Thanks for the video. I use my setup (Marantz PM7000N, Wharfedale Evo 4.4s, RSL Speedwoofer 10S MKII, Pro-ject X1) mostly for vinyl, but I wanted to try out hi-res because using Airplay with Apple Music didn't sound all that good. I setup a plex server on my PC to feed FLAC to the Marantz, but sourcing FLAC for most of my music was impossible. Still, what I did have sounded much better than Airplay. Since I had an iPad I don't use much anymore, I decided to connect it to the Marantz by going iPad > Apple USB Camera adapter > USB cable > Douk Audio U2 > optical cable > Marantz. It actually works really well and sounds much better than Airplay. The highest I saw from Apple Hi Res Lossless was 192 KHz. Total cost was about $100 USD, and that's including the cables needed, not too shabby.
I bought the FiiO R7 and love it. It plays very well with such a variety of equipment. At the moment it’s feeding a Sansui AU-555A powering a pair of Celestion Ditton 551 and you’d never think there was a fifty year gap between the network streamer and the integrated amplifier / loudspeakers. They sound like contemporary pieces. I also note that the R7 comes with a cushy base that in my view acts as an iso pad which I love. If my R7 fell over and died I’d run right out and buy another one.
Same here. I've yet to hear a Hi Res track or album that sounds significantly better than the Redbook equivalent. It's nice seeing the higher sampling rate and bit depth on the DAC though 😊
Being a Apple Music subscriber the Eversolo is a godsend to me, have messed about with all manor of streaming options but hated having to use AirPlay but now I’m in audio nirvana with my master edition with LHY linear power supply on the way soon. The Eversolo is hands down the best bit of kit I’ve bought in a long time & at a reasonable price can’t recommend it highly enough. I agree the landscape integration of the app on my phone would be better implemented in portrait whilst leaving the display on the dmp A6 landscape, maybe this is something Eversolo can change in a future software update but otherwise I’m more than happy 🙂
I was an assistant engineer in a recording studio in LA from 2007-2010 most sessions were recorded in Pro Tools at 24bit-88k/96k. Rarely would anything get recorded in 192k. I’ve been buying CD’s since the early 90’s my ears are trained at CD quality. I’m happy with CD quality it has a certain sound.
To me this just illustrates the lunacy of non-physical media - at least until this stuff matures. Consumers are being asked to pay big money for technology which is immature and may or may not deliver on your expectations. I'll continue to use an iPhone, Spotify and wireless headphones for discovery - and a turntable and a CD player for focussed listening.
This is by far my favourite Hi-Fi channel on YT. I just really appreciate your attitude and angle towards most topics and they are all very well researched, informational and unbiased. Keep up the great work! 🙂
At least I can confirm that the B&W PX7S2, PX7S2E and the PX8 are playing back High Res music bit perfect when connected via USB C directly to an iPhone 15 series phone. The PX8 is profiting especially, having a more sonically impressive and stable presentation
Thanks for this update John. In India, Apple music is the only available lossless streaming service. So the FiiO R7s ability to stream hi res and lossless audio natively without the need for an iPad is a huge advantage.
I recently updated the Hi-fi setup in my office. I went the Eversolo route and got the master edition. The Eversolo is a wonderful bit of kit. I looked at the Fio, but preferred the form factor, internal nvme, and remote functions of the Eversolo - plus......VU meters! :D Stupid, but I bloody love having VU meters again. ;) The other thing I was looking for was multiple inputs and outputs as this is my office and I wanted to connect my PC, output to a headphone DAC. The Eversolo is also amazing in what it can connect to and receive. In the end I got the Eversolo, connected to a Power Box DS2 Amp, feeding a pair of Fyne Audio F500. I'm in the stage where I'm listening to all my favourites again with a big smile on my face. Only thing I havent figured out how to get working yet is the Zen DAC V2 for my headphones. Haven't sorted out how to configure and get that working. But your review of the Fio and Eversolo were a massive help in deciding what to go for. Thank you. :)
as an apple user i just use my 100$ apple tv for streaming and my iphone or ipad as a remote controller for apple tv music. no third party apps. the apple tv is connected via LAN with my network, the audio goes through HDMI 2.1 to the TV and from the TV per TOSLink to my DAC. if you want 24bit/192khz all the time thats not the solution, but i get 24bit/48khz for cheap and its a simple easy to manage solution. my loudspeakers are the Buchardt A500 and it sounds great
Thanks for going deep on this topic, Darko. Apple shouldn’t make it this hard to enjoy hi-res lossless sound from Apple Music. This video should be pinned at the top when people Google search this topic.
I used an iPad and Mac mini (with free LosslessSwitcher app) but not being able to operate it remotely in a convenient way annoyed me. I settled for an Apple TV in the end, fed directly into an amp through HDMI. Album art and song texts look gorgeous with Apple Music on a big screen. And I can listen to Dark side of the moon in spatial/atmos once in a while :). If Eversolo provided a better album art experience for Apple Music on its screen (and preferably also through HDMI out on my TV) and had Atmos out through HDMI I would switch to that immediately. But without those features I'm not sure it is worth it over the Apple TV. Can you hear the difference between Apple Music stereo cd quality upsampled to 48 kHz on Apple TV vs bit perfect cd quality on Eversolo/FiiO, John?
Loves this video. The major problem I have with Apple music for Android, is that it doesn't have soundcheck, volume normalization which is essential. I know some people don't like it, but the fact that nearly every streaming service (besides of apple music) have that, is the reason why we got back more dynamic range in modern masters. I love high dynamic range songs, but when a loud song is next on the playlist, apple music kills my ears. I really wonder why this is not a huge topic for audio lovers, who use apple music and android devices.
I own and use the newest Apple TV 4K which is connected to my Denon AV-Receiver. It actually does switch the sample rate between 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz depending on the source. I guess Apple implemented that feature at some point in the last weeks or months. Unfortunately the Denon AV-Receiver only shows the input sample rate but not the bit depth so I can only assume that it also switches between 16 and 24 Bit depending on the source. I love this setup for its simplicity and I don't care much about Hi-Res. And to all the other Apple TV users: Go into the "Music" app settings and activate lossless streaming. It's set to AAC by default.
