What's Apple Music lossless and Spatial Audio really like? | How to listen | Mark Ellis Reviews

Apple Music now has lossless audio, Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. But what does it all sound like? And, more importantly, how do you listen to lossless, Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos on Macs, iPhones and iPads? In this video I reveal the gear you need, what it sounds like and some good news for AirPods Max owners.
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
01:09 - What is lossless audio?
04:03 - How to listen to Apple Music lossless - Mac
06:02 - How to listen to Apple Music lossless - iOS
07:44 - Is Apple Music lossless worth it?
09:40 - AirPods Max
11:09 - Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio
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[@MarkEllisReviews]

So, I've been playing with the 'new' Apple Music, and I have some thoughts (as you might expect). Let me know what you think about it!

[@Sharmac77]

I can only get my usb-c ipad to output 44khz from amazon ultra…..nothing above. Can you confirm you can get above this with apple music as i was under the impression that the way they deal with the output means everything is downscaled. Im using an amazon basic usb-c to usb-a from a 2020 ipad to an ifi xdsd dad/amp. Using my older ipad, from lightening usb camera adaptor to the xdsd i get up-to 192khz, confirmed from within the amazon music app.

[@ianmearsphoto]

I think the release of lossless has really highlighted how much perception and the placebo effect are prevalent in the world of audiophile and music. I’ve seen quite a few threads across social media with people saying how much better lossless sounds when it then turns out they are actually listening to an aac stream! One great example is people using Airplay to stream to their setup - airplay supports up to lossless (24 bit 48Khz) but the Apple Music app doesn’t, it only streams using the standard AAC codec! People think it’s going to sound better so they hear it as better, not that there is anything wrong with that. I keep telling myself that my setup is as good as a £50k high end setup…😀

[@dsr0116]

I've tried some of the tracks on my Dolby Atmos speaker setup. They do work pretty well for placing voices and instruments all around you. Thing is some songs are distracting in how they might have been mixed (IE having the singer in front of you, but guitars in back of you).

[@upload00]

Did you try with airpods pro or airpods pro max? Spatial audio only works on those devices, it's insane and a different experience than anything i've ever heard

[@michaelgreiner1665]

Have you listened to Justice by Justin Bieber ? It’s the only album with atmos that really shocked me with how good it sounds

[@Augnos]

Pretty much nailed how I feel about the spatial audio. I honestly just feel like it’s broken. I’m expecting a surround sound mix, and it just feels like stereo inside of a warehouse.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Good analogy.

[@upload00]

on airpods pro or airpods pro max? those are the only devices that do spatial audio.. did you try it on those devices?

[@vladstoenica5061]

Every apple/beats headphones since the solo 3s support it. I can confirm the empty warehouse sound is there on the beats studio 3s too. Even worse with other non apple (but still dolby certified) headphones

[@upload00]

@@vladstoenica5061 support.apple.com/en-us/HT211775 incorrect.. you need accelerometers in them to make it work.. try it out it's a whole different world -- atmos and spatial audio are different things

[@upload00]

@@vladstoenica5061 you can also read about the difference here appleinsider.com/articles/21/05/18/apples-spatial-audio-and-dolby-atmos-explained

[@codname125]

ah yes the innovative sound company Dobly

[@gadgelt]

I know what you did there 😂

[@AlexsaurusRex]

What's the inside joke? Do they hold back new tech?

[@BarringtonSmythe]

@@AlexsaurusRex It was more a spolling adjustment

[@eekzMadeThis]

🤣🤣🤣

[@JaiMahadevv27]

I don’t get it pls explain. I’m assuming Dolby isn’t innovative?

[@PAINFULLYHONESTTECH]

Don't need a DAC/Amp to get lossless. Just wired headphones plugged into the headphone jack. DACs offer a DIFFERENT converter, but the onboard DAC can play lossless. You only really need an amp if your headphones are not sensitive enough to be driven by the onboard amp.

[@thebeat]

I thought that too

[@MM-cs2rt]

What’s a headphone Jack?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks for clarifying that - I didn't make it clear enough in this video that you need that gear for the highest setting.

