Apple Music: The Hi-Fi Feature I Need After a Decade

For the past decade, Apple Music has been my preferred streaming service. I adopted it immediately upon its launch on 30th June 2015, and I’ve remained a loyal user ever since. The fact that I already possessed a substantial iTunes library was a definite advantage, and understanding how my existing downloaded and ripped files would integrate with a streaming-first service proved invaluable during my initial assessment.

In fact, Apple Music is the only product for which I’ve meticulously examined the terms and conditions in their entirety. This was because Apple was initially reticent about disclosing specific technical details, such as the streaming bitrate. Scouring the fine print was necessary to unearth this information (which, upon launch, was 256kbps AAC).

Apple Music’s user-friendly interface, extensive catalogue, seamless integration with iOS devices, and its remarkably intuitive algorithm for music recommendations and expertly curated playlists have provided me with excellent musical companionship over the last ten years.

It also delivers impressive sound quality. While Tidal offers a more punchy and detailed sonic experience, and Qobuz provides greater clarity, I still find that Apple Music sounds inherently musical when played through headphones, wireless speakers, and hi-fi streamers. It’s clear, dynamic, well-balanced, and particularly excels in rendering voices with naturalness and emotion.

Since its inception, Apple Music has rapidly expanded to rival the streaming giant Spotify in terms of its catalogue (boasting over 100 million songs). It also boasts a significant 93 million paid subscribers. Crucially, it has also propelled spatial audio into the mainstream and introduced 24-bit hi-res lossless tiers (ranging from 48kHz to 192kHz sample rates) – all without any additional cost to the user.

Remarkably, while competing streaming services have frequently raised their prices or implemented tiered pricing structures based on audio quality, Apple Music has only implemented one notable price increase for its standard individual subscription. It initially launched at £9.99 per month and now costs £10.99 per month.

I invariably choose Apple Music when listening through headphones or Bluetooth speakers, particularly at home. However, at work, I tend to favour Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect. This is not solely due to their superior sound quality (which facilitates product testing), but also because the Connect versions of these streaming services greatly simplify streaming to hi-fi equipment, enabling me to enjoy hi-res audio.

Hi-Res Streaming: AirPlay Needs to Catch Up

When Apple Music recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, I reflected on potential improvements to the platform. I quickly realised that my primary desire wasn’t related to Apple Music itself, but rather to AirPlay. This Apple wireless protocol is in dire need of a significant upgrade.

Streaming products are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, and the ability to stream in 24-bit hi-res quality is also gaining traction as music enthusiasts demand higher fidelity. Wireless speakers, network music streamers, and all-in-one systems increasingly feature Bluetooth, AirPlay, or internet radio connectivity. Many now support Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, or both.

In my home hi-fi system, I employ a WiiM Pro Plus, whereas hi-fi test rooms are equipped with a Naim streamer. The effortless ability to stream music from Qobuz or Tidal in hi-res quality over a network, without interruptions from phone apps or notifications, makes for an unparalleled listening experience.

AirPlay, in contrast, is falling behind. AirPlay is already integrated into a vast array of third-party wireless speakers, streamers, music systems, AV receivers, and more. Unlike numerous iOS-exclusive features that remain confined within Apple’s ecosystem, AirPlay enjoys widespread availability.

It’s regrettable, therefore, that it hasn’t evolved into a Connect-style version that would enable Apple Music subscribers to enjoy their music library in a more streamlined and higher-quality manner.

The most recent update, AirPlay 2, introduced multi-room playback, which was essential for its HomePod speakers. However, I sincerely hope that upgrading AirPlay to a full Connect model is something Apple will seriously consider in the near future.

A Connect Version of AirPlay Would Elevate the Apple Music Experience

AirPlay 2 is a wireless protocol that facilitates the streaming of music (and video) content from an Apple device over a home network to compatible products, claiming to deliver 16-bit/44.1kHz quality streams. This represents a considerable improvement, both technically and sonically, over highly compressed Bluetooth.

Unlike other streaming apps, Apple doesn’t permit Apple Music to have integrated support in third-party hi-fi equipment. Consequently, users must rely on AirPlay to stream Apple Music tracks (particularly from an iOS device; Android users can utilise Chromecast) in better-than-Bluetooth quality to their chosen hi-fi streamer.

(The exception here is Eversolo, which allows users to download the Apple Music Android app directly onto its streamers, enabling playback in full hi-res.)

However, with AirPlay, the streamed songs originate from your smartphone or tablet rather than from the streaming service’s servers in the cloud. Therefore, closing the app on your phone, receiving an incoming call, or playing a video will interrupt and affect playback.

In contrast, the Connect versions for both Tidal and Qobuz stream music directly from their servers to the connected hi-fi product, freeing up your phone for other uses and functioning solely as a remote control, without playback interruptions. This provides a significantly smoother experience.

This is the primary upgrade I would love to see implemented in the next iteration of AirPlay. It would greatly enhance the protocol’s usability and streamline the process of streaming my Apple Music library to hi-fi products.

Will We Ever See Full Hi-Res Support Over AirPlay?

The second improvement I would like to see is one that has been previously mentioned. Apple Music’s catalogue includes songs in lossless hi-res (24-bit) quality, but there is currently no way to wirelessly stream this quality, either to its own AirPods or, via AirPlay, to hi-fi or wireless systems.

Apple Music’s hi-res files are in the ALAC lossless format (an alternative to FLAC). However, when streaming using AirPlay 2, this is downsampled to the lossy AAC format (a Bluetooth standard). This means that you never get to enjoy the hi-res or even full CD-spec lossless quality that is available for over 100 million songs in your Apple Music library.

You can still access it if you opt for a wired connection, with a DAC positioned between your Apple Music source and endpoint. However, this negates the benefits of a wireless ecosystem and seems regressive when hi-res wireless is now more widely accessible.

While I can tolerate AAC quality when listening to my AirPods Pro over Bluetooth, I feel shortchanged when streaming to a network player or wireless system – whether it’s a WiiM, Naim, Ruark, or any other AirPlay-supporting device – and I can’t hear my