When I am really listening music, I use a hard wire from my iPad to my DAC and always have the best sampling available, up to 192… easiest way, almost aisle free!
If you want CD quality lossless (bit perfect) over AirPlay 2, you must set the volume to max on your iOS device. In a Mac, you must set the overall volume to max as well. After that, you can adjust your volume on your preamp or whatever.
Hey John, I've been trying to take the iPhone -> USB path with Apple Music high-res lossless. So far without much luck. I am using a Rotel A14MKII integrated amplifier. This offers 2 ways to connect an iPhone/iPad via USB which seems to make a difference: This model has a front USB-A connector for "i-Devices" and a rear USB-B connector which is currently connected to my computer. And according to Rotel's documentation should be used to connect the "newer USB-C equipped iPads" to the amp. When connecting my iPhone or iPad to the front USB of the amp, it shows fixed 24Bit/44.1kHz coming from my iPhone/iPad, no matter what I play on Apple music or in any other app. (yes, "high-res lossless" is activated in the settings of the music app). I currently cannot try the rear USB-B connection, as I do not have a matching adapter cable USB-B -> Lightning. Problem there would also be, that I cannot use this input for my computer anymore. Furthermore I realized in another test in a shop a while ago, the USB-B does not provide power. So the whole music playback from the iPhone would be on battery, which is also not ideal. Any further idea how I could bring high-res audio from the iPhone into the amp without changing the USB-B cable all the time between computer and phone and without draining the phone's battery? Thanks for the great reviews! Cheers, Chris
What’s going on inside macOS (probably many other operating systems also) is not just resampling the audio, but it is actually mixing other system sounds with the music. If you get some kind of a notification when music is playing you will hear both. Until Apple implements exclusive mode that exists in other software such as roon or the tidal app, this will continue being a problem even if someone keeps changing the sample rate manually
Argon Solo is also a Chromecast unit, it can play Apple music through Google Home app controlled by iPhone at least at 16/44 (not AAC) . Argon streamer/dac can handle Hi-res, but I don't know if Google app limit the stream. Why I wrote this anyway, because Argon Solo (250€) sounds better to me than Eversolo Dac Z8.
Can we PLEASE have more stuff that just works. Having to jump through all the hoops that sooo many products make us do just to get the damn thing to work gets really old very quickly. I remember with great fondness, the utter joy of switching on my amp and CD player, putting a disc in the tray, pressing play, and enjoying the music. Why do we have so much faffing about now with apps and compatibility issues? AAAGGHHHH!
@@circattle I think @darko Audio needs to test that assumption in part 3 ;) He can throw in Apple Music via the Apple TV as an additional and AirPlay to an AirPlay 1 endpoint.
I use my Macbook Pro 16 2021'' through a Steinberg UR22 connected to a pair of Focal Alpha EVO 50, using LosslessSwitcher, or using 192Khz oversampling everything, or changing sample rates manually. Ii've always had interest in telling how it will work on mobile, but im not that interested in lossless outside my house. I liked to used Audirvana for Qobuz and Tidal sometime ago, but i discarded everything for Apple Music. Thanks for your video.
I just connect my ipad to my integrated amp and use iphone accessibility to control the ipad remotely. I can skip/repeat, volume up/down using my iphone. It doesn’t have search functionality but I normally listen to albums or playlists anyway so I don’t need it. Saved me getting the eversolo. That first Apple lossless video was my first Darko video as I wondered how to get lossless. I only had an Airpods Max back then but now have an audio system in our lounge connected to the TV and another on my desk with 6 wired headphones. (no) thanks to JD.😅
Even though I despise Apple's business model, the fact that I live in Taiwan only allows me to play either Spotify and/or Apple Music, as Tidal and all the other platforms are not available in Taiwan at this time... so I use Spotify and Apple Music. In wanting to keep costs down during the COVID-19 debacle, my solution was to buy an iPod Touch 7th generation - yes, I know it's been discontinued, but I'm sure you can still find used ones out there, if you look... I run my iPod Touch through an AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt, into a Little Dot Mk II as a pre-amp, then into the rest of my system... It's not much to look at, but it sounds great and most importantly, it allows me to receive the Hi-Res music that I'm looking for when listening to Apple Music - skipping all the bugaboos and other aggravating problems that Dark Audio has been discussing in this and previous episodes... Great video - much appreciated and enjoyed...!!!
thanks for another great video! my question is: will I get hi-res audio from direct headphone jack output on my Huawei P30 phone playing Apple music? It is an android phone with a internal DAC similar to your LGs.
I recently purchased a D1P outboard DAC from Audioengine for less than $200, and from everything I'm seeing and hearing it's delivering hi-res Apple Music content to my system when used in conjunction with my iPhone. All you do is use the included lighting to USB-C or USB-C to USB-C cable to connect your phone to the DAC, and then I use high quality shielded RCA cables to go from the DAC into my receiver. The LED indicator on the D1P that indicates stream resolution using color codes appears to change in sync with the resolution info for each song displayed on my phone. I use the "stereo direct" setting on my receiver so I don't add any other digital processing, and it sounds amazing. in fact, I tried Qobuz using the iPhone+D1P combo, and IMO it sounds better than the internal streamer on my receiver that can handle hi res Qobuz. Nothing against the Eversolo and FIIO, but if you don't want to spend the price these units command, the D1P merits your consideration.
Dear John. Thanks again for a most helpful and informative video. Does the use of either the Fiio or Eversolo trump the old iPad method? The iPad will play Apple Music natively and if connected via a USB cable, can stream into a good DAC and then into the main system. Isn't that a cheaper option that buying a new piece of equipment? Naturally, the only downside I can see is that you need to disconnect to charge the iPad every now and then. Thanks.
Wish Fiio/Eversolo could develop a pure streamer that supports Apple Music bit-prefectly, and output digitally via USB/toslink/coax, without any DAC/amp. The audiophiles already have a mature system, no need to waste money on another all-in-one.
Thanks for the info here. With all the streaming options available and all the specs it’s a bit overwhelming. You are helping me to understand. Btw digging your pod casts. All the best.
So, if you intend to use bit perfect output via Apple Music streaming outside of a native app running on a say an Eversolo or the like, then you need to use an iPad/iPhone with a USB cable straight into your DAC. Correct?
