Apple Music, Audiophiles and Streamers.

When I want better than CD quality I connect my iPad to a USB C to Toslink adapter and then Toslink into the back of my active speaker setup (other ports are in use and DAC is better than many affordable externals).

I don’t mind the setup apart from the fact that I have no control over the system from my seating position other than volume through a remote.

I really wouldn’t mind having an iPad mini in this setup all the time provided I could control it from an app on my phone. It is that part that is missing for me. It’s only a software issue.

Hi, you need an iPad Pro with the USB-C port and a Good DAC just set up Lossless audio on the apple music app and you ready to go the ipad do switching between cd quality and high resolution audio automatically (Exclusive Mode) just the ipad not the mac. I did a lot of research before buy any gear and trust me that’s the best decision I’ve made. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Good luck and enjoy your music. https://youtu.be/HJ72maE2hIo?si=IZtVqQTPEGs3aoB3

i recommend you this guy video

https://youtube.com/@Paulmcgowanpsaudio?si=ocX5WPf6bjO8J-qz

"I know a Mac Mini as a dedicated streamer sounds like overkill, but it’s cheap for a hifi component." This is the most important comment on this thread. Having been frustrated by Apple Music's lack of true Hi-Res streaming, I connected my 2018 MacMini to an inexpensive Cambridge DACMagic 100 via USB and then to my Arcam SA20 amp - the results were excellent. You can purchase a new Mac mini for about $600 (cheaper with refurbs or they do go on sale occasionally). This is significantly less expensive than most hifi components. Don't rule out this option - even if the Apple ecosystem rubs you the wrong way. I don't regret it one bit.

Just get an Apple TV, take the HDMI out to your outboard DAC older Apple TVs had optical out and that’s what I use.

Voila you have Lossless Apple Music, even when you use your phone to steam music- Apple TV pulls the stream directly from Apple servers.

For me the sound quality is way better from other more expensive streamers like Eversolo

MacBook Air USB out to Teac NT505 Dac usb in to Parasound Preamp/Power Amp…get hi res up to 192hz…

I use an iPad Air connected to my Marantz ND8006 using the USB C to USB B cable from AudioQuest and get perfect HiRes Audio in my HiFi system. However, the Eversolo could be a better solution but spending 860 Euro just for one streaming service is perhaps not ideal.

The Apple Music hi-res lossless option made me curious how this would sound, especially the 24bit/192khz part only to find out you need cabled devices and dac’s to be able to play it. I didn’t want to spend thousands on amp, dac, speakers to find out how it sounds and whether there’s an audiophile hidden inside me. After spending hours on internet searching for a cheap yet decent hi-res audio setup to satisfy my curiosity, I found out that a usb-dongle dac/amp connected with a pair of iem’s via an iPhone/iPad is a cheap way to. I’ve now bought a Fiio ka5 dac/amp with a pair of Aful Performer5 iem’s. And it is a revelation! I’ve been playing 24bit/192khz songs via an iPhone SE 2nd gen and this for less than 350€. I found that my Airpods 3gen played quite well and with a decent bass punch but when I now switch to them after having listened to my “hi-res” setup for a while, they kinda sound like crap. Not that they are crap, my new setup is just so much better. Now I’m starting to think about a hifi setup with amplifier, network streamer, good speakers and subwoofer so go the audiophile way. When checking out the streamers, I disappointingly realised Apple Music is always missing on the list of integrated apps. only Airplay2 is possible but then this is not really lossless. I’ve recently stopped my Deezer subscription to go the Apple way and was planning on going for Apple One, but for sure I will hold of on this for now and might have to skip my Apple Music sub as well and go for Tidal or so, which would be a shame as Apple Music does offer the 24bit/192khz but you just can’t play it on serious hardware. I think that Apple is missing out here, why do the other music streaming apps all seems be to be available and not Apple Music??

The Eversolo DMP-A6 will play Apple Music in Hi-Res. So will a Fiio R7, or an Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000 or CA1000T. There are probably other options too.

I was always an audiophile and used tidal qobuz roon plex in the past. Apple music quality and price now means i just use that. Shame is that most streamers don't support it at full quality. I have wiim pro which is fantastic and it still sounds great with lossy airplay 2 casting to wiim but not as good as when i connect ipad/phone direct to my dac via usb.

pain to get up and change songs unless i use a long usb cable. Come on apple sort it out. Might just go back to another like amazon.

I use a iPad Air (usb-c) as a streamer with a satechi docking station and a remote (bluetooth) that has microphone for Siri. The remote has a microphone and button that activates Siri as well as a media mode that gives play/pause, forward and back. Siri lets you switch albums, songs, playlists etc.

not perfect but surprisingly decent.

I've had serious AirPlay issues on every airplay device I have, hardwired or not. The exception is AirPlay to AppleTV. AppleTV will pull the music from the internet itself and then you can use your phone as a remote via Apple Music. It will go up to 24/48 resolution, otherwise Airplay is limited to 16/44. You would need a DAC with a HDMI input like a Node X or Eversolo DMP-A6.

The ACRO CA1000 is AMAZING, but you can't Airplay to it. You would have to run RCA or XLR cables to your amp from where you listen. If you also like higher end headphones, the CA1000 and CA1000T make a lot of sense. They are also exceptional headphone amps.

I've given up on Apple Music for the most part and am using Roon with Tidal and Qobuz. Zero connection or dropout issues.

I’d most like to see the next AppleTV be given the ability to output HighRes Lossless. I currently use an HDMI splitter to run optical out to my DAC and rca to Integrated Amplifier. The sound at standard lossless is very good (definitely at least as good as I was getting from my CD player) but would love to have high resolution nonetheless. I’d think Apple could easily create a new iPod product that could have only their own Music and Podcasts apps on it but without an internal DAC or headphone amplifier to keep the cost down - just usb c output - or ideally usb c and optical audio output). The reason I’d prefer this to direct integration with other manufacturers’ systems is I love how my AppleTV 4K can be remote controlled from my iPhone (I’d want the new iPod to do the same). I know I can do much of this now with a usb c to usb b cable to my DAC but then I don’t have the remote capabilities or other hub abilities. Plus the way I’m suggesting could double as an Audiophile iPod when away from the home stereo just by unplugging and connecting a pair of usb c headphones, which look to be coming to the market soon. Apple should even get into that game by selling a usb c wired version of its AirPods Max with a built in quality 24/192 DAC.

Another configuration that works in my case is an iPad Air on a Magic Keyboard. This allows you to charge via the USB C port on the keyboard and allows you to use the USB C port to connect to an externally connected DAC. The external DAC is required if you want HiRes music, since the iPad doesn’t have enough processor power to decode HiRes. The iPad seems to recognize the presence of the DAC and ships the files to the DAC for decoding. I use a Satechi remote control to skip to the next song, and the remote on the DAC to control volume.

Eversolo DMP-A6 uses android and ships with the Apple Music app. No idea about the bit rate.

FiiO R7 and Eversolo DMP-A6

Watch reviews on Darko Audio YouTube.