and listen to the music I already know I love.

[@Aglassofwine14]

What is your sound source, iphone or macbook? Btw, what headphone do you use? Do you have wired connection?

[@EdoXTensei]

I’m not an audiophile, but I’ve tested lots of headphones and earbuds, and while I prefer earbuds (Melomania M100 since few months), I’m amazed by the sound quality to be honest. But since now I’m an iPhone user, and I have no longer access to Aptx Adaptive, and only limited with AAC on my 15 Pro max, I don’t see any reason to stay with them, even despite the fact that these Earbuds sound way better on iPhone with AAC than Xperia 1 VI with Aptx Adaptive. So I went with AirPods Pro 2, but still waiting for them as O2 has some delivery delays, but what I found out with AAC vs Lossless audio on Bluetooth is quite interesting. Because AAC itself, sounds actually cleaner when using AAC headphones, than when Lossless audio is enabled. Might be the fact that with ALAC codec it need to be extra compressed to AAC to get through AAC Bluetooth codec, which may introduce some sounds quality issues. Nevertheless I’m still wondering why AAC on 15 Pro Max sounds better than Aptx Adaptive on Xperia.

[@whateverinbetween9444]

love your sense of humor 💀💀💀

[@soorejsbabu]

I still use a wired headset. It all started when I started hearing 320kbps MP3s. Up until then, I was only hearing 16 or 32 kbps. Then came FLAC, ALAC etc. Also, I am planning to buy Sony WH-1000XM5 headset.

[@ajcorin08]

Bro I want ask one question How can we download any youtube music/song in originally quality Without loosing their original quality of song Like lossless song

[@ealanosborne]

Apparently it’s a somewhat complicated process. But here’s this if you want to have crack at it 👇👇 www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/s/C3671TxE3q

[@SDGRTX1455]

Hello there, i am using Apple music on my Galaxy S10+ phone and mostly i stream it do my tv which it connected to my Samsung HW-Q990B soundbar. It support Dolby Atmos, i'm wondering which settings is the best. Thanks :)

[@ealanosborne]

I have no clue, sorry. I bet there’s a music setting on that soundbar. I’d try that first? Otherwise, Dolby Atmos music tracks are hit and miss, so it largely depends on the song if it sounds good or not. 😁🤘

[@wildbird182]

Been using the 14 pro max with hi res lossless audio. I have some Sennheiser hd 650s with a DAC and it sounds amazing. Also have AirPods Pro 2nd gen for more casual listening and for notifications and calls. Got some Sennheiser momentum 3s for traveling and to use when the AirPods aren’t doing it for me and I don’t want to pull out my hd 650s

[@ealanosborne]

That’s an incredible assortment of headphones, my friend! 🎧 🤘

[@Aniket2712]

Headphones definitely the best, but AirPods Pro 2nd gen don't even support lossless ... in my country only Apple provide Lossless audio So I use, Samsung S22 which Galaxy buds Pro 2 & OMG it so much better than any other earphone i tried ... I might have switched to Apple but Samsung providing Wireless Lossless audio in too good to give up

[@noahnoah5833]

That 3D explanation was exact how I imagined it

[@brothatwasepic]

Hey guys does anyone know of a good APTX Lossless codec transmitter (so I could plug it into my phone or tablet to send APTX lossless to my Sennheiser Momenum 4 headphones?)

[@Chalisque]

If I compare 256k AAC to a lossless rip of a CD, it is only with some classical music, and on good speakers or headphones, that it is easy to discern the difference. For the most part, I listen to electronic stuff and frankly I'm happy paying a 128k mp3 dj podcast through my stereo. Back in the day I was happy with cassette tape, and compared to that 128k mp3 is luxury already. If 128k mp3 was all there was, we'd all be happy with it. If 128k mp3 came first and lossless came out a couple of decades later, there'd be people complaining that lossless doesn't have the life, body, and analog timing of good old fashioned mp3.

[@fadhililham2120]

what if my headphone are usb c connection?, can i listen hi res lossles with that headphone i pluged into my ipad?

[@SatyamevaJayate_JaiHind]

Sir, is there any update on this topic?