I became obsessed trying to find an affordable solution for streaming bit perfect lossless audio to the point where it was maddening. In the end, I bought a Wiim Mini which cost me around $80 USD. IMO, the difference in sound quality over more expense solutions just isn't worth the time or the hassle.
Thanks for all the investigation and the video. I'd like to think that it would be simple to deliver hi-res audio (as long as one has a fast-enough internet connection), but apparently everyone wants to get their fingers into the stream and screw things up! Maybe in another 5-10 years they'll finally figure out how to deliver the best audio experience that's available.
Getting that " 96K" to pop up is so satisfying...you know the best way to do that? LDAC bluetooth!😅 I can send music from my phone or tablet to the BlueMe Pro, digital PCM into a nice DAC, plug in your favorite amp and speakers, just enjoy the music. The little display shows 96k and that's how I know it sounds good😅
I have a "High Rez" album on Apple Music and other services thhey say is high rez but ripped from a CD. The master tapes are in my house and they never asked me for them. So is it really Hig Rez?
I believe that the real plus from "high Res" is about / from the bits Depth i.e. 24 or 32 bits, for greater Dynamics in particular. Sampling Rate of 44kHz, I believe, is good enough.
Thank you for the excellent explanation. I really enjoy your direction. I’m a senior citizen and 50 year audiophile with interests this video address. My current streaming situation is all in with Apple, Qobuz and BlusSound Node 2i. Believe I’ll follow one of your thoughts and add a standalone DAC to my Node 2i. Always eager for your next video and podcast.
Don’t understand why Apple does not add the necessary software to their Apple TV OS to support highest quality hi res playback from their own Apple Music app. That is what I have waiting for to stream highest quality music to my hi fi setup. Would be seamless and all in the Apple ecosystem. 🧐
great film, I have been watching for some time which manufacturer will be the first to introduce lossless , are there any integrated amplifiers that support Apple Lossless?
I play my Apple Lossless music files through old SONY pha3 or pha2 DACs into my Vinnie Rossie Integrated Amplifier. It sounds great. The SONY DACs have high-res stickers on them so I hope they are playing full resolution.
My solution: A Mac mini connected to the Denon receiver, which also has a TV connected, with the correct settings in the MIDI setup of the Mac. But certainly also an interesting solution with the Eversolo DMP-A6 and the FiiO R7. Maybe something for the future, when I retire my Mac... Thanks for your great video… ❤🙏🏻
If the R7 and A6 are Airplay 1, can you just simply Airplay and not bother with the casting app/Android Apple Music? I'm dying to figure out how to lossless streaming with Apple Music.
I am running a Mac mini M1, Apple Music and a Dragonfly Red. I have all the settings turned up to all the highest quality. Does Apple Music Mac OS res down the stream? Per Apple support, I should be getting the hi-res files correct? TIA!
Do the R7 and Eversolo output only Apple Music in bitperfect or does any audio stream work? I.e. Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer etc. (as long as it's installable of course).
I had a Sonos Port for a while, I can't remember exactly why, but it doesn't do Hi-Res out, (something dodgy about variable or fixed output) I sold it and just use an Apple TV 4K now, HDMI into an AV amp.
I have a small box connected to my Apple TV 4k that exacts an optical toslink signal from HDMI, feeding an ifi nano iOne into a Cambridge Audio AXA-35, and Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. Good enough for me listening for hours without any fatigue.
Streaming, more convenient, apparently. 😉 But so many gotchas, gizmos, software, dependencies, conversions, compatibility issues. I'll stick to CD in my listening room, and streaming for office/headphones.
I have a Hiby R6 V3 with Apple Music and it does lossless and hires bit perfectly (thanks to the same re-working done by Fiio) obviously via wired headphones. I can connect it to my DAC or headphone amp via USB , but sadly it stops any streaming apps from working and only allows plaback os my stored music.
You need a special USB to SPDIF cable to feed your DAC. [I think Hiby makes one.] I use my R6 Pro II with this cable into my Gustard R26 and it works perfectly! Hope this helps...
AppleLossless Switcher App for MacOS. It controls the MIDI output for bit-perfect HI-Res lossless audio streaming via USB cable to an external DAC/Amp. Solved.
Does the Lossless Switcher still audibly glitch when the sample rate changes? It used to. If it still does, many people would consider this not yet 'solved'.
I can only hope you keep beating this drum, John. Perhaps Apple will pay proper attention in time. This Airplay conundrum can only ultimately be solved when Apple itself allows bit perfect play over its WiFi attributes. For example, it’s become a bit of an insult that I can’t stream Roon Arc bit-perfect while wirelessly tethering a MojoPoly combo to my iPhone or iPad. It’s always downsampled to the Airplay default. More insulting, I can actually play the Poly’s micro SD stored content, bit-perfect from the iOS device into any lightning-connected dongle or DAC, yet the Poly itself can only receive the same downsampled output… mind you, originating from the same uncompressed, incoming files the iOS device receives from it. Why Chord didn’t design the Poly to direct play it’s SD files into the Mojo is a whole other problem I’ll only mention as such. A unique set of problems, I admit, but being mobile for weeks at a time, it would be quite nice to have a more robust wireless pipeline in both directions, such as it is with the Nucleus on the home network. Meantime, I remain optimistic these limitations will be removed in time. And truthfully, I’m grateful for what have already. The Poly’s tethering feature has solved a greater wireless problem I’ve found quite consistent with Bluetooth connectivity across the board: Random, frequent dropouts, constantly interrupting the music… largely due to its management protocols of other connected devices. Compared to that, I’ll happily take AAC or Redbook FLAC (whichever it is) all day long. BTW, love the podcast too!