[@atlas5697]

@@MarkEllisReviews actually on my samsung im able to listen at the highest quality whitout the need of a dac with apple music just needed to get the beta version

[@renzrulzz]

You need a DAC if you want to listen to Hi-Fi if I am not mistaken. If you are contented to lossless/CD quality then a decent wired headphone will be enough.

[@pvenhoff]

The best, most understandable explanation I’ve found so far. Thank you!

[@iandavidbrown8852]

Brilliant overview - thank you

[@neilbissett1240]

Great review mate as per the norm thanks 😎

[@TavellPryor]

This video really helped me understand lossless, special audio, and Dolby atmos and what it means for me, my ears, and my apple products. Thank you!

[@elkewheeler]

Great video! This answered so many of my questions. I can't thank you enough.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Ah, that's awesome to hear!

[@chandraisefa]

Love your explanation man

[@terriersforever23]

Great job mate thank you

[@MarkEllisReviews]

No problem 👍

[@hhoebeke1]

Thanks - great video - after some trying with the AirPods Max and Mac (M1) I agree there is quite a difference between the lossless and the classic AAC, a more open sound and louder - in classic stereo. I don't hear such difference in Dolby Atmoss tracks...so not getting the 3.5 to lightning cable for the moment...

[@gonzalezm244]

I’m really enjoying the spatial audio on the Beyerdynamics 990 Pro directly plugged into my iPad Pro. Might be the novelty of being able to place instruments in specific locations but I find it pretty cool and a little bit more natural, as if I were in the recording studio. As with most things, it’s a personal preference. Keep in mind that you need to re-download your songs and adjust the Apple Music settings to get it to work.

[@Jc199somethin]

I see your new mechanical keyboard!! I just got the same type A80 iqnix! How are you liking it? Mine came with the “e” key not working… i had to remove the switch and straighten out the pins to get it to work. Wondering if you had any issues with it

[@KimchiJerry]

Well explained video 👍 I like how you mentioned Tidal because I used to it but stopped because of the price but I did like the sound quality. It wasn’t as punchy as Apple Music but it was crisp. And I agree I’m not that impressed with Dolby Atmos because to me it sounds like when you arrive at a outdoor concert and you’re walking to the concert from your car and you can hear the music but it sounds far away. But I’m definitely going to have to try out them gadgets to enjoy lossless audio 👌

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thank you! And your explanation of Atmos is great. Perhaps it’ll get better with time!

[@alexwhitehead5216]

Great video 👍🏼 What headphone stand are you using for your airpods max? Looks like it takes care of the mesh ‘canopy’. Also for Dolby atmos try the Norah Jones Come away with me - deluxe album that does sound great. Most of the modern songs I’ve tried sound awful tbh. Also try abbey road super deluxe album and what’s going on by Marvin Gaye. Annoying how hit and miss Dolby atmos is at the moment.

[@JasonMilner]

Top tip when getting the Dragonfly DAC out of its sheath - pinch the sides of the sheath slightly & it releases the grip on the front and back, the DAC comes out much easier that way.

[@abhishekbansal2556]

Hi i am planning to get headphones/earphones today from prime sale in India. Having Apple Music subscription. Please recommend shAll i go for sony wh-1000xm3 or airpod pro which will sound better for dolby atoms movie experience and music. Please reply thanks in advance

[@BlackSaiyan24]

What a soothing voice. You should consider doing ASMR. But very informative and easily explained video man! I’m not about to get all that to listen to better music quality. It’s simply not worth it (to me). I’m not lugging all that to work with me every other day (I work part time in the office and at home)

[@JuanJohn013]

You just need a DAC for Hi-RI. You can listen to Lossless just fine without a External DAC because the iPhone can play 24 bit/48 KHz

[@mjjm6220]

Yes, 24/48 is the 🍎 standard via 🍎TV. Technically any resolution above 16/44.1 is Hi-Res. Apple would have to do some software upgrade on 🍎TV to output 24/96 or 24/192. And as you say, need a dac connected to iPhone/iPad for above 24/48.

[@versaleyang]

Except that you still need one for your modern iPhones cuz they don't have a 3.5mm analog output.

