Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini will get lossless audio after all

1. Dwelling house
2. News
3. Sound

Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini will get lossless audio after all

(Image credit: Future)

While AirPods may not benefit from Apple Music's new lossless sound tier (for the moment, at least), another product from Apple'south audio hardware range is getting upgraded to accept reward.

The visitor has published a new support document indicating that both the original HomePod and more recent HomePod mini will be updated to support Apple Music'southward new sound tier in future. "HomePod and HomePod mini currently use AAC [Avant-garde Audio Codec] to back up excellent audio quality," a section in the FAQ reads. "Support for lossless is coming in a future software update."

• All of the best Bluetooth speakers
• Best headphones: All of our summit picks
• PLUS: New iPod Impact 2021 tipped for fall launch — hither's your first expect

While no release appointment is given for the update, information technology remains a pleasant surprise and an nigh-face up from what Apple tree said previously. While we'd heard that Apple tree Music's new spatial audio would exist supported past HomePod, there was no indication that Apple would be taking the steps to support lossless on its smart speakers.

For the original HomePod, it's a pretty impressive show of support, given the speaker was officially discontinued just two months ago. Merely earlier this week, Apple besides updated the HomePod so that you tin utilize information technology every bit the speaker for all your TV input sources, provided you too have a second-gen Apple TV 4K. That hopefully indicates that the discontinuation isn't the end of the road for the larger speaker, and that something will brand employ of the same applied science in hereafter.

Back to the support document, and Apple clarifies which other devices can enjoy the new lossless tier. Firstly, Apple tree TV 4K "currently doesn't support Hi-Res Lossless", with merely audio up to 48KHz supported, though the word "currently" suggests that won't be the case forever.

The certificate too confirms the reason that AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and Beats don't support lossless is thanks to their reliance on Bluetooth connections rather than a weakness in the hardware. "Nosotros will evangelize music using lossless audio pinch to your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV," the visitor writes. "Lossless will play back normally on Bluetooth speakers and headphones. Yet Bluetooth connections don't support lossless sound."

With that in heed, at that place's good news for people who don't mind a wire. The official Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter, for example, contains a digital-to-analog converter that supports upwards to 24-flake/48KHz lossless audio. Sadly, while AirPods Max get some benefit by attaching a wire, information technology'due south not perfect. "AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hello-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional sound quality," Apple writes. " However, given the analog to digital conversion in the cablevision, the playback will not be completely lossless."

Apple Music'southward lossless tier will emerge in June at no actress cost to those on the $9.99 per month subscription. At launch, the visitor says in that location volition exist over 20 million songs with lossless quality, reaching 75 million by the stop of the yr.

• More: Apple tree Music vs. Spotify

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing well-nigh tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are institute all over the web and in the occasional mag too. When non weighing upward the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games excess. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth fourth dimension.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-homepod-and-homepod-mini-will-get-lossless-audio-after-all

Posted by: baileyevess1974.blogspot.com

Share this post