Hi, when you say your preference for sound quality lays with the Fiio, for clarities sake, are you asserting you prefer the Fiio’s analog output to that of the Eversolo, please? Risking the beginning of a religious war, I ask this because some claim there are discernible differences in digital transports, albeit through the same external digital to analog converter. Have you assessed the SQ of the Fiio versus the Eversolo through a common external DAC ?? Kind regards, -Troy
What is interesting is that since tvOS 17, my ATV 4K 2022 is now outputting the proper sampling rate from the Music app for lossless, while it was previously locked at 48Khz like you say. I’m just as stunned as anyone. I have lossless turned on, and when playing something that Apple Music shows as 24/44.1 my connected AVR shows 44.1 KHz! Also, when playing 24/48 it shows 48Khz! You still can’t do the high resolution stuff > 48Kz on Apple TV, but this seems like a huge win
Surely if you have a streaming amp hardwired to Apple Music via ethernet, it gets the full noise, right? My Hegel H95 has no WiFi connection, but has ethernet hooked up. I use my iPhone as the controller (AirPlay2). HiFi salesman assured me the phone is just the controller, the amp gets full hi-res audio directly from Apple Music via ethernet, because the phone sends an address to the amp which tells it where to find the direct stream, allowing original high-res encoding. It's an expensive amp, so I sure hope that is the case. Anyway, thanks for the video Darko.
I believe he did, and said that is still compressed and not hi res. Basically there is better to be had set up differently. You must have a native streamer and Apple TV compress and the eversolo or Fiio don’t.
Great video, as a sometimes Apple Music user, thank you. I say sometimes because, on my main system and on my home office system I use Roon. Of course, my dream is to cut through all of the work arounds that you identified and have Apple and Roon get it together!!
Yes, indeed. As an old geezer musician/recording engineer, I can’t hear above 12khz so the sampling frequency isn’t important to me anymore. Only my dog. But the higher bit resolution is something that is very apparent.
Wait, help.. all this time I thought Apple airplay on my phone to the Bluesound Node on my receiver will give me lossless quality? Is this not true? I was about to buy it after so much saving and research.
No. Not lossless. Resampled. Another option is a DAP that uses bit-perfect Android work arounds. I have a Hiby R6 Pro II that I use the usb out to SPDIF that feeds into my Gustard R26. Sounds amazing!
I just wanna know how to be sure im getting full 24bit 196kHz sample rate through to my Sennheiser Headphones at bit perfect, and at impedance matched. Haha
great video! It was super informative, thanks. I was wondering if you have a list of other streamers that do Apple Music & Roon with bit perfect streams!? using iphone or ipad
Great video! Wondering though - does all of this apply when streaming Apple Music or Amazon Music Unlimited from an iPhone to a Sonos speaker or network of Sonos speakers? Thanks!
I got a MacBook Pro with a Motu sound card and it’s connected to my Yamaha R-N1000A and the sound is very disappointing. It’s setup at: 24/192 in the Apple MIDI. So I use Qobuz.
Sooo…. if I plug my Koss KPH40s with their (built in Dac)cable into my iPhone 15 Plus on Apple Music. I am getting hi res lossless right? My display is telling me I am. Ex. Lossless.
Thanks for the video. I use my setup (Marantz PM7000N, Wharfedale Evo 4.4s, RSL Speedwoofer 10S MKII, Pro-ject X1) mostly for vinyl, but I wanted to try out hi-res because using Airplay with Apple Music didn't sound all that good. I setup a plex server on my PC to feed FLAC to the Marantz, but sourcing FLAC for most of my music was impossible. Still, what I did have sounded much better than Airplay. Since I had an iPad I don't use much anymore, I decided to connect it to the Marantz by going iPad > Apple USB Camera adapter > USB cable > Douk Audio U2 > optical cable > Marantz. It actually works really well and sounds much better than Airplay. The highest I saw from Apple Hi Res Lossless was 192 KHz. Total cost was about $100 USD, and that's including the cables needed, not too shabby.
I bought the FiiO R7 and love it. It plays very well with such a variety of equipment. At the moment it’s feeding a Sansui AU-555A powering a pair of Celestion Ditton 551 and you’d never think there was a fifty year gap between the network streamer and the integrated amplifier / loudspeakers. They sound like contemporary pieces. I also note that the R7 comes with a cushy base that in my view acts as an iso pad which I love.
If my R7 fell over and died I’d run right out and buy another one.
All I NEED is CD quality 16/44.1, beyond that is of no importance to me. I guess that disqualifies me as an audiophile, but I AM a happy man!
Same here. I've yet to hear a Hi Res track or album that sounds significantly better than the Redbook equivalent. It's nice seeing the higher sampling rate and bit depth on the DAC though 😊
I'm with you, being an audiophile is a disease anyways. Hi res is important in the music production process though.
CD quality streaming is not the same as actual CD quality. CD’s will always sound better
How does that disqualify you? I love my CDs.
do a level matched blind listening between CD quality and hi-res and see who's the audiophile and who simply overpay for music
Being a Apple Music subscriber the Eversolo is a godsend to me, have messed about with all manor of streaming options but hated having to use AirPlay but now I’m in audio nirvana with my master edition with LHY linear power supply on the way soon. The Eversolo is hands down the best bit of kit I’ve bought in a long time & at a reasonable price can’t recommend it highly enough.
I agree the landscape integration of the app on my phone would be better implemented in portrait whilst leaving the display on the dmp A6 landscape, maybe this is something Eversolo can change in a future software update but otherwise I’m more than happy 🙂
I was an assistant engineer in a recording studio in LA from 2007-2010 most sessions were recorded in Pro Tools at 24bit-88k/96k. Rarely would anything get recorded in 192k. I’ve been buying CD’s since the early 90’s my ears are trained at CD quality. I’m happy with CD quality it has a certain sound.
To me this just illustrates the lunacy of non-physical media - at least until this stuff matures. Consumers are being asked to pay big money for technology which is immature and may or may not deliver on your expectations. I'll continue to use an iPhone, Spotify and wireless headphones for discovery - and a turntable and a CD player for focussed listening.
as opposed to paying big money for technology which is lossy (£30 for a single vinyl album) 😏
I really like the bits on some of your videos where you talk about new / resissued music.
I just wish Audivana or Roon could interact with Apple Music (or Spotify) similar to Tidal or Qobuz
Came here casually for a bit of Hifi talk, left buying the Tricky Super Deluxe album on vinyl. 😎 Thanks for the heads up! 😊🙏🏾
This is by far my favourite Hi-Fi channel on YT. I just really appreciate your attitude and angle towards most topics and they are all very well researched, informational and unbiased. Keep up the great work! 🙂
At least I can confirm that the B&W PX7S2, PX7S2E and the PX8 are playing back High Res music bit perfect when connected via USB C directly to an iPhone 15 series phone. The PX8 is profiting especially, having a more sonically impressive and stable presentation
Also the oldest PX?
