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If I’m listening to my AirPods max normally, wirelessly and over wifi does it make a difference in audio quality if I enable Apple Music lossless? From what I understand the AirPods max have aac codec so if I enable apple lossless is it pointless or does it enhance the audio quality while streaming Apple Music?
AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods (3rd generation), and Beats wireless headphones use Apple’s AAC Bluetooth Codec to ensure excellent audio quality. Bluetooth connections don’t support lossless audio.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212183
AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods (3rd generation), and Beats wireless headphones use Apple’s AAC Bluetooth Codec to ensure excellent audio quality. Bluetooth connections don’t support lossless audio.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212183
As far as I know the only connectivity offered is Bluetooth. Here are AirPods MAx's specs from Apple:
AirPods Max - Technical Specifications - Apple
Besides, Wi-Fi drains more power: the battery wouldn't last long.
Upon doing more research I guess if your listening to your AirPods max wirelessly and connected to Wi-Fi it will use AirPlay and if lossless is enabled it will stream up 24-bit/48KHz. While it may not be completely lossless I would assume airplay is the reason for the enhanced audio quality. Because I can hear a difference when I’m at home and connected to Wi-Fi and have lossless toggled on.
Mine last all day long on a full charge and sometimes I listen around 10 or more hours a day, I believe the Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity is to connect with non apple devices. But as long as you are pairing with an apple device and both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network it will revert to using AirPlay, I assume it works the same way as the home pod mini to obtain the 24-bit/48KHz
Thanks for the information! I have been toggling lossless on and off and sometimes I feel like I can hear an improvement with lossless on, but at the same time I’m wondering if it’s more of a placebo effect.
Currently, AirPods Max works with Bluetooth 5.0 protocol only.
Wi-Fi and AirPlay aren't supported.
AirPlay, as a Wi-Fi/Wired protocol, does offer lossless capabilities up to 48kHz (if the involved devices/contents are properly set).
I personally listen to Apple Music lossless up to 44.1 kHz via AirPlay with my streamer/DAC.
From my understanding and research AirPods would use Bluetooth to discover the AirPods as devices, but once connected it would then create a personal Wi-Fi connection to stream the audio between devices using Airplay
Even my AirPods Pro, when connected, are shown under the AirPlay menu. That doesn't mean they're using Wi-Fi. They're definitely using Bluetooth. No way they're connected through a Wi-Fi router (I'd see them listed in my router) or directly point-to-point with the iOS/iPadOS device via Wi-Fi.
Most AirPlay speakers need a power plug, too. Not only the Apple ones (HomePod and HomePod mini). There are very few battery powered AirPlay devices (actually, only Libratone comes to my mind).
CarPlay, as fas I know, behaves the way you describe: Bluetooth for "handshaking" and then Wi-Fi for content streaming. Again, the CarPlay receiver is powered by the car (which has a battery + an engine or a powerful battery pack in case of an electric vehicle behind).
AirPods Pro use airplay as well. They do not connect directly to your wifi router the same way a phone or other device would show in the connection list. The apple device forms a personal wifi connection between the device and whatever source your listening to as long as it’s an apple device with the latest software version and connected to the same wifi network. A way of testing in the real world is to try to use your AirPods max/ pro where there is no wifi available it will connect only through Bluetooth and airplay won’t populate as an option. I mean I don’t exactly know all the technicalities of airplay but this is apple we are talking about so if anyone could do it I would think it would be them lol. I did find this article that goes into more detail about how airplay works. https://www.lifewire.com/how-does-airplay-work-and-what-devices-can-use-it-2438219
But overall the AirPods max sound amazing to me and when you toggle the lossless on and stream Apple Music the sound and audio quality is phenomenal.
I'm still skeptical about the AirPlay implementation with AirPods family 🙂.
I have no doubt that the AirPods Max sound great. My hope is that Apple will further improve AirPlay protocol adding, among other things, hi-res in the future.
From what I hear they are working on a way for their AirPods family to not only play lossless but hi res lossless as well. And I’m really hoping it’s a software update rather than needing new hardware 🙏🏾
I’m aware and understand all of that. I’m just trying to find out if enabling lossless on Apple Music enhances the audio quality whatsoever. Or is it better to just leave lossless disabled
Maybe – and I repeat, maybe – there’s a slight improvement considering that the lossy conversion is made only just before the audio is sent to the headphones.
AirPods max AAC256 or ALAC?
