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Last week Apple launched two brand new features to Apple Music; Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio. It’s all very exciting, but what does it actually mean, and how can you listen to it?
Probably the best way to describe the two settings is to think of the jump to 4K HDR in video. Like 4K, Lossless Audio is much higher definition, but enjoying it depends on the quality of your equipment and your hearing (or eyesight, in 4K’s case).
Apple has rolled out spatial and lossless audio to its streaming service.
On the other hand Spatial Audio, like HDR, is tough to describe and doesn’t seem like a big benefit, but it’s actually the more significant upgrade because it provides so much texture and context.
Stereo audio as we know it has been around since the 1930s, allowing different parts of the aural information to be split between the two ears, providing a more immersive experience than mono sound. One of my favourite examples of this is Wilderness by Sleater-Kinney, which moves instruments between the two ears to disorient the listener.
Apple’s Spatial Audio puts that on steroids, using psychoacoustics and Dolby Atmos technology to make it sound as though different music channels are coming from above you, behind you, below you and a bit off in the distance.
Songs designed for this sound incredible; Blinding Lights by The Weeknd sounds like it’s happening all around me. But songs which have it added artificially after the fact can sound a little too polished, like an image that’s been over sharpened, losing some of the soul.
At a loss over lossless? Here are Apple Music’s new quality options
- High Quality 256kbps: This is the default and will use around 3MB per minute. It will be lower if you have a slow connection or are on mobile data and haven’t allowed High Quality in Settings.
- Lossless 24-bit/48 kHz: CD quality, using around 12MB per minute. Apple’s Bluetooth codec does not support this, but you can play it through a wired connection or your device’s built-in speakers.
- Hi-Res Lossless 24-bit/192 kHz: Uses around 48MB per minute. You will need your own external DAC, as Apple’s Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter (and its Mac) only go to 48kHz. Hi-Res is not supported by Apple TV.
High resolution lossless audio makes Apple Music look good next to streaming competitors, because it’s included at no extra cost whereas Tidal only includes it with its most premium plan. But it’s really only good news for people who use quality wired headphones or speakers, as there just isn’t enough bandwidth to convey it from your Apple device to your Bluetooth headphones.
The standard Lossless setting in Apple Music is about the same as CD quality, which is close to the maximum quality the human ear can really appreciate. High-Res Lossless is better still, but to enjoy it you’ll need a separate audiophile-grade DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) and truly spectacular hearing. Depending on your ears you may be able to pick up some extra details and get the sense there’s more to be heard, but the jump from Lossless to High-Res Lossless won’t be as significant as the jump from cassette to CDs. Still, it’s nice to have.