Thanks for this update John. In India, Apple music is the only available lossless streaming service. So the FiiO R7s ability to stream hi res and lossless audio natively without the need for an iPad is a huge advantage.
I am hooked by DSD coded music, it's Sony technology and absolutely amazing.
I recently updated the Hi-fi setup in my office. I went the Eversolo route and got the master edition.
The Eversolo is a wonderful bit of kit. I looked at the Fio, but preferred the form factor, internal nvme, and remote functions of the Eversolo - plus......VU meters! :D Stupid, but I bloody love having VU meters again. ;)
The other thing I was looking for was multiple inputs and outputs as this is my office and I wanted to connect my PC, output to a headphone DAC. The Eversolo is also amazing in what it can connect to and receive.
In the end I got the Eversolo, connected to a Power Box DS2 Amp, feeding a pair of Fyne Audio F500. I'm in the stage where I'm listening to all my favourites again with a big smile on my face.
Only thing I havent figured out how to get working yet is the Zen DAC V2 for my headphones. Haven't sorted out how to configure and get that working.
But your review of the Fio and Eversolo were a massive help in deciding what to go for. Thank you. :)
as an apple user i just use my 100$ apple tv for streaming and my iphone or ipad as a remote controller for apple tv music. no third party apps. the apple tv is connected via LAN with my network, the audio goes through HDMI 2.1 to the TV and from the TV per TOSLink to my DAC. if you want 24bit/192khz all the time thats not the solution, but i get 24bit/48khz for cheap and its a simple easy to manage solution. my loudspeakers are the Buchardt A500 and it sounds great
Thanks for going deep on this topic, Darko. Apple shouldn’t make it this hard to enjoy hi-res lossless sound from Apple Music. This video should be pinned at the top when people Google search this topic.
Finally the answer to the question that nobody has been able answer up until now! Thanks!
I used an iPad and Mac mini (with free LosslessSwitcher app) but not being able to operate it remotely in a convenient way annoyed me. I settled for an Apple TV in the end, fed directly into an amp through HDMI. Album art and song texts look gorgeous with Apple Music on a big screen. And I can listen to Dark side of the moon in spatial/atmos once in a while :). If Eversolo provided a better album art experience for Apple Music on its screen (and preferably also through HDMI out on my TV) and had Atmos out through HDMI I would switch to that immediately. But without those features I'm not sure it is worth it over the Apple TV. Can you hear the difference between Apple Music stereo cd quality upsampled to 48 kHz on Apple TV vs bit perfect cd quality on Eversolo/FiiO, John?
This ⬆️! Why buy more boxes. Apple TV 4K FTW
Hello, can’t find LossessSwitcher app. Tell me more about this, please. Thx.
Loves this video. The major problem I have with Apple music for Android, is that it doesn't have soundcheck, volume normalization which is essential. I know some people don't like it, but the fact that nearly every streaming service (besides of apple music) have that, is the reason why we got back more dynamic range in modern masters.
I love high dynamic range songs, but when a loud song is next on the playlist, apple music kills my ears. I really wonder why this is not a huge topic for audio lovers, who use apple music and android devices.
Thank you John, I literally was searching this topic up yesterday. Very informative and exactly what I was looking for… thanks again
Man introduced the video with an amapiano track
Legend 🇿🇦
Does the introduction of USB-C on the iPhone 15 range make lossless on the go a bit more convenient as we don’t need the lightning adapter anymore?
Those tricky albums bring me back to wild times. I watch these more to find out what you’re listing to 😂
I own and use the newest Apple TV 4K which is connected to my Denon AV-Receiver. It actually does switch the sample rate between 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz depending on the source. I guess Apple implemented that feature at some point in the last weeks or months. Unfortunately the Denon AV-Receiver only shows the input sample rate but not the bit depth so I can only assume that it also switches between 16 and 24 Bit depending on the source. I love this setup for its simplicity and I don't care much about Hi-Res. And to all the other Apple TV users: Go into the "Music" app settings and activate lossless streaming. It's set to AAC by default.
Is your denon receiver eARC ?
When I am really listening music, I use a hard wire from my iPad to my DAC and always have the best sampling available, up to 192… easiest way, almost aisle free!
Nice shout on Maxinquaye - it's a brilliant album and a 90s landmark. Fully deserving of this deluxe treatment.
If you want CD quality lossless (bit perfect) over AirPlay 2, you must set the volume to max on your iOS device. In a Mac, you must set the overall volume to max as well. After that, you can adjust your volume on your preamp or whatever.
Hey John, I've been trying to take the iPhone -> USB path with Apple Music high-res lossless. So far without much luck.
I am using a Rotel A14MKII integrated amplifier. This offers 2 ways to connect an iPhone/iPad via USB which seems to make a difference: This model has a front USB-A connector for "i-Devices" and a rear USB-B connector which is currently connected to my computer. And according to Rotel's documentation should be used to connect the "newer USB-C equipped iPads" to the amp.
When connecting my iPhone or iPad to the front USB of the amp, it shows fixed 24Bit/44.1kHz coming from my iPhone/iPad, no matter what I play on Apple music or in any other app. (yes, "high-res lossless" is activated in the settings of the music app).
I currently cannot try the rear USB-B connection, as I do not have a matching adapter cable USB-B -> Lightning. Problem there would also be, that I cannot use this input for my computer anymore. Furthermore I realized in another test in a shop a while ago, the USB-B does not provide power. So the whole music playback from the iPhone would be on battery, which is also not ideal.
Any further idea how I could bring high-res audio from the iPhone into the amp without changing the USB-B cable all the time between computer and phone and without draining the phone's battery?
Thanks for the great reviews!
Cheers,
Chris
99% of people are not going to buy a whole separate streamer just for Apple Music
I have Qobuz and Tidal to use with roon. Apple Music on the go.
Love the music recommendations! It can't all be just about bits (and bobs). Refreshing!