[@HarukiYamamoto]

@@versaleyang Existing port works fine.

[@jaihind7687]

Iphone above 6s Don't support 24bit audio output via ports

[@chronnox5943]

@@versaleyang iPhone 6s needs a dac ?

[@Alekxs]

Hi, I wanted to say thank you for this video for your work, I liked this video for the approach to details, for the high-quality video, for the good sound, and yes, I forgot about your recommendations that you offered and these are headphones, DAC and so on. Yes, as a Spotify music lover, I want to try Apple Music.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

That’s so nice to read. Thank you for taking the time to say thank you!

[@Xll148]

Must you use a external DAC or headphones? Can you just stream/playback hi-res lossless with the mac’s internal DAC and the internal speakers? I streamed classical on iMac with no additional equipment and noticed the hi-res badge and hi-res in the Get Info>File.

[@nashpreds99]

I turned on Lossless with my AirPods Pros and I swore it sounded better. Hearing you say that the AirPods Max sounded better to you, makes me think I wasn’t crazy! 👍👍

[@richardsimpson2439]

Yes, it definitely sounds better, you’re not imagining it. There’s just more information there - no compression. Big difference overall.

[@molarrr]

I spent over 30 mins listening to several songs on my iPhone all lossless. And iPad which weren’t lossless. On my APM and I can tell a slight difference. Everything sounds more open and clearer.

[@danieldev514]

Except you are crazy, both airpods max and pros dont support loseless, you wont notice ANY difference in ABX test

[@Ivan-mf3vw]

The limit for Airpods Pro is 256 aac. They do not support lossless.

[@Ivan-mf3vw]

@@richardsimpson2439 It's just ridiculous. You have the placebo effect.

[@tapiolehto5312]

Thank you. Have iPhone 11 Pro 512 GT, most of my music is recorded via iMac as AIFF files. I have compared music bought from Apple Music, AAC, using CD as lossless, about half of AIFF, roughly, and AIFF files. Good recordings for example Led Zeppelin. Tested using 3 generations of AirPods via bluetooth. AIFF files sound remarkably better than others even with the 1. generation AirPods. Having owned dragon fly, surprisingly I listen inside house with AirPods Max, what a sound, outside AirPods Pro. I think Apple have done magic with AirPods and bluetooth.

[@gorillapancake]

How about showing us some testing with your Sony XM4s with Apple Music using LDAC?

[@RobertoSoma]

Nice video, I liked the tone and simplicity. Thank you. I would love to see the video speakers version.

[@Ilkello99]

That’s exactly what I like about this creator and his channel, well said

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thank you!

[@bgmobman1]

Excellent review.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Glad you liked it!

[@Sin71879]

I actually appreciate the sound-

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Awesome!

[@GeorgeMaicovschi]

Actually (at least on iOS) you can turn the Dolby atmos from auto to “always on” and it will play atmos on any headphone. I have been listening yesterday to some of it using exactly the Sennheiser hd560s (with just the lightning to jack dongle, no extra amp since the 560 is just 120 ohms and can be driven quite ok directly). It sounds pretty nice when listening to live performances (tried with the Eagles spatial audio album), makes the 560s soundstage a lot wider, but it is indeed quieter. Maybe give it a spin like that?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Interesting, thanks, George - I'll give that a go.

[@terrywilson1203]

The Eagles live album in spatial audio has an incorrect track listing compared to the stereo version.

[@anthonypjay]

@@MarkEllisReviews Yes, Spatial works with any headphone. You should post a correction.

[@drinkinslim]

How do you get spacial audio options? I have an iPad Air 4 with iOS 15.x but I don't see any spacial options in Settings > Music.

[@jimbob2427]

@@anthonypjay so why does apple advertise the AirPods Pro and max as the only headphones to have spatial audio? Look on the website

[@laika25]

Flawlessly and clearly explained.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thank you!

[@DAMN11KIDS]

Do you ever use sound check or loudness normalization?

