Audio Midi Setup, and lossless

Could this change be a response to a change in hardware? Apple constantly use audio components that support higher resolutions? That is, we know they did, but do we know for certain that they still do?

The question comes to mind because many apple devices don't have d/a converters and amps at all, any more. So they may not be trying so hard there.

And they are now actively trying to sell people devices with external d/a's, such as the airpod and homepod lines. So they are now in a position where it would serve them to incentivise audiphile types to upgrade.

I just really realized what this is really about, since the post doesn't explicitly mention that this is about the new apple music lossless streaming.

I do not have a super high opinion of the Apple Music Mac development process, so I could well believe that they wouldn't think about this particular scenario.

And i don't think they would document it either way.

I can imagine that you might test this by using some sort of audio routing program, like soundflower, see if that will give you the "stream" bitrate.

And another interesting question is where the audio conversion happens. I know that with some bluetooth devices, the bluetooth stream sends over the original compressed file, so it isn't decoded and then re-encoded. So if that is the case, Apple Music wouldn't convert the files into the soundcard spec, the soundcard, or the underlying system, would do that.

So i'd test it if you're really interested, otherwise assume that you should keep audiomidisettings at 96khz. But I'm not convinced that the tiny amp in there will do higher bitrate much justice, just as headphones that give sound real clarity usually need more amplification than that output can offer. Do let me know if I'm mistaken about this, of course.

It is simple, manual fixed output bit rate resolution set in the midi app.. Apple Music currently sends the music file to core audio if the native resolution matches what the midi app output resolution is set to, then it will play it at that resolution. If the midi app output resolution is set higher, then it up converts the file to that resolution. If it is set lower in the midi app,, then it down converts it.

apps like Bitperfecr, Audirvana and Amazon’s music app work by bypassing the fixed output resolution and enable auto adjustment somehow, so the DAC plays at the files native resolution. Much better.

That is what everyone wants/ expects the Music App to do, especially now that Apple is offering HiRez music files.

Apple's support page just says select HiRes in the Music prefs. But I'm using it now and when you play hires content the output from computer doesn't automatically switch to the native audio format. Example, they have Goat's Head Soup featured on Apple Music. It's listed as Lossless and HiRes. The content is 24bit/96k. When I play it nothing changed regarding output to my DAC. It was still sending a 24/48 signal to my DAC. I had to go to MIDI app to change it to 96k. I could just set it to 192 on the MIDI then all content would be upped. But it's weird that as far as I can tell, Apple isn't automatically adjusting the output rate based on the source. They don't tell anyone to go to the MIDI settings to enable the hires. I used to use Bitperfect but I don't think it works anymore on new OS. Makes me wonder is 24/96 is what's really being sent to the audio processing.

I have the same experience on my M1 MBP. It’s really disappointing Apple didn’t change this behavior. And I agree, any newbies to hi-res on Mac will never figure this out and call to ask questions - very odd it wasn’t documented.

My pondering is that if Apple can't even do what BitPerfect used to do, then how I can be confident – that when I manually change the settings in MIDI – that the stream is 24/96 end to end inside the computer processing.

Apple Music does NOT do "EXCLUSIVE MODE"

Meaning, the application itself will not "take over" and stream to your DAC with the native bitrate of the music you're playing via Apple Music.

It will ONLY follow a fixed bit rate which you have set on Audio MIDI Setup for the connected DAC.

For example if you set Audio MIDI Setup for your $15k DAC from Nagra at 96k/24bit, all your music played from Apple Music App on your Macbook will be streamed at 96k/24bit, doesn't matter if the track itself is 44.1k or 96k.

Bottomline, playing music from Apple Music App using a Macbook is not bit-perfect, as it will resampled by whatever fixed setting at Audio MIDI Setup.

Using other player, for example Roon, which has "exclusive" mode will ignore sampling rate setting from Audio MIDI Setup and play tracks matching the material sample rate, up to the max supported bitrate of your DAC.

Playing on iOS, on the other hand, is bit-perfect, aka, no resampling.

Which is a shame on Apple how they have missed this on the MacOS Apple Music app.

Apple need to get this sorted for Mac OS or buy Room out so that we can get bit perfect music to our systems ;-)

Pity there's no way to do passthrough via HDMI so we can also get Atmos through to our systems too.

or just open up their Apple Music API to Roon, like Qobuz or Tidal. :)

(which probably will NEVER happen)

Or else... their "high res" is stuck using an iPhone to stream.

I also checked, old devices like Airport Express DOES NOT output anything beyond 44.1kHz.

So now that Lossless audio is now available in the Music app and I have existing ALAC lossless files (CD and WAV imports converted to ALAC and now Apple Music albums).

I have a hi-fi setup with a Mac mini M1, Rotel RA-1572, and B&W 606 speakers. On the Rotel amp, it shows 48K which is referencing the audio midi setup (as default) from the Mac. However if I switch the Audio midi setup to 192kHz - 2-ch 24-bit integer, the amp shows that the Mac is sending the updated bit rate.

so it doesn't seem like automatically in Big Sur and the Music app the bit rate changes. I do have a mix of purchased iTunes albums 256Kbps AAC, CD/WAV files of ALAC 24-bit/192kHz, and now Apple Music files of lossless caliber and set the settings to High Resolution in Music preferences.

any idea on what to do at this point? does the Mac or the DAC sample down or upsample if I pick one of the audio midi configurations? whats the best option to do?

🤔