So in conclusion there is still no easy way to play High Res Apple Music in 2023
What’s going on inside macOS (probably many other operating systems also) is not just resampling the audio, but it is actually mixing other system sounds with the music. If you get some kind of a notification when music is playing you will hear both.
Until Apple implements exclusive mode that exists in other software such as roon or the tidal app, this will continue being a problem even if someone keeps changing the sample rate manually
@08:33 Thanks for the heads up on the Tricky remaster > good to know it sounds nice (had hoped it would be good!) > ordered one just now 🎉
I like the old solution... iPad and usb DAC.
Argon Solo is also a Chromecast unit, it can play Apple music through Google Home app controlled by iPhone at least at 16/44 (not AAC) . Argon streamer/dac can handle Hi-res, but I don't know if Google app limit the stream. Why I wrote this anyway, because Argon Solo (250€) sounds better to me than Eversolo Dac Z8.
Can we PLEASE have more stuff that just works. Having to jump through all the hoops that sooo many products make us do just to get the damn thing to work gets really old very quickly. I remember with great fondness, the utter joy of switching on my amp and CD player, putting a disc in the tray, pressing play, and enjoying the music. Why do we have so much faffing about now with apps and compatibility issues? AAAGGHHHH!
Apple Music isn't the only option for streaming music. 😉
So to stream apple lossless in your hi-fi system you need a non apple device..
Isnt that something
Not true. You can get the same effect as the FiiO R7 by connecting an iPad to your DAC via USB and putting the iPad on a stand.
@@mongo2044so another device then.
@@circattle I think @darko Audio needs to test that assumption in part 3 ;) He can throw in Apple Music via the Apple TV as an additional and AirPlay to an AirPlay 1 endpoint.
@@mongo2044your dac must have it’s own power source and a usb input , many don’t WiiM pro plus does not when connected to amp and passive speakers
I use my Macbook Pro 16 2021'' through a Steinberg UR22 connected to a pair of Focal Alpha EVO 50, using LosslessSwitcher, or using 192Khz oversampling everything, or changing sample rates manually.
Ii've always had interest in telling how it will work on mobile, but im not that interested in lossless outside my house. I liked to used Audirvana for Qobuz and Tidal sometime ago, but i discarded everything for Apple Music. Thanks for your video.
I just connect my ipad to my integrated amp and use iphone accessibility to control the ipad remotely. I can skip/repeat, volume up/down using my iphone. It doesn’t have search functionality but I normally listen to albums or playlists anyway so I don’t need it. Saved me getting the eversolo. That first Apple lossless video was my first Darko video as I wondered how to get lossless. I only had an Airpods Max back then but now have an audio system in our lounge connected to the TV and another on my desk with 6 wired headphones. (no) thanks to JD.😅
Even though I despise Apple's business model, the fact that I live in Taiwan only allows me to play either Spotify and/or Apple Music, as Tidal and all the other platforms are not available in Taiwan at this time... so I use Spotify and Apple Music. In wanting to keep costs down during the COVID-19 debacle, my solution was to buy an iPod Touch 7th generation - yes, I know it's been discontinued, but I'm sure you can still find used ones out there, if you look... I run my iPod Touch through an AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt, into a Little Dot Mk II as a pre-amp, then into the rest of my system... It's not much to look at, but it sounds great and most importantly, it allows me to receive the Hi-Res music that I'm looking for when listening to Apple Music - skipping all the bugaboos and other aggravating problems that Dark Audio has been discussing in this and previous episodes... Great video - much appreciated and enjoyed...!!!
Currently using Apple Music through S23 using Qudelix 5k DAC and Moondrop Blessing 2, and I'm so happy with my entry-level audio setup.
2023: best listening 🍎Music experience is on Adroid 🤯progress👏🏻or what..
thanks for another great video! my question is: will I get hi-res audio from direct headphone jack output on my Huawei P30 phone playing Apple music? It is an android phone with a internal DAC similar to your LGs.
I recently purchased a D1P outboard DAC from Audioengine for less than $200, and from everything I'm seeing and hearing it's delivering hi-res Apple Music content to my system when used in conjunction with my iPhone. All you do is use the included lighting to USB-C or USB-C to USB-C cable to connect your phone to the DAC, and then I use high quality shielded RCA cables to go from the DAC into my receiver. The LED indicator on the D1P that indicates stream resolution using color codes appears to change in sync with the resolution info for each song displayed on my phone. I use the "stereo direct" setting on my receiver so I don't add any other digital processing, and it sounds amazing. in fact, I tried Qobuz using the iPhone+D1P combo, and IMO it sounds better than the internal streamer on my receiver that can handle hi res Qobuz. Nothing against the Eversolo and FIIO, but if you don't want to spend the price these units command, the D1P merits your consideration.
Dear John.
Thanks again for a most helpful and informative video. Does the use of either the Fiio or Eversolo trump the old iPad method? The iPad will play Apple Music natively and if connected via a USB cable, can stream into a good DAC and then into the main system. Isn't that a cheaper option that buying a new piece of equipment? Naturally, the only downside I can see is that you need to disconnect to charge the iPad every now and then. Thanks.
I think you’re right, but he seems to think of an iPad as another piece of equipment you have to buy. But so is the Fiio.
This video has so much love. Thank you!!
Wish Fiio/Eversolo could develop a pure streamer that supports Apple Music bit-prefectly, and output digitally via USB/toslink/coax, without any DAC/amp. The audiophiles already have a mature system, no need to waste money on another all-in-one.
I using an iPad Pro(wireless)with a Fiio r7 and an Rega amp. The sound is pretty exceptional. The sound was better than the Fiio and Rega alone.
Thanks for the info here. With all the streaming options available and all the specs it’s a bit overwhelming. You are helping me to understand. Btw digging your pod casts. All the best.
So, if you intend to use bit perfect output via Apple Music streaming outside of a native app running on a say an Eversolo or the like, then you need to use an iPad/iPhone with a USB cable straight into your DAC. Correct?
Correct. Only iOS and iPadOS have bit perfect output via USB and auto sample rate switching. Drawback is no ability to control them remotely.
I became obsessed trying to find an affordable solution for streaming bit perfect lossless audio to the point where it was maddening. In the end, I bought a Wiim Mini which cost me around $80 USD. IMO, the difference in sound quality over more expense solutions just isn't worth the time or the hassle.