[@oioionionone]

The difference with atmos is you’re hearing a better mix, it’s not as heavily compressed, it may not seem as loud but there’s a big difference in the mix, I’m a stereo kind of guy and I’ve listened with £1000 headphones, it’s definitely a different option experience thats not black and white, I can appreciate the difference in some tracks, not all are improved

[@ManacoreMusic]

I think the difference in volume is imposed by the atmos standard (-18LUFS), being so low that makes no sense to master the atmos version. Only the stereo will tipically get the mastering process.

[@youtubegarbage7876]

So you went to a shop and listened with a midrange hifi headphone and now you're an expert?

[@attika70]

@@youtubegarbage7876 your life is just miserable is it?

[@mayssebmasenya9132]

Thanks for detailed info. How do you listen to the lossless music in Hifi system at home? Does network player streaming through WiFi play the lossless audio?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks for watching! Really not sure - depends on so many factors. Cabled is pretty much always the way to go with lossless at the moment.

[@macinman]

Hey Mark, I was curious to get your take on simply going with Audio CD and a good set of speakers over digital lossless? CD is already lossless, and it would be a nice self contained setup away from the computer. In my Case the Sony UHD Blu-ray players I have, also support SACD. I like both formats, and I like iTunes for portability. However, I was thinking, If I was going to spend the money on a good DAC , what about just doing it for a physical media player, the Players I have can play media from USB as well, and would much rather not be locked into a proprietary format from Apple, if I can avoid it. Anyway, would love to hear back from you to see what your thoughts are. Have a great evening!

[@lw8684]

How are the APM vs your Sennheiser's with apple lossless? Is it worth getting open back headphones for someone who isn't an audiophile (I just listen to music at the moment). I have a 2i2 I could use as a DAC.

[@Gixer750K2]

Glad I kept my Bowers & Wilkins MM-1's now... :) They connect to Mac via USB, and have a good quality internal DAC. Apple Lossless sounds really great. Hi-Res Lossless sounds amazing from these little speakers. I used to play lossless FLAC files, so now having Apple music Hi-Res Lossless to stream is music to my ears.

[@edgarmoreno53]

Nice video! I also use the Sennheiser 560s but with an IFI hip-dac + adapter and my iPhone or ipad. It’s great!. I still prefer Tidal Hi-fi over Apple Music Hi-res lossless… but some songs, for example Coldplay (Yellow) 24 bits/192khz (wich is one of the few I have noticed) I think sound better than the one on Tidal Masters MQA

[@simscollectables]

You have totally missed reviewing Dolby atmos music through an actual home theatre system with atmos. I totally get what you are saying with the headphones, however playing it through your Apple TV connected to a receiver is OUT OF THIS WORLD. An incredible atmos experience like no other.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I’m sure it is, dude. But I’m not convinced that’s for my audience - they’re far more interested in the performance on headphones at the is stage - trust me, the analytics speak for themselves 😉

[@alangillette4699]

I am wondering about music play back with a mac connected via HDMI to a AV receiver is lossless also

[@AJsWorld]

@@MarkEllisReviews Agreed, I don't care about home theatre, all of my music listening is through headphones. The closest I get to "home theatre" is a cheap $50 sound bar I got from the electronics store.

[@qwerty78228]

Spatial audio basically tries to mimic what the Dolby atmos mix sounds like with an added effect to make it sound like your in a small room. It does sound odd but still a nice feature to have if you want to have a different music experience or if you want to get a feel for what the atmos mix sounds like. The best way to experience Dolby atmos music is through Apple TV with atmos enabled receiver and high quality speakers. No question. It sounds incredible.

[@just-jj]

Great informative video. I had high hopes for Spatial Audio, but was underwhelmed by the sound. I find a lot of background sounds get pronounced more than the artists voice at times, which makes it sound artificial. Maybe future music releases made with Atmos in mind will sound better, but for now I've turned it off 😂

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Glad it was helpful!

[@slerched]

Is the lossless format louder/punchier because it comes through a DAC/Headphone amp or is this comparison to lossless vs lossy happening via the same DAC? Just wondering.

[@velanche]

I'd be really interested if you can test out Apple's 3.5mm-to-USB-C (or Lightning) adapter, which Apple says has a built-in DAC, and compare it with the other two DACs in the video. As my ears have moderate hearing loss (due to congenital nerve damage), while I have the adapter, it would be good for someone with much better ears and the gear to try that out. Otherwise, good video! I'm posting a video on Monday about Apple Music's lossless audio and I'll include your video as one of the choice picks on the subject in the description. Much appreciated!