[@davidsilva3567]

Man you are on the first KZbinr that I have subscribe straight away, the way you drive the subject, the way you deliver is nothing more than perfect spice! Good job and hopefully I will see more content from you like this one. I wouldn’t consider myself and audiophile not because I don’t want to but because my wallet is simply to thin to even think about it, one thing I have noticed in my car is that the audio quality of aac over Bluetooth is worse than wired in the car via cable (maybe the conversion thing you talked about) can’t wait to test lossless in my car (EV so not much will interfere with the sound quality except outside noise). The way you described the sound difference is also a very matching my experience, on my brain it kind of triggers the same spotlight of “wow never noticed this sound before”. Again good work but the way you deliver it is beyond extravaganza 😂.

[@ealanosborne]

Hey thanks for all the compliments!!! 😄🎉🤘

[@SoumikSarker]

was expecting him to explain LDAC as well, but still whatever was shared was great 😮

[@santi3758]

Simplemente la mejor explicación de toda la web 👏👏

[@ealanosborne]

Gracias! 🤘

[@nc4928]

What if my settings are hi res lossless and I still use Bluetooth a lot. Will I break something having settings like that?

[@ealanosborne]

You won’t break anything. It’ll just be Bluetooth quality, which kind of defeats the purpose. 🤷‍♂️

[@cynical_l.e.d.5483]

So it’s 2023 and I listened to astrothunder by Travis Scott with AirPod pros (1) and even when comparing downloaded from aac to hi res lossless, I still hear a super difference in the bass at the beginning and no, it’s not spatial audio, it genuinely sounds better and makes a difference

[@KevinFuentes-n8e]

placebo

[@west4798]

It's your mind playing tricks to you. Fwiw spatial audio reduces sound quality for a let's call it...super stereo effect

[@sahid4551]

You are very cool! You inspire me to be a better teacher and I am gonna go to listening albums from start to finish.

[@ealanosborne]

Awesome! Thank you for the kind words! 😁🤘

[@hstudio30]

great video Ealan, massive LossLess Fan here😎

[@ealanosborne]

Never going back to just AAC 😎

[@diegosdangelo]

You are a genius man! Congrats! Love your sense of humor too

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much!!

[@jarrodelks4928]

Incredibly helpful! Thanks x

[@Usman012813]

Fantastic video, I’ve just been getting into cans and this was very helpful.

[@MohnishSinghOfficial]

Best video on the subject so far thank you ❤

[@chelepalma]

The best explanation in all KZbin thanks

[@ealanosborne]

Thank YOU, Fernando! 😁🤘

[@narutonaruto9926]

Do the wh1000xm4 also support lossless audio and high-res lossless audio with the should 3,5mm Lightning adapter?

[@ealanosborne]

I'm not sure. And I haven't researched enough about Sony's LDAC technology which supposedly transfers hi-res audio even over Bluetooth. So, at least with what they are advertising, you can still get premium audio quality even over a wireless signal. Sounds cool, but I haven't heard it for myself in person. I hope to at some point, though!

[@jeremiahpepin8254]

I how a sound system in my car with a kenwood radio that has a digital audio wire. Will Hi-Res Lossless work or would I need to plug my phone into the aux and get a dongle?

[@ealanosborne]

I’m not too familiar with car audio, but I believe you would still need to do the latter - phone + dongle into aux

[@ranyhaj]

Great informative video and the aunt Caroline joke is great :)

[@ealanosborne]

Heehee, thanks! 😄

[@TheArKtec]

Thank God I've been making my music in Lossless, I've try my best to make all music with their authentic sound..

[@ealanosborne]

That’s a good habit to keep! 😁🤘

[@TheArKtec]

@ealanosborne Thanks

[@efootballhunter]

This video is damn detailed, Answered all questions in my Brian🤯🤩

[@danielmarble2944]

Only last night did I find out that my Bluetooth speakers and earbuds was not getting lossless. I bought HifiMan RE 800 and a FIIO K-1 with lightning cable to plug into my IPhone 12 Pro Max today. Also hate Bluetooth batteries that die and refuse to charge.

[@thepunisher8649]

Can I still listen to the lossless audio with the integrated speakers of my iPad pro M2 11 inch?