You can get and iem and dac under that
Thanks for all the investigation and the video. I'd like to think that it would be simple to deliver hi-res audio (as long as one has a fast-enough internet connection), but apparently everyone wants to get their fingers into the stream and screw things up! Maybe in another 5-10 years they'll finally figure out how to deliver the best audio experience that's available.
Getting that " 96K" to pop up is so satisfying...you know the best way to do that? LDAC bluetooth!😅 I can send music from my phone or tablet to the BlueMe Pro, digital PCM into a nice DAC, plug in your favorite amp and speakers, just enjoy the music. The little display shows 96k and that's how I know it sounds good😅
LDAC might play 96khz files but it doesn’t do it losslessly. LDAC throws Info away. Just see Sony‘s explainer on their website. Happy listening!
LOL - is this satire?
Thanks for the heads up on the Tricky album, love Maxinquaye. I cant find my original CD so the perfect time to upgrade to better sound.
this answers my questions
I have a "High Rez" album on Apple Music and other services thhey say is high rez but ripped from a CD. The master tapes are in my house and they never asked me for them. So is it really Hig Rez?
lol
Apple tv 4k connected to a receiver or a sound bar directly over hdmi should support high res audio, doesn't it ?
Nope. Per Apple, the Apple TV tops out at 48kHz.
@@DarkoAudio oh I see.. it's 24 bit 48 khz in the apple tv 4k.. do we really see a difference between 24 bit 48 khz vs 24 bit 96 khz ?
In case of ATV you have to set the right settings in the Apple Music app itself to get 24/48. Otherwise you get lossy AAC.
How do you do this?
Setting>App>Music>Audio Quality>Hi Res
I believe that the real plus from "high Res" is about / from the bits Depth i.e. 24 or 32 bits, for greater Dynamics in particular. Sampling Rate of 44kHz, I believe, is good enough.
Thank you for the excellent explanation. I really enjoy your direction. I’m a senior citizen and 50 year audiophile with interests this video address. My current streaming situation is all in with Apple, Qobuz and BlusSound Node 2i. Believe I’ll follow one of your thoughts and add a standalone DAC to my Node 2i. Always eager for your next video and podcast.
My question in this. Where dose You Tube Music come in when comparing sound quality and can the difference actual be heard vs. the cost to upgrade?
Don’t understand why Apple does not add the necessary software to their Apple TV OS to support highest quality hi res playback from their own Apple Music app. That is what I have waiting for to stream highest quality music to my hi fi setup. Would be seamless and all in the Apple ecosystem. 🧐
Hi. Did you do a video on how to control an iPad connected to an amp for hi res audio using a iPhone to control apple music on the iPad itself ?
great film, I have been watching for some time which manufacturer will be the first to introduce lossless , are there any integrated amplifiers that support Apple Lossless?
you can't put the fiio in your pocket on the train, so for me the only option is an iPhone and external dac if I want hi res streaming of Apple Music.
Is the Sonos amp good to consider due to the fact that it has apple music natively ?
Really Sonos has Apple natively
It's not hi-res but I like it because it doesn't tie up a device sending music via airplay.
I play my Apple Lossless music files through old SONY pha3 or pha2 DACs into my Vinnie Rossie Integrated Amplifier. It sounds great. The SONY DACs have high-res stickers on them so I hope they are playing full resolution.
Are you planing on upgrading to Atmos? Apple Music with Atmos is absolutely terrific.
Can you tell a difference between cd quality and hi res on Apple Music?
My solution: A Mac mini connected to the Denon receiver, which also has a TV connected, with the correct settings in the MIDI setup of the Mac.
But certainly also an interesting solution with the Eversolo DMP-A6 and the FiiO R7.
Maybe something for the future, when I retire my Mac...
Thanks for your great video… ❤🙏🏻
If the R7 and A6 are Airplay 1, can you just simply Airplay and not bother with the casting app/Android Apple Music? I'm dying to figure out how to lossless streaming with Apple Music.
I am running a Mac mini M1, Apple Music and a Dragonfly Red. I have all the settings turned up to all the highest quality. Does Apple Music Mac OS res down the stream? Per Apple support, I should be getting the hi-res files correct? TIA!
Do the R7 and Eversolo output only Apple Music in bitperfect or does any audio stream work? I.e. Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer etc. (as long as it's installable of course).
Would an Apple TV work if you AirPlay to that then a receiver ?
Thin,ing of swapping my cambridge audio cxn v2 for a fiio r7. Opinions? Many listen through headphones.
@DarkoAudio In order to get 24/96 out of your chromecast audio, you need to have the optical output from it. 3.5mm tp Optical adaptor.
You mean like the one I used in the video?
Glass Fiber friend
What about the Sonos port? Will that pass Hi-Rez Apple Music it is a native on the unit.
I had a Sonos Port for a while, I can't remember exactly why, but it doesn't do Hi-Res out, (something dodgy about variable or fixed output) I sold it and just use an Apple TV 4K now, HDMI into an AV amp.
I have a small box connected to my Apple TV 4k that exacts an optical toslink signal from HDMI, feeding an ifi nano iOne into a Cambridge Audio AXA-35, and Wharfedale Diamond 12.1. Good enough for me listening for hours without any fatigue.
Streaming, more convenient, apparently. 😉 But so many gotchas, gizmos, software, dependencies, conversions, compatibility issues. I'll stick to CD in my listening room, and streaming for office/headphones.
Back to listening Abba cds ehh
John agrees ruclips.net/video/S3fpAYI7hGo/видео.html
I have a Hiby R6 V3 with Apple Music and it does lossless and hires bit perfectly (thanks to the same re-working done by Fiio) obviously via wired headphones. I can connect it to my DAC or headphone amp via USB , but sadly it stops any streaming apps from working and only allows plaback os my stored music.
You need a special USB to SPDIF cable to feed your DAC. [I think Hiby makes one.]
I use my R6 Pro II with this cable into my Gustard R26 and it works perfectly!
Hope this helps...
Can you make a video how to max up your audio quality on a smartphone?
buy poweramp player. It has a fantastic eq.
Fiio R7 still too expensive here in Australia . $2700 🤨 Any other alternatives ?