[@Cicton]

Really good summary. I quite like the spatial apple music but I understand the hollow argument.

[@stevenrobinson4884]

Interesting hearing your take. I loved Abbey Road in spatial audio with AirPods Pro. Found it transformative. Funny how we all hear it differently!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Maybe I need to listen again :)

[@rishiprasath]

Hi @Mark Ellis Reviews , good video by the way. But i would like to share my opinion on why you actually preferred Apple Music over Tidal. I'm very sure about one thing, your audio expereince doesn't only depend on the audio format that you use but also the audio processing from the app itself, which is adjusted to sound more energetic comapared to Tidal's nuetral sounding app. Here's another example, Deezer has a good library of 16bit FLAC and clearly has a better catalogue than Tidal , but i stopped using the service not only for the performance issues, but also the sound processing from the app that turned out to be awful because it sounded muddy and biased towards the low-ends.

[@BenjaminSmith]

I agree about the loudness. Both Apple Music and Tidal’s lossless hurt my ears at the same volume I would normally use without discomfort.

[@minatalaat4913]

Is ath m40x can be used for music listening or it just for audio monitoring?

[@luvialca]

Do we can feel any difference in quality between Dragonfly and iFi?

[@larrygrandelf6205]

Would an audio interface work just as well for the mid range lossless?

[@davidlrogers]

nailed the Air Pod Max thing for me, too. i actually found this video searching out if i was crazy or not, because i understand the hardware limitation but Apple seems to have "punched up" (to use your words) the software EQ and it sounds really good. huge difference to Spotify, what i normally listen to. i shouldn't be surprised, because their software processing in their phone camera far outpaces everybody else and they're able to do a lot more with a lot less hardware, so audio looks to be the same experience for most average users (of course, those that want to argue about top gear getting top performance, i think being on the bleeding edge is cool but that's not where most users sit on the bell curve and $1000 headphones to push every bit of juice out of music isn't really their priority).

[@01bigtrev]

For the AirPods Pro you can turn on spatial audio in the control centre by long pressing the volume level. Where you find the option for noise cancellation. The option isn’t there for the OG AirPods.

[@tonyward9554]

Hi Mark - Please can we have an update on “Lossless” and spatial audio. Given Apple has announced HomePod 2 , is there now a way to play this format/s on the HomePod 2?

[@forgivemanmokgomola5618]

The way you threw the airpods max case😆

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I never know what to do with it.

[@joeynunez5614]

I had a similar experience as I am an AirPods Pro user and not really an audiophile. I did in fact notice a difference between high quality and lossless right off the bat and it was not placebo as I tested with many songs and same with my car Bluetooth. To me even if the full quality isn’t being utilized, you are still pushing it through with down sampling. It definitely sounds slightly louder and puncher like you were describing even in my AirPods Pro. Dolby Atmos sounds weird on a lot of songs but also a good chunk sounds absolutely incredible and better than ever especially with head tracking. On iOS 15 My favorite new feature is enabling “spatialize stereo” and just makes a majority of non Atmos songs sound wider and more dynamic paired with lossless.

[@robj7386]

i can notice the difference in regular airpods 2

[@nico3641]

Will the new iMacs come with a CD quality internal DAC?

[@winstonsmith8236]

THANKS!! for a great video, I"m new to hifi headphones but have taken the plunge and am really confused about one thing....when you switch to lossless- does that mean ALL your music automatically upgrades if it's capable? is only the music you've downloaded since making the change in preferences is lossless? Optimally what I'd love to do is just make a few playlists that were hi res lossless to enjoy but not eat up all my MacBook Air memory. HELP please!

[@sterlcom2]

good review, so I have the old get Apple TV 4K running to a C9 OLED which runs to a Sonos ARC and sub and you can tell the real difference I think it has to connect to truly supported equipment to hear the difference.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks!

