Thought there may be interest to some here
Wow, this definitely raises the bar. And it’s not just CD quality:
- Apple Music’s Lossless tier starts at CD quality, 16 bit at 44.1 kHz (their full catalog)
- Goes up to 24 bit at 48 kHz
- Also Hi-Resolution all the way up to 24 bit at 192 kHz.1 (presumably only part of the catalog)
That’s similar to Tidal and Qobuz. Big challenge for them. But I imagine this is only playable in the closed Apple eco-system, not on third party hardware. So its not relevant for me. Once Spotify launches their (announced) lossless, I am interested, as Spotify Connect runs on my Auralic streamer (and many others). Lastly - and Spotify will not like this - Apple lossless does not increase price! That is nice.
the reg’s take on it
edit - ignore the sub heading, that’s just typical reg faux-tabloid style…
Don’t you love a little competition: Amazon dropping their premium charge for lossless, in response to Apple. Unfortunately, can’t play Amazon HD on much higher-end gear. Their own devices are basic. Believe only BlueSound integration is in place. Amazon’s weakness is that they are behind on deployment.
So for now sticking with Qobuz, but will seriously consider Spotify’s loss-less as I find they have the best curation and user experience of all.
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I do love that competition has made the upgrade free and has forced Amazon to follow suit. My only hope is maybe Tidal will follow suit as I use it with Roon. It’s a shame that Amazon not Apple work through any other platform so easily.
Agree competition is really good for consumers in the streaming market.
I’m really eager to hear Apple’s service but I don’t see Apple offering integration with non-Apple components. Their track record is a controlled experience.
Does high resolution truly offer benefits when played through HomePods or Bluetooth?
Alas, all is not rosy in the Apple orchard: