I sort of suspect that is Apple trying to discourage lossless to avoid everyone on the bandwagon using up data.
One good thing I will say. Apple Music is likely better for listening to bad remasters. I’ve noticed how Audirvana Studio really lets you hear the compression the bad remasters have and I can’t really listen for too long. Then I find the original and the sound is so much better. Less transparent software to my ears hides the compression problems. But it also jacks up the timbre quite a bit. Not good for low tuned instruments like Cello and Viola (or lower) or for rock since down tuned guitars don’t quite sound down-tuned anymore.
The good news:
I was all excited about Apple going Lossless and still am very pleased wit the fact that I can stream Lossless into my house.
The I don’t care parts:
I do not need/want lossless streaming to mobile devices, waste of money, with all the background noises and Apple AAC is really good enough for on the road, where the convenience of BlueTooth prevails in any sense over lossless bit perfect multi thousand dollar head-fi gear that says, “look me, I made it, I am rich, rob me”. By the way the standard Apple earbuds that do not isolate you 100% from the surrounding are much safer on the road than cans that rob 70% of your senses and just beg for accidents to happen.
I certainly do not care about Apples Dolby Atmos surround offerings, two speakers are enough to worry about. My wife can not even stand sound blasted from all directions in a small room. It will never become realistic and causes major fatigue issues.
The really bad news about Apple Music:
Purchases from the Apple Music/iTunes store are and remain lossy AAC. Your purchases will only be matched lossless as long as you pay for your Apple Music subscription.
So Apple in no way is similar to Qobuz, Tidal or Idagio (classic music) where you can purchase lossless music files for a fraction more than what you pay Apple.
Conclusion:
So if you are like me, in that you hate subscription fees and dependance from on-line services: You would still like to purchase/own the music you really like, so that the music doesn’t stop when you got tired of paying subscriptions or your internet connection is dropped out.
I will keep buying vinyl and CDs form our local music store and never purchase a single song from Apple anymore. I will stream from Apple as long as I want to pay them the subscription fee, but music purchases from them definitely belong to the past.
It is terribly disappointing that purchased music will continue to be lossy, but unsurprising. They certainly (the music industry) want to keep customers paying ad infinitum. The writing is on the wall when it comes to software and basically anything digital that you will own nothing and learn to like it I guess.
People see my CD library as well as my collection of DVDs and seem mystified, but that’s how it’s going to be in my house as long as I can still buy the equipment to play it on. That’s my ultimate fear, that we won’t have good disc spinners down the road and everything I own will become worthless.
I do not care too much about the upscaling to 24 bit 48 kHz. I can not hear a difference to BitPerfect.
Another issue with BitPerfect is that most streamers and DACs do not provide sufficient feedback to proof that it is BitPerfect.
The Stellar Gain Cell DAC for example did not show the file format information it was playing, only a color code in a hidden menu of BitPerfect on the server indicated that it was sending a certain file format. What the DAC did with it, or if it actually received that file format was completely unclear.
We asked to get that fixed, but it appears to be beyond PS Audio’s control. So I stopped caring. The BluOS system supplied with the NAD C658 and M33 I now own also just shows the file format if you dig deep enough in the file information (which is equally cumbersome) but what the streamer/DAC does with that file format is totally unclear.
The reason I don’t care is that I enjoy the music much more not worrying about it. It sounds really good to my ears and that is what I bought the system for.
My problems with Apple iTunes/Music purchases are:
It was not transparent. They merged iTunes into Music, than said Music is lossless, but when I even purchased an album for the second time to replace the old ultra protected file, prior 2009 purchases) with a file that is played by BluOS as well, I wondered why it was not lossless.
I had find out that the purchase is only lossless if I allow iCloud and Apple Music to “match” (meaning replace) my local media with their lossless files. That means complete loss of control and mess up of my library.
The problem with that is that Apple Music also matches (replaces) any other carefully ripped lossless CD file of my own CD collection with their recordings/masters, which is what I don’t want as I do care about the recording and mastering.
The “match” function also replaces metadata of the files like “genre” but also carefully edited artist and composer information, which messes up the playlists and way of searching the music.
Why pay EUR 12.99 for lossy when I can still buy vinyl that costs only a couple of Euro more or lossless CD’s the. Probably sell even cheaper.
Besides going to the record shop and browsing through the music with physical covers and arts and getting advised buy the sales people or a nice talk is better than the online shop.
I still use Apple Music for online streaming (lossless upsampled to 24 bit 48 kHz, as I am told) and maintaining my library with “iCloud and Apple Music synchronization” switched OFF.
Playing ripped files is done (BitPerfect as I am told) by the BluOS app.
I am with you. Try to limit subscription fees as much as possible. Not for movies or TV shows. Since our children are grown up we never watched a DVD or BluRay disc twice. To many new productions available and time is limited.
Yeah, I generally agree in principle, but seeing the way movies come and go on the streaming services gives me pause. Not to mention the illiberal tides in the country these days where “problematic” content gets removed or cancelled. Add in the fact that the original Star Wars trilogy has been “recut” several times and I keep movies around for posterity.
Same with music…the Genesis catalog was completely remixed about 10 years back, so I have to keep two different sets of CDs around to enjoy the music I remember vs the music as it is. I see now too that Genesis is offering a new “greatest hits” collection in conjunction with the upcoming tour that implies there are going to be a few new stereo mixes on the second disc. It’s exhausting being a completist, you know? And I’m still trying to assemble a complete collection on SACDs. I’ll never likely have “Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” on SACD - I can’t pay $200 for a single release. I just can’t. I have most of the rest though. Now I just need to get a modern SACD player, right? Thank heavens for being able to rip the DSD files. If I only had a DSD DAC to feed it to (yes, I know the SGCD can…I just haven’t had a lot of luck doing it short of using an iOS device as a USB bridge for Roon.) LOL.
Mike to my mind the best SACD player for the SGCD is the Marantz SACD 30n.
It is a excellent transport (same mechanisme as the Perfect Wave SACD Reansport), but with PCM and DSD DAC and Streamer included.
It plays your SACDs and ripped DSD files from USB drive that you plug into it.
A pair of RCA cables into the analog input of the SGCD and it replaces all the boxes and adapters you have till day as digital input.
It is AirPlay 2 compatible soecyou can stream lossless (upsampled to 24bit 48 kHz via WiFi through your iPad from Apple Music.
It ticks all you boxes I presum apart from that it has analog RCA outputs instead of balanced or digital DSD outputs. But I expect the DAC inside the Marantz is more modern than the DAC inside the Stellar Gain Cell DAC and with good RCA’s With the 30n close to the Stellar you will be very happy.
If you like movies too the Pioneer UDP-800 is a excellent player, no streaming and DSD is limited, but it has a linear power supply for the audio section and separated supply for drive and video, high quality damped transport, built like a tank, XLR outputs, it does play any CD, SACD, DSD or BluRay you might have and is even less expensive than the Marantz. They are highly looked after though.
The Pioneer UDP 500 plays all the sam media comes without XLR (with RCA) and without audiophile linear analog section, still sounds very good and even half the price of the UDP 800. The DAC is the same as in thd UDP 800 and I think a match for the Stellar Gain Cell DAC.
It is a fact that there is no affordable digital SACD (DSD) transport for the Stellar Gain Cell DAC. So if you seek DSD buy a player with DAC and you will be settled.