[@HerewardDundasTaylor]

Great review, thanks! However, I don't listen to my music on headphones of earphones, I have a big sounding Onkya 11.2 receiver that rocks my neighbourhood, generally using Tidal. Is it possible to channel Apple Music's Spacial Audio through my receiver? Would it work using the RCA outputs on the back of the Zen DAC or some other means? I have an M1 MBP and iP12 Pro.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks! And yes, you don't need headphones to experience Spatial/Atmos.

[@harshparikh2764]

Can Sony wh-1000xm4 support Dolby Atmos/spatial audio and lossless audio(using the headphone jack) ?

[@HaneezHaroon]

Does it support special audio on iMacs? (ive the 27" 5K)

[@sinandede9871]

Can i use my b&w px8 with my 3,5 cable and an adapter for losless sound from my ipad?

[@shafeeqhafiz4406]

I’ve been finding an answer for days. Is apples spatial audio just about the head tracking function? What’s the main difference between Dolby Atmos and spatial audio? Can those two be used together? Would appreciate any answers greatly.

[@llcn829]

From what I’ve seen, Apple is using spatial audio and Dolby atmos pretty much interchangeably so this is more a marketing distinction. I think Apple initially wanted to avoid using the Dolby atmos branding when the feature was initially announced in iOS 14 but it seems they’ve reversed this decision, which I agree with to avoid confusion between spatial audio vs Dolby atmos. Dynamic head tracking is an Apple specific feature and is not part of Dolby atmos/spatial audio. In other words, spatial audio does not need to have dynamic head tracking, but dynamic head tracking requires spatial audio. Hope that clarifies it a bit.

[@maximilianschwab9668]

We have had 5.1 music for a LONG TIME now. The thing is, you need the special files and the dedicated hardware, if you want to listen to it. The same is to say about lossless. I think we'll see better hardware "for everyone" coming up soon, because both were something for specialists and "lovers", the other thing is, if you really want to "feel" the difference you need to spend money ... that is a sad through. I think the best solution for Atmos without specialized earphones are sound projectors. At this moment the best are the Yamaha YSP 5600 and the Sennheiser Ambeo.

[@erroldnazareth]

I was more curious on Spotify Vs Apple Music, especially after the launch of Dolby Atmos & Lossless on AM.

[@HeinrichWood]

yes, i think you‘re right. but i think it depends on the music, because there are tracks where the dolby atmos just doesn‘t work. but then there are tracks where the atmos sounds pretty beautiful like in the wonder album from shawn mendez. my experience is,that big synthwave pop tracks sound much wider and definately quiet and acoustic mixes sound very immersive. but i agree it suits better for movies. but maybe it depends on the final mastering of the track and gives more atmosphere to some tracks. it also works great on orchestral tracks. so my experience as an music producer is that it totally depends on the mix

[@e.o9470]

Honestly when i had Tidal subscription i spent much more on data plan so i left it for good! i used close to 3TB of data in 4 months! expensive cellular data plan but it was addictive you’re right!

[@ikilledkenny1011]

So momentum 4+ iPhone cannot run loseless? Correct? If I am mistaken? If so how would i run it?

[@randomfun833]

Can ipad pro 2017 play high res without any extra equipment since it has headphone jack?

[@likhithm3097]

Guys I have sony xb900n will it be able to play lossless audio through wired connection?

[@AlexMilbauer]

So this is an important question. I've been using apple music for almost a year now with my air pods maxes and I own a Samsung galaxy s21. All of my songs that are downloaded are in lossless audio. Should I change them back to AAC files since the Airpods Max doesn't support lossless audio?

[@Stuntman707]

Spatial Audio is hit and miss on Apple Music but lossless is great. Also I have my AirPods Pro calibrated with Audiogram to match my specific hearing. Used the Mimi app to take an Audiogram test.

[@yannpoco]

Dolby Atmos and Apple Spacial Audio are two very different technologies, Apple uses the term Spacial Audio in Apple Music just for the PR value I think, but in fact that’s more confusing. Dolby Atmos in music makes the studio record more like a live record version. I think right now it’s like a render or filter for sound in the mixing stage, it doesn’t need Apple to do anything expect to play the Dolby mastered version. The positive side is that the Dolby version is less loud, hence the dynamic range is better.

