You have to do it manually using the Audio MIDI Setup app. However, an external DAC is problematic on Macs because macOS doesn’t automatically switch sample rates. And this means you either have to play on the devices’ built-in speakers or resort to an adapter and an external DAC (like the AudioQuest DragonFly).įine, so what if I resort to built-in speakers or wired headphones and speakers? Natively, Apple devices will support music only up to 24-bit/48kHz, which means for Hi-Res Lossless music you’ll still need an external DAC. This makes it difficult for owners of newer iPhones and iPads to enjoy Apple Music Lossless because these devices don’t have headphone jacks. To begin, none of the AirPods (not even the flagship AirPods Max) support lossless audio because they all rely on Bluetooth, which can’t stream lossless audio. However, getting lossless audio to play on Apple devices now is a bit of a mess. Spotify announced in February earlier this year that they would offer lossless streaming, but at the time of writing, no dates have been announced and pricing has yet to be confirmed.

Commended because lossless audio means we hear the music as the artist intended with no loss in music data – and this comes at no extra cost! And congratulated because they beat rivals Spotify to the punch. However, there’s still work to be done.īut first, Apple must be commended and congratulated on this move. Note: This article was first published on 16 June 2021.Īpple Music Lossless is here, and for audiophiles and discerning listeners that can only be good news.

Best audiophile music player for mac