[@ealanosborne]

I mean you CAN, but those aren’t meant to be the best speakers. 🤷‍♂️

[@thepunisher8649]

@@ealanosborneYou're right. I'm not an audiophile, but it's enough for me. I'm not an expert but I can definitely tell the difference.

[@denhamc8281]

Don’t the AirPods support lossless audio by now?

[@ealanosborne]

You would think...but they don't. The technology is finally available to manufacturers as of maybe July 2022, but now developers are scrambling to be the first to actually use it in a consumer product for the masses.

[@Aniket2712]

Guess what budy? ... Apple still does not support Streaming HighRess audio via Bluetooth While Samsung, Sony Phones are doing even higher than what they did in 2022 & Headphones of Sony & Bose are also taking advantage of it while iPhone is silverly left behind even in 2024

[@visionar007]

There is really no audible difference if you downsample correctly. The difference could be noice introduced by inaudible frequencies creating distortion in audible frequencies.

[@Zhorellski]

Novice question; Do Lossless HiRes audio works on Bluetooth too?

[@ealanosborne]

No, not yet. There’s a newer Bluetooth codec soon coming out that will support lossless (CD quality) wirelessly, but wireless Hi-Res lossless is still being developed

[@Zhorellski]

@@ealanosborne What about those pricey Bluetooth devices that advertised High Quality Audio? Snake oil?

[@ealanosborne]

@@Zhorellski I’m not sure which devices you’re referring to, but yes - snake oil I would assume, since the Bluetooth commission itself hasn’t officially announced lossless support by any particular product just yet. 🤷‍♂️

[@Aniket2712]

Yes, Since Aug 22 Samsung is doing it in thier phone & Galaxy Buds 2 Pro ... Not sure How High of a quality but noticeably higher when compared to iPhone with AirPods Pro with same Apple Music on both iPhone still lagging in those area's

[@Zhorellski]

@@ealanosborne Aptx lossless codec is out now. Can stream Flac sized files!

[@visionar007]

I took a CD of classical music, made ALAC and 96kbps AAC, couldn’t tell difference on ABX test. I could tell a difference on 64kbps.

[@Jan7727]

Is it possible to hear the difference on normal TV or MacBook speakers?

[@ealanosborne]

Possibly, but highly unlikely

[@MrHamit64]

Maybe last month I listened to Enya's A Day without Rain album. It was my first real CD. As for losless hell yeah I prefer CDDA audio or Blu-Ray better yet. I've been lurking on HDTracks to see what they have. The only drawback I find is you're forced to buy the whole album. Well in the case of Mandy Moore's Silver Landings that's fine. I'm a Mandy fan anyways. It's avaiable in full 96 KHZ 24 bits. But then again there are albums where at most I only would prefer to have the songs in HD but I don't particularlerly wana have the whole thing. So it would in those said cases be from 14 to almost 30 and some bucks waisted just cause I want a song or some songs in BD audio.

[@daveryandub]

Great job.nicely explained.love lossless.ifi zen dac is a great addition to your set up with an iMac for lossless audio.money well spent.

[@andymantoronto]

Great video. I have a Denon AVR connected by earc HDMI. Apple music is set to Lossless which sounds great when streamed from my iPad or iphone, but if I listen to Apple Music from my Apple TV that is also set to Lossless it doesn't sound as nice. Any thoughts on that Ealan?

[@ealanosborne]

Doesn’t sound as nice in what way? Are you listening on headphones when listening on iPad or iPhone?

[@andymantoronto]

@@ealanosborne This is when I'm playing through my speakers on my AVR.

[@ealanosborne]

@@andymantoronto Yes, I understand. So when you're listening on iPhone or iPad, it's on headphones, right? And when you listen on your AVR...in what way does it sound worse? There are a lot of factors with room acoustics when dealing with AVRs...

[@andymantoronto]

@@ealanosborne The audio play back through my AVR with my iPad or iPhone are outstanding, it's when I play back using the Apple Music app with my Apple TV 4K 2017 is when the sound quality is poor, I have adjusted the settings on the Apple TV to lossless but the quality is not the same as the iPad or iPhone....BTW, thanks for the replies! I'm new to your channel and really enjoying and learning from your content.

[@dixter1652]

@@andymantoronto It actually depends on the equipment your using.... here is probably one of the best examples.... use the Apple TV4K and hook it up to a Smyth A16 via HDMI... then put on your cans ( HD800s) and now you are listening to Lossless Audio the way it should sound.... and guess what... the A16 emulates any speaker of your choice... got a $20K speaker... then the A16 will replicate that speaker to be exact.. in your cans.... now how about the fact that the A16 also replicates that $20K speaker in a ATMOS configuration of 15.1.8 yep... thats 24 of those $20K speakers... or a $480,000 sound listening room from your cans.... now listen to the spacial lossless music via Apple Music or Tidal and walla... you now know what lossless Audio sounds like in glorious 24 channel Atmos..... any questions ???

[@alsjogren7890]

Well explained! Even though I have hearing loss I can notice a difference. I switched to Apple Music. I now use in-ear-monitors wired through a DAC to the USBC on my Samsung phone for active listening. Bluetooth via APTX Adaptive or Samsung's SSC are OK for passive listening or noisy conditions with Sennheiser Momentum 4 or Samsung Buds 3 Pro. I ripped a number of my CDs to FLAC. It seems to be worth it over ripping to MP3 at 128kbps only if the recording and mastering are good. Maybe it is my hearing disability? The included headphone jacks on my computers are noticeably not as good as using an external DAC. It seems that it doesn't matter if it is a computer or phone as long as an external DAC and in-ear-monitors. I do notice a difference between 2 different in-ear-monitors. The one that I prefer is more efficient (needs much less volume) and cheaper. It seems brighter and more depth. Could the other need more amplification - the volume is near max? Is a DAP worth it over a high end smartphone?

[@ealanosborne]

In your circumstance - having hearing loss - I believe a DAP would prove beneficial. 🎉 The in-ear monitors that need to be turned up more must not have a very high sensitivity rating like your more efficient pair.

[@hhhkoijhygjohdt3293]

Great video video are the edifer R1855DB hifi speakers?

[@Camus376]

so I bought fiio k3 2021 model all wired with sony 1000xm3 with a samsung s21 ultra. Is that a good setup?

[@skyhero1888]

NO !!!

[@tsamplENT]

3:24 but it makes sense, that's exactly why i still wear wired appl headphones jus for the certain quality, and now i know

[@fuxk_axe7628]

Any update on lossless audio for Apple?

[@dezznuzzinyomouth2543]

I have a 11.2.4 in my main zome and a 7.0.2 in zone 2... Dolby sounding ES**spatially** crystal. Edit. I sure can but most. Most of the time im easily enjoying the wonders of binural low frequency... Or just letting a combined hoisrhold media zfs pool shuffle throughout both zones

[@fadhililham2120]

what if my headphone are usb c connection?, can i listen hi res lossles with that headphone i pluged into my ipad?

[@ealanosborne]

What matters is the DAC inside the iPad, and - as far as I know - their DACs still only support up to 48kHz/24-bit, which is still technically considered the lowest form of Hi-Res lossless, but not 192 kHz Hi-Res like some sources output. You’d still need a Hi-Res supported dongle DAC connected to your iPad. 👍

[@fadhililham2120]

so i can listen lossless but not the hi res?

[@ealanosborne]

@@fadhililham2120 You can listen to Hi-Res lossless, it just won’t actually be Hi-Res lossless until you incorporate a Hi-Res dongle DAC into the situation.

[@fadhililham2120]

@@ealanosbornebut without dac i still can listen to lossless audio?

[@ealanosborne]

@@fadhililham2120 Correct. Basically CD quality lossless is what mobile devices can do on their own. 👍

[@619villian]

Why I don’t see lossless option on my phone? Software is up to date

[@ealanosborne]

🤷‍♂️

[@efishies15]

@619villian You have to have an individual or family subscription to Apple Music, and then if you have that, you should see the Lossless text and logo on certain albums on Apple Music. You should also be on iOS 14.6 or later.

[@souravdas5125]

Hey Ealan I wanna ask you that I had a EarPods by apple which had lightning connectors and I had iPhone 12 mini which runs on ios 17.1 so can get lossless audio through my EarPods with lightning connectors???