[@thomasnewsom6084]

If you want to take advantage of your Airpods Max, you should get the Apple cable that allows to you to use them wired ($35) and hook them to your Dragonfly. This is not a simple wire cable as it has an ADC in it (analog to Digital). Even before the High Res add, they really sounded a lot better this way. I'm not sure about the Black version but the Cobalt version of Dragonfly came with an adapter called the Dragon Tail that adapts the USB-A to USB-C. That will plug directly to newer iPads and you can covert USB-C to Lightning for iPhone use.

[@somarvelazquez]

Mark; I have made a few discoveries. I cloud status on your Apple Music when you see it on your computer will say a whole lot. I am with Apple Music since the beginning so: 1: I ripped my CDs at a medium Quality and kept the files on a hard drive. I also bought tracks at .99 cents when that was the thing to do. In order to make my ALL my own music files available in all my devices I subscribed to iTunes Match. 2. When streaming came about I turned to it and kept adding to my collection. All at the lower quality offered then. Now as I listen to my created over many years playlists… the files played are my old low quality files. And not the new lossless available. This means if you have been an Apple Music user from the beginning and if you have uploaded your ripped from CD files to their cloud at a medium quality now you are listening your old uploaded lower quality over streaming with headphones or wired speakers. Until you download everything again

[@bminus397]

do u need a dac for the Bose 700, I heard they have a built in Dac

[@RealMusicHype]

Good stuff, keep it up! We would love to add you on our music blog!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Thanks! Happy to help wherever I can! Pop an email over to [e-mail] 😉

[@MrHoogstoel]

Nice keyboard you have there!

[@av0456]

Question: can I use my Dac/amp FIIO BTR5 Bluetooth Audio Codec APTX HD To play hires Apple audio files using my iPhone ?? Any input will be appreciated Alex.

[@levisaponte984]

What's about Sony WH-1000XM4 and Apple Music features?

[@ryder8238]

Are the new beats buds compatible with atmos? Cause I was thinking of getting them

[@AniruddhJoshi]

Beats buds have Apple W1 Chip, so it should support Dolby Atmos.

[@GJoseeph]

Can Hi Res Lossless work with lightning EarPods?

[@stofferrussell]

Still with Dolby Atmos on Tidal. There’s a playlist on there called 70s Tidal Atmos Tracks. The sound on my setup seems more expansive and I’m using cheaper headphones tans setup than yours but still notice what seems to be a larger soundstage. I didn’t really notice at first but after a few weeks I can now hear the difference between Master and 360° / Atmos tracks. I’m mainly listening on an iPad Pro with a Ugreen USB C DAC / 3mm jack and Sennheiser HD599SE open back cans. As you mentioned though, it’s all subjective. I prefer a more neutral sound so it will be interesting to hear for myself or a review from your good self on the new Sony openbacked cans MDR-MV1.

[@rjhurst]

I have been listening to Apple Music lossless using my £10 Apple lightning to 3.5mm adapter on iPhone (and my Apple USB-C to 3.5mm adapter on iPad Air 4) which I believe allows me to play music to wired headphones at 24 bit/48 kHz. Is it really worth spending £100 or more on an external DAC to hear 24 bit/192 kHz? I’m tempted to do it, but just wondered if there would be much of a difference!

[@ScissorVixens]

I have the Airpod Max headphones (same color as yours's which is blue) and have been a subscriber to Apple Music for a few years now. So, recently sampled the FREE spatial audio with Dolby Atmos and to my ears...it sounds FANTASTIC! I'm old enough to say that 'Another One Bites The Dust' by Queen was one of my favorite songs when it was initially released and when I heard it again remastered with the spatial audio and Dolby Atmos...I heard things in that song I never heard before! So obviously for some...it's going to sound gimmicky as in your case but for many others...I think it will sound amazing.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Glad you're enjoying it, Drew!

[@timcas2664]

Do the iPhone 14 pro speakers play lossless music?

