Will lossless audio work via Airplay 2 and my receiver?

AirPlay (1 and 2) is capable of ALAC (lossless) streaming up to 44.1 kHz (48 kHz for video contents).

Hi-res lossless (over 48 kHz) isn't supported via AirPlay as a protocol, regardless of Apple Music.

That said, Apple Music in its lossless form streamed via AirPlay isn't only limited to 44.1 kHz (as expected like said before): unfortunately it's turned into a lossy (AAC) stream. It has been confirmed from various sources. Don't ask me why.

Yes, right now AirPlay audio means 16/44.1 kHz.

In case specifically of Apple Music streaming it's lossy AAC. Otherwise, it's a lossless capable wireless standard.

Honestly, it doesn't sound bad. I've enjoyed Apple Music even before it turned lossless.

Bluetooth has its limitations in bandwidth.

I have a pretty good Hi-Fi system. To really enjoy lossless Apple Music I've to connect my iPad to my USB DAC via Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. It works well and sample rate switches automatically according to each single song.

On Mac unfortunately Music app doesn't handle exclusively Audio MIDI Setup, forcing the user to manually switch the proper sample rate if a bit perfect experience is wanted.

My hopes are that:

• Apple introduces eventually automatic sample rate switching in Audio MIDI Setup on Mac
• Update AirPlay protocol to support hi-res up to 192 kHz (ALAC with Apple Music streaming)

Thanks for your insight.

AirPlay doesn't support 96 kHz. That information tells the user the quality available for the played song. I can AirPlay the whole Coltrane's album showing me 192 kHz. That doesn't mean I get 192 kHz via AirPlay. The same goes for AirPod Pro. In order to enjoy 192 kHz I have to use a USB DAC.

Just to be clear: Apple's AirPlay protocol per se is capable of lossless audio since it was born.

It is Music app, specifically with Apple Music content that is somehow messing with AirPlay.

The AirPlay handling specifically by Apple Music streaming service is currently inconsistent.

That said, AirPlay (1 and 2), as a protocol, it's still capable to provide lossless 44.1 kHz audio for your local files or other sources as before the advent of Apple Music.

The problem is specific of Music app related to the audio stream coming from Apple Music subscription. Apple didn't suddenly change general AirPlay specs.

On two other audio related forums I've shared yesterday a sort of cheat sheet about Apple Music streaming and how it handles lossless, AirPlay and Dolby Atmos. I share it here, too:

https://www.marcoklobas.net/sharing/Apple-Music.png

Basically, it seems – and I say "seems" because evidences are mixed – that AirPlay 2 streams AAC (see Naim), AirPlay 1 sometimes ALAC, sometimes AAC and the lossless icon in Music app shows sometimes wrong informations (like lossless present with HomePod while Apple declared that lossless is coming to it later this year).

Let's wait how this whole AirPlay thing evolve and use, in case, the Apple's feedback page.

I see nothing here about AirPlay.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212183

However, this article on 9-5 Mac indicates AirPlay to Apple Homepods is supported.

ios-14-6-airplay-lossless-homepod

But the reality is that the vast majority of people can no distinguish between lossy audio and lossless audio. That's how good the lossless algorithms are.

Apple's Eddie Cue:

The reality of lossless is: if you take 100 people and you take a stereo song in lossless and you take a song that’s been in Apple Music that’s compressed, I don’t know if it’s 99 or 98 can’t tell the difference.” Cue revealed that he has regularly done blind tests with the Apple Music team, and they confirm how rare it is for anyone to be able to consistently recognize lossless audio. “You can tell somebody, ‘Oh, you’re listening to a lossless [song],’ and they tell you, ‘Oh, wow. That sounds incredible.’ They’re just saying it because you told them it’s lossless and it sounds like the right thing to say, but you just can’t tell.”

Streaming Apple Music over Airplay on an iPhone, the resolution will be 44.1kHz/16bit AAC.

When streaming from a Mac (or Windows PC), this will adjust to 44.1kHz/16bit ALAC.

Hi there. I also have a Nova and just received the Topping D10. My iPhone XS has the lightening jack so I have the lightening to USB 3 camera adapter with the USB-c charging port also. Now I want to also be able to connect my iPad Pro to play. I’m wondering if this would be better than a USB-C to USB adapter into a charging connection then into the Topping. A best way to connect the iPad because with the Nova screen not displaying artwork when using the Topping the iPad screen will be better than the iPhone…

I have tons of CDs ripped losslessly into ALAC files and imported into Apple Music. When playing those local files via Airplay from Apple Music to some Airplay / Airplay 2 speakers or amplifiers, will that be lossless or lossy AAC ?

Thanks

God I'm confused. Old system (lounge): Airport Express II as DAC into Arcam (Airplay 2). Kitchen system: B&W Zeppelin wireless (Airplay 1). New system (studio): LG TV/ Apple 4K TV mk1 (OS 14.7)/ Stereo paired HomePod Originals (OS 14.6). Apple Music / Amazon HD on trial / ageing Spotify account, soon to be axed. Could anyone tell me what I'm listening to?

I am very confused as well.

I have like 4300+ CD albums of classical music, ripped to lossless ALAC and imported into Apple Music on a headless Mac mini.

I have many airplay speakers at home : old airplay 1 speakers, including my Yamaha AVR, it also airplay 2 speakers like the Homepods and Sonos One.

So when I read that in forums (such as the Naim forum) that airplay 2 is streaming AAC and not lossless, it really worries me.

The reason why i chose to use mac at the first place years ago was it’s ability to play lossless over wifi (airplay).

Now I’m not sure what exactly gets streamed anymore.

And what I read in different forums is really contradictory.

For example, I read that Homepods doesn’t support lossless yet , but when streaming hi-res from Mac apple music to my homepods, the hires lossless logo is displayed and when airplaying the same hi-res files to old airplay 1 speakers the hi-res logo is not shown.

So all these apple music’s indications are just not trustworthy.

So confusing …

Marco, are you sure about this? I was always under the impression that AirPlay coverts all streams to ALAC regardless of their original content. That is, even a lossy file such as an AAC file is converted to ALAC when transmitted then converted back to AAC again in the source device. Can you point me to the sources stating that Apple Music lossless is only being transmitted in AAC? AAC streams are used for Bluetooth by Apple, however.