[@ealanosborne]

According to Apple, it should support lossless since it’s a wired connection, although I don’t have any EarPods to test it out for sure. The new USB-C wired EarPods apparently support lossless… 🤷‍♂️

[@malarkey102]

So why is youtube audio still compressed they have 2160P pictures quality and yet they can't give us the good audio why is that

[@ealanosborne]

Right?! I’ve wondered the same thing! Or it’d be great if they supported 5.1 surround for those KZbinrs who could mix in that format (like myself, hahaaaa!). 😄🤘

[@xippys]

What about FLAC via Sony LDAC (wireless)? How does that sound?

[@ealanosborne]

🤷‍♂️ Probably really good, considering wireless tech has improved over the past few years since this video was published! 🎉

[@seXy1no1no1no1]

Do I get lossless If I connect my iPhone to Bluetooth speakers with a cable?

[@ealanosborne]

With a cable, yeah you should.

[@jackdanyal4329]

there is nothing wrong with apple's earbuds or headphones, just none of the wireless headphones can handle hi-res or lossless sound, because of bluetooth restrictions. non of LDAC or aptX can help with it, it's just a marketing when some brand says, that their wireless headphones can handle lossless. and yes, apple's dongle supports up to 24/96 kHz.

[@daniannaci3258]

No, the Apple Headphone dongle is limited to 24/48. Admittedly, though there is an audible difference between 48 and 96kHz sampling, it is fleeting and takes your full attention to detect.

[@jackdanyal4329]

@@daniannaci3258 so, you're gonna say with full confidence, that you can detect the difference between 48 and 96kHz? really? superhuman detected

[@daniannaci3258]

@@jackdanyal4329 Not superhuman, just methodical. The recording must be 100% 24/96 from microphone input to the final file. Any upsampling, downsampling or scaling of different tracks in the mixing/mastering process will obliterate any differences, even if the final file is distributed in 24/96. On direct to 2 channel recordings kept at the original 24/96 sampling rate, downconverting to 24/48 - and especially to 16/44 - can reliably be heard. That’s a lot to ask, which makes the Apple dongle, still limited to 24/48, just fine for most people.

[@Aniket2712]

"wireless headphones can handle hi-res or lossless sound" ... Galaxy Buds 2 Pro & 3 Pro which Samsung S series, Since I recently switched from 1st gen to 3rd ... Difference is noticeable, When I use Apple Music Lossless & Normal Audio of Amazon Music which does not have lossless in my country even So ya After experiencing such better quality & knowing there is more I am ok because Mine in wireless can't wait for Amazon to bring their HighRess in my country So yes, Just so you Apple users Know Samsung, Sony & Bose all provide Better quality audio wirelessly but not on iPhone because can't do it (Even more higher quality than Sam) ... Because of Better 5ghz Bluetooth, Dual driver, Dual Amplifier even One hour more battery life than Air pods Pros

[@maukachauka8793]

Hi I really enjoyed your video, I learned so much from it, I wish it could have been even longer. Do you have any sources for audio novices to learn more about the subject?

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks for those kind words! 😊 I honestly just scoured the internet as I was doing research for it. Sites like WhatHiFi and TechRadar had good articles. But here’s a few more from Crutchfield as well. 👇 www.crutchfield.com/learnsearch/lossless_audio.html

[@anilpatel6752]

Does EarPods with lightening connector support lossless audio???

[@ealanosborne]

Not yet. I’ve read that Apple is working on it, though, and should be supported later this year? 🤷‍♂️

[@BigBoss11121]

Where do you came from? we need content creators like you 🔥🔥

[@HawariHaikal]

The way you're explaining is very clear and great 👍👍👍 I have a question though, does the aptx Adaptive codec support lossless streaming in Apple Music for Android on 24bit 48khz quality?

[@mihaimorariu5627]

aptX Adaptive Lossless (Snapdragon Sound) can transmit up to 1.2Mbps (compresses that 1.4Mbps down a bit w/o losing any music, akin to FLAC). You need to invest in one of the phones (Android only) & headphones that support Snapdragon Sound w/ Lossless (i.e. Asus Zenfone 9 and NuraTrue Pro earbuds) - not cheap... hoping prices will go down over time. No chance to get 24bit 48khz (2.3Mbps) transmitted through Bluetooth yet... However, progress has obviously happened, and Bluetooth bandwidth will continue to grow over time.

[@HawariHaikal]

@@mihaimorariu5627 thank you!

[@congamaidau2]

I am using Sennheiser Momentum TW3, I feel that listening to music using the Apple Music app on Iphone is not as good as on Android. Is that true?

[@par-y4e]

i felt like youtube music provides HiRes cuz yesterday drake song was playing at a bitrate of 8000. I tried with CCA CRA on my acer nitro 5

[@ark1913]

CRA are beast ❤️

[@GhostRider71233]

Bro what about android users? I have an android with active subscription of spple music and an external hi-res DAC, will i be able to listen to high-res lossless ??

[@ealanosborne]

In theory, you should, because of your external hi-res DAC. 👍

[@fireeyes5399]

Hey Ealan...do you think it's worth it if we use apple music lossless thru PC since I don't use apple??? I used Tidal but it cost more but I like Apple's price's. what do u think?

[@ealanosborne]

Well, music is subjective, but I sure think it's worth it. :) You get the first 3 months for free when subscribing to Apple Music, so you can check it out and see if you like it first. I'm currently reviewing a DAC and that Hi-Res Lossless is no joke. And you don't have to pay extra for it on Apple Music. Woot!

[@fireeyes5399]

@@ealanosborne yeah I have a Class D DAC and I already ordered the BasX PT1 Stereo Preamp/DAC/Tuner I'm still waiting for it. I'm gona do the apple Music then. thanks Ealan and good video and I shared it too to other's already

[@fireeyes5399]

@@ealanosborne I also still like listening to CD's thru my DAC and oh my CD's still sound good and at least they aren't compressed.

[@ealanosborne]

@@fireeyes5399 Ah man, sharing helps a lot! Thanks so much!

[@BytesOfMeaning]

just switched from spotify to apple music in 2024. plus apple one gives a bunch of extra services for not much more than the spotify family plan. thanks for the tip on using wired headphones!

[@ealanosborne]

You’re welcome! And yeah, I subscribe to Apple One as well. Pretty sweet deal, I’d say!

[@henrichandrew]

Hi Ealan, I have some questions here. Is Hi-res audio same with DSD or SACD, since they are high resolution audio formats. secondly, I have receiver Marantz SR5015, it stated on manual no DSD Audio Capabilty over HDMI, but in other hand It can stream DSD audio via Network. I don't understand what is no DSD audio capabilty over HDMI? is that supposed to mean I can't play DSD files format or SACD discs even use proper SACD dedicated player or Bluray/DVD SACD capable player that connected to this receiver via HDMI port? Thanks a lot...

[@ealanosborne]

I’m not 100% certain, but I’m going to take a crack at answering your questions: 1) DSD and SACD are technically the same. DSD is the file format that is used in SACDs, it’s just comes down to preference if you like physical media or would rather deal with DSD files on a networked PC. An advantage of SACD is multichannel audio, like 5.1 or 7.1 surround. 2) And I guess it’s just dependent on the manufacturer of they want to include an HDMI chipset that can decode a pure DSD codec or not. Some AVRs can, some can’t. So it’s not that DSD over HDMI is impossible, it just depends on the brand and model of your AVR.

[@henrichandrew]

@@ealanosborne ok. Thank you for your answer.

[@ghx5490]

I really love your whole vibe😂

[@ealanosborne]

Thanks! Gotta stand out somehow! 😄🤘

[@fildesamparado7890]

Good day Sir, in Apple music,songs recorded in 16- bit/ 44.1 khz ALAC,will it convert to 24-bit/ 48 khz ALAC ? How this dongle with DACs works? Thanks please kindly advise.

[@ealanosborne]

It’s standard practice for music studios to record masters in 24bit/48kHz, which is then converted to 16bit/44.1kHz when transferred to a CD. So when you hear lossless on Apple Music (or any streaming platform, for that matter) - as long as you have a dongle DAC (or stream it through a Hi-Res streamer like a Wiim Pro Plus) you should hear it in Hi-Res quality. Many times when an album is “remastered,” they’ll re-record the album in Hi-Res, up to 192 kHz, depending on the artist or studio, etc. Wild stuff. 🎉

[@j7ndominica051]

Mixing and mastering makes a bigger difference to "depth". Dynamic compression in new music and reissues destroys it. Apple and friends have now reinvented what they had in the little house on the praerie decades ago.

[@relaxingvideos20238]

Does apple iphone built in speaker support lossless audio?

[@ealanosborne]

I mean technically the DAC inside the phone can support up to 24-bit/48kHz audio (I think), but even then, it's still not going to sound great because it's 2 tiny little speakers. Might as well get a nice pair of headphones if you're curious about lossless audio through a smartphone. 👍

[@caryshields_inKY]

Great video content and enjoyable to watch.

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much!

[@bluepicis]

So, I’m coming from the future Dic. 2023! What happened now?

[@AlocinTZ]

Clear explanation the one of the audio quality as 2D animation in lossy and 3D animation for lossless. I have a question though, when I tried Deezer (CD quality) compared to Spotify premium, I did hear that depth and instruments presence in the first one, but when I compared Deezer to KZbin Music Premium (256kbps), the latter sounds, for me, as good as Deezer. I use a simple Fosi DS1 DAC, wired Shure Aonic 3 in ear monitors, and I understand that my hearing capacity is involved. But if I noticed the difference between Spotify Premium and Deezer (also the paid option), why KZbin Music Premium sound as good as Deezer (at least for me)? Is it possible that their I.A. tricks my hearing and makes its "2D animation" (lossy) sound, as if it is more profound? So, tricking it to sound with depth although not having the information available to do it? I know I should also test, and compare, for example, with Tidal. Thx. Good video.

[@ealanosborne]

Great question! I’m honestly not sure, though, since I haven’t done any testing with YT Music Premium. 🤷‍♂️

[@delamain1559]

This is because AAC has a better output quality compared to MP3 at equivalent glazing and Deezer heavily compresses the lossless or non-lossy signal in order to render all music at the same sound height so less dynamic = the music lives less, it's very slick I think the power is 14 for YT Music and 15 for Deezer but it's enough for me to give up per personally Deezer

[@AlocinTZ]

@@delamain1559 thx. There's a lot of information involved in audio qualities in music streaming platforms. I like to listen to CDs. But, do you think that with a simple portable dac (Fosi DS1) and acceptable in-ear monitors as Shure Aonic 3, YTM sounds good enough as, for example, Tidal? Because, for me, considering the prices, YT Premium comes with YTM, but I also want to listen to music in a nice way, better than basic (also if YTM is "just" 256kbps) but not properly in the audiophile way. And I'm just looking to try something different than Spotify premium, even though I think this is the most complete as a platform in general.

[@AlocinTZ]

@delamain1559 Thanks. There's a lot to know about audio quality and isn't fixed as one sounds better than the other. Maybe you can guide me in this. Do you think that YTM may be good enough using a (Fosi DS1) DAC, and Sennheiser or Shure Aonic 3 headphones? I'm looking for optimum listening, I enjoy hearing a lot of the instruments (I listen CDs also), a better experience than basic listening, but without getting into an audiophile level (which may be Tidal, Qobuz or Apple Music suited for). An YT+YTM bundle is good for the price compared to other platforms offers.

[@ealanosborne]

@ As far as I know, that should be a good combo 👍

[@duannehaughton4893]

Should I switch my iPhone to lossless audio? Will I hear any difference?

[@ealanosborne]

With some nice headphones, you should. I personally have the Focal Bathys on my Christmas list this year. 😁🎄

[@crpton24]

What Bluetooth do you know that has lossless? 🤔

[@ealanosborne]

Nothing yet. But apparently Apple is working on it for their next AirPods Pro that will supposedly be released sometime later this year. 🤷‍♂️

[@jordanweyrauch]

hey just out of curiosity can airpods play lossless in 2023 or is is still not necessary to download at hi-res? i have air pod pro 2nd gens so i’m assuming not but like you said maybe just maybe they found some “dark magic” that allows for bluetooth compatibility

[@ealanosborne]

Apparently it’ll only be the new AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C charging that will support lossless via Apple Vision headset. But playing a source from iPhone, iPad and Mac will still not be lossless. 🤦‍♂️ Here’s the article I got it from 👇👇 9to5mac.com/2023/09/22/airpods-pro-2-apple-vision-pro-lossless-explanation/#:~:text=Apple's%20AirPods%20Pro%202%20with,it%20ships%20early%20next%20year.