[@DanielLundh]

For some music that actually works, and works very well indeed, in Atmos, try Kraftwerks 3D: The Catalogue. It's a live recording of basically all their albums and it was recorded and mixed in Atmos from day one (The Blu-Ray of the thing is in Atmos too). Try it, it sounds waaaay better than most any other atmos music track I've listened to.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I will definitely try this - thanks.

[@juanolivas2402]

💯 agreed, came across this live version and using my iPod pro, sounds amazing. Great listening experience.

[@ModMINI]

very nice suggestion.

[@zacharykosove9048]

Can you recommend some headphones in between audiophile and consumer. Something high quality sounding but not 1000+ dollars

[@cornerbodega6607]

Can you share which keyboard you are using

[@MarkEllisReviews]

It's an IQUNIX.

[@vertober4300]

so u can’t turn on lossless thru settings? and u always need some sort of device u can’t just use headphones?

[@joshuanesbit]

so what's the difference in spatial audio and atmos? the terms are used interchangeably by apple

[@tonygoodin5099]

I thought the AirPods Max had a cable with them Can you not use that to get the lossless on them ??

[@hkproductions_]

Even though you need additional hardware to listen to lossless / high res lossless, can you still notice a difference in airpods pro?

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Not quite so much as the Max.

[@dantracy621]

In other words, yes.

[@palwindersingh9678]

Hey, have you made any tutorials on how you're editing your audio, it sounds great, thanks.

[@MarkEllisReviews]

I have done 😊 Check out my video catalogue!

[@palwindersingh9678]

@@MarkEllisReviews I saw the video. You were complaining about echo in your room. Have you tried iZtope RX before its advanced version have this dialogue dereverb module. The tool can be GOD send for eliminating echo from your audio. Do give it a try if you haven’t already.

[@ssnaredude10]

I had a chance to listen to the Atmos version of Hybrid Theory from Linkin Park, and I can’t help but agree with you in regards to a more quieter hollow sound. I did also notice some tracks that had seemed modified, which makes me think that it might be less of the technology at fault and more so the engineering. Just my 2 cents.

[@AJsWorld]

I'm listening to Crawling from that album, a song I'm very familiar with, and it sounds terrible! The intro looses all of the bass, the chorus has over emphasised the drums and the main vocals have reverb (1:46-2:05 is a good example of the fake reverb).

[@youtubegarbage7876]

It's almost like A: Atmos isn't meant for your cheap headphones or any other headphones and B: That album wasn't recorded in Atmos so it's fake anyway... and C: the band kinda sucks.

[@JohnDeLeon28]

I think the first thing that I've noticed when listening to the lossless quality on Apple Music is the music being much cleaner like so smooth and the vocals are not that harsh anymore like it really blends well with the instrumentals compared to the previous one (256kbps AAC) and I think I can hear more instruments like you've never heard before that exists. It really has more detail. And weird that I am listening to an Airpod but I can hear the difference between the two. (256kbps AAC to Lossless 24 bit/48kHz)

[@Fatih-xl7yn]

AirPods doesn’t support lossless 👀

[@JohnDeLeon28]

@@Fatih-xl7yn The upcoming Airpods will released with lossless feature.

[@Fatih-xl7yn]

@@JohnDeLeon28 I only wanted to mention, that you have listen to aac and not lossless

[@JohnDeLeon28]

@@Fatih-xl7ynLossless feature only works with wired headphones but the upcoming new AirPods will now feature Lossless capabilities

[@Fatih-xl7yn]

@@JohnDeLeon28 you can listen lossless wireless with an Android, because they support higher Bluetooth codecs. (But the Bluetooth headphones have to support the codec)

[@rifano]

Does Sony WH-1000XM4 can do it?

[@alangillette4699]

What if your mac is connected to a AV receiver, something like this: SX-10AE - Pioneer Home USA?

[@BrisbaneTeslaGuy]

Hey what’s that keyboard on your desk??

[@MarkEllisReviews]

IQUNIX - check 'em out.

[@prasadchavan7995]

One very silly question Does Apple EarPods provide any sought of Dolby Atmos or lossless audio?

[@luragon3669]

Dolby atmos sounds awesome with jazz!

[@MarkEllisReviews]

Wish I was in to jazz, in that case 😂