coming from a samsung android tablet, a samsung s24 ultra phone, and a roku for my tv streaming, i decided to try apple music (dip my toe into it to try it out first). so i bought an apple tv 4K ethernet model and connected it to my Anthem AVR. well, i was able to experience Atmos music via the Apple TV 4K box, albeit at the reduced streaming rate. my main goal is to try out Apple Music Classical, as they bought Primephonic (the best classical streaming service) and simply rebranded it to be Apple Music Classical.
after trying out apple music classical's app on my Samsung android tablet, i now understand how great apple music classical, ne primephonic, really is! the suggestions, the layout, the number of recordings of a particular piece, the written commentaries accompanying most pieces, are all fantastic.
now my problem is to get the highest possible quality streaming of Apple Music Classical (as well as Apple Music regular). looking at all the options, i don't want to piece together an iPad with dac and make it a science project. my audio visual equipment is 35 feet away from my listening chair inside a media closet (with a door) on equipment racks, so controlling the music being streamed is important.
i looked into the Eversolo A6, A6 upgraded edition, and the A8. everything was a "go" for me on the Eversolo A8 until i discovered that its CAST function is like a limited visual field on the apple music classical page! you have to use your tablet to scroll up and down and left and right non-stop to be able to even view a standard page on apple music/apple music classical! then, a friend said this to me: one might be better off and enjoy the pleasures of being able to browse/select music on a standard apple music page without the need for endless scrolling MORE than the pleasures of occasionally listening to recording that happen to have 196 kHz streams.
that, to me, is precisely the issue i encountered. i think the actual pleasures of being able to browse as apple music classical is designed to be browsed, exceeds the occasional pleasures of having some recordings at a high bitrate.
as such, i ended up looking for a high quality bluetooth receiver, i.e. the iFi Zen Blue v3. this device streams LDAC 96 kHz and i will simply attach this device to my Anthem AVR, and at my listening seat, have my Samsung tablet and browse as it is designed to be viewed, full page, without excessive scrolling. sure, i had to give up 196. but you know, getting the occasional 196 gives me limited additional pleasures only some of the time (when there are such recordings), and only sometimes, i might notice the difference - it is not obvious each and every time. whereas the outstanding Primephonic, now Apple Music Classical presentation on their pages, as they are designed, gives me enjoyment all the time whenever i browse, select music, look for other pieces that i've wanted to listen to, look at their huge (really huge!) list of recordings offered for that piece of music, select one that i like to listen to, consider their "editor's choice" recording at the top of the list, maybe read their summary blurb at the top (which are very well written, btw), all this gives me far more pleasure than the occasional 196 via Eversolo.
now, of course, if one day, i can browse full page as it was designed, through the Eversolo or a new apple device, sure, great, i'll buy that device. but in the meantime, apple is taking their sweet time NOT giving audiophiles an easy solution, i'll wait with my LDAC 96 streaming AND with full screen browsing as apple music classical was designed to be used and enjoyed.