Loving the Amapaiano intro (I think???)
Great video John, if I have a new Dolby atmos tv with apple app, will I get hi res /atmos going into my Dolby atmos soundbar? Cheers mate ❤
Thank you for clearing up my doubts! Fiio and Eversolo should hire you as their brand ambassor!😊
AppleLossless Switcher App for MacOS. It controls the MIDI output for bit-perfect HI-Res lossless audio streaming via USB cable to an external DAC/Amp. Solved.
Does the Lossless Switcher still audibly glitch when the sample rate changes? It used to. If it still does, many people would consider this not yet 'solved'.
@@DarkoAudio It does, but if people are seriously bothered about that, they need to worry about more serious or pressing concerns. Lol.
I can only hope you keep beating this drum, John. Perhaps Apple will pay proper attention in time. This Airplay conundrum can only ultimately be solved when Apple itself allows bit perfect play over its WiFi attributes. For example, it’s become a bit of an insult that I can’t stream Roon Arc bit-perfect while wirelessly tethering a MojoPoly combo to my iPhone or iPad. It’s always downsampled to the Airplay default. More insulting, I can actually play the Poly’s micro SD stored content, bit-perfect from the iOS device into any lightning-connected dongle or DAC, yet the Poly itself can only receive the same downsampled output… mind you, originating from the same uncompressed, incoming files the iOS device receives from it. Why Chord didn’t design the Poly to direct play it’s SD files into the Mojo is a whole other problem I’ll only mention as such. A unique set of problems, I admit, but being mobile for weeks at a time, it would be quite nice to have a more robust wireless pipeline in both directions, such as it is with the Nucleus on the home network. Meantime, I remain optimistic these limitations will be removed in time. And truthfully, I’m grateful for what have already. The Poly’s tethering feature has solved a greater wireless problem I’ve found quite consistent with Bluetooth connectivity across the board: Random, frequent dropouts, constantly interrupting the music… largely due to its management protocols of other connected devices. Compared to that, I’ll happily take AAC or Redbook FLAC (whichever it is) all day long. BTW, love the podcast too!
Hi, when you say your preference for sound quality lays with the Fiio, for clarities sake, are you asserting you prefer the Fiio’s analog output to that of the Eversolo, please? Risking the beginning of a religious war, I ask this because some claim there are discernible differences in digital transports, albeit through the same external digital to analog converter. Have you assessed the SQ of the Fiio versus the Eversolo through a common external DAC ??
Kind regards,
-Troy
Analogue output, yes.
What is interesting is that since tvOS 17, my ATV 4K 2022 is now outputting the proper sampling rate from the Music app for lossless, while it was previously locked at 48Khz like you say. I’m just as stunned as anyone.
I have lossless turned on, and when playing something that Apple Music shows as 24/44.1 my connected AVR shows 44.1 KHz! Also, when playing 24/48 it shows 48Khz! You still can’t do the high resolution stuff > 48Kz on Apple TV, but this seems like a huge win
Same here Lossless 24 bit ALAC at 44.1 now with tvOS 17 - great update and also ATMOS Music recordings when connected to AVR.
Surely if you have a streaming amp hardwired to Apple Music via ethernet, it gets the full noise, right? My Hegel H95 has no WiFi connection, but has ethernet hooked up. I use my iPhone as the controller (AirPlay2). HiFi salesman assured me the phone is just the controller, the amp gets full hi-res audio directly from Apple Music via ethernet, because the phone sends an address to the amp which tells it where to find the direct stream, allowing original high-res encoding. It's an expensive amp, so I sure hope that is the case. Anyway, thanks for the video Darko.
What happens if we connect apple tv directly to an AVR that supports high res audio instead of connecting it to the tv?
Then you get 24bit 48khz lossless. I don't know why he's not talking about that. It works flawlessly.
This is what I do@@jollerthomsen
I believe he did, and said that is still compressed and not hi res. Basically there is better to be had set up differently. You must have a native streamer and Apple TV compress and the eversolo or Fiio don’t.
Great video, as a sometimes Apple Music user, thank you. I say sometimes because, on my main system and on my home office system I use Roon. Of course, my dream is to cut through all of the work arounds that you identified and have Apple and Roon get it together!!
I can hear the difference between 16 & 24 bits but absolutely none 48-192. I assume bits matter, while khz don't.
Absolutely.
For me it’s the other way around…
Yes, indeed. As an old geezer musician/recording engineer, I can’t hear above 12khz so the sampling frequency isn’t important to me anymore. Only my dog. But the higher bit resolution is something that is very apparent.
@@martinsoltau6926It mostly has to do with the way digital "volume" works.
Wait, help.. all this time I thought Apple airplay on my phone to the Bluesound Node on my receiver will give me lossless quality? Is this not true? I was about to buy it after so much saving and research.
No. Not lossless. Resampled.
Another option is a DAP that uses bit-perfect Android work arounds.
I have a Hiby R6 Pro II that I use the usb out to SPDIF that feeds into my Gustard R26.
Sounds amazing!
Do the spatial audio / dolby atmos tracks get sent to a 2 channel system or headphones in a virtualized sort of way?
I just wanna know how to be sure im getting full 24bit 196kHz sample rate through to my Sennheiser Headphones at bit perfect, and at impedance matched. Haha
Same
great video! It was super informative, thanks. I was wondering if you have a list of other streamers that do Apple Music & Roon with bit perfect streams!? using iphone or ipad
Nice job on the DMP A-6/ Apple Music discussion. 3rd time’s a charm!
Great video! Wondering though - does all of this apply when streaming Apple Music or Amazon Music Unlimited from an iPhone to a Sonos speaker or network of Sonos speakers? Thanks!
I got a MacBook Pro with a Motu sound card and it’s connected to my Yamaha R-N1000A and the sound is very disappointing. It’s setup at: 24/192 in the Apple MIDI. So I use Qobuz.
Sooo…. if I plug my Koss KPH40s with their (built in Dac)cable into my iPhone 15 Plus on Apple Music. I am getting hi res lossless right? My display is telling me I am. Ex. Lossless.
You may get losless, but your DAC is you phone and how is this supposed to sound very good?!
@@PM-wt3ye There’s a built in Dac in my cable. Koss sells the cable separately.