[@jordanweyrauch]

@@ealanosborne ok awesome thanks!

[@Cristroxx]

I don't understand the need of alac while there's flac

[@djrez2107]

i bought a converter, i hear no difference. My ears were tested to be good up to 13khz which is normal for my age. Maybe my dog or a bat would appreciate the higher resolution.

[@VariantAEC]

13kHz... that is pretty low. I have to assume that you are about twice my age.

[@willywantoknow2563]

Ive been running itunes and ipod...still. is there any point in listening to those files in lossless? Or are cds ripped into my computer and my itunes library holding better listening experience than my ipod can dish out?

[@ealanosborne]

At home, yeah, listening to ripped CDs is going to be superior since they are direct transfers (ripped in FLAC or WAV). It’s more of a convenience thing, really, being able to listen to lossless music on-the-go. 🤷‍♂️

[@willywantoknow2563]

@@ealanosborne what format is music from itunes downloaded?

[@ealanosborne]

@@willywantoknow2563 I believe any purchased tracks will be in m4a format. 🤔

[@willywantoknow2563]

@@ealanosborne much appreciated 👍👍 just wanted to be sure my next music player will handle AAC + and not a waste of money for features paid for and not useful. (I use wired headphones religiously)

[@austinharding9734]

so with all that in mind, going towards the PC side in all this, what do modern sound cards bring to the table that most MB's don't or cant or for that matter dedicated audio devices?? do PC SC's bring as noticeable difference to sound as going to lossless? i imagine its a comparing apples to oranges thing, i personally like my sound card i got, it makes a bigger difference with higher quality speakers though than when just using PC speakers, also idk but ya'll but wired doesn't bother me one bit, i hate that Samsung got rid of the aux jack, and frankly until they can reach a level where latency is no longer an issue i prefer wired

[@ealanosborne]

I’m sure there are sound cards out there that support Hi-Res lossless digital-to-analog conversion (up to 32-bit/768kHz) That’s what I’d look for. Otherwise, a Hi-Res audio dongle DAC is the most inexpensive alternative to plug into a PC. 🤷‍♂️

[@msilva16384]

Nice video bro and amazing explanation!!

[@ealanosborne]

Thank you very much! 😁🤘

[@congamaidau2]

I am using Sennheiser Momentum TW3, I feel that listening to music using the Apple Music app on Iphone is not as good as on Android. Is that true?

[@ealanosborne]

I honestly have no idea. I don’t have an Android device.

[@RiCH_926]

Wait doesn't Galaxy budge 2 pro have 24-bit audio and lossless audio if I'm not wrong

[@ealanosborne]

That’s what they claim, yeah. But also, this video was published over 2 years ago, so a lot has happened since then. 😁 Apparently the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro 2 will support lossless audio wirelessly. Tech is advancing, baby! 🙌

[@RiCH_926]

🤣 @ealanosborne 🤣 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 crap I didn't look at the date lol

[@gwine9087]

Something that has never been explained, to me. As CDs are recorded at 16-bit 14.1, what is the source of the 24-bit music that these services are streaming? Are they just upsampling?

[@ealanosborne]

During the recording process, most studios record masters at 24-bit, 48kHz, so CDs have been down sampled to 16-bit/44.1 kHz. Although some older music has been remastered in 24-bit/96kHz, depending on the artist or mixing studios involved. 🌈

[@gwine9087]

@@ealanosborne So, you are assuming that streaming services have access to the original masters? I have difficulty believing that.

[@ealanosborne]

@@gwine9087 Oh, as I said towards the end of the video - Apple in particular (not sure about other steaming platforms) have been in possession of the masters since the first generation iPod classic came out. Pretty wild. Although I get it that broadband internet wasn’t a thing back in 2001, so I guess that’s why they waited so long for lossless? 🤷‍♂️

[@gwine9087]

@@ealanosborne And the other services?

[@ealanosborne]

@@gwine9087 Tidal for sure, since they’ve been lossless since their initial launch. Amazon Music HD also. Not sure about Spotify, since they’re dragging their feet with lossless… 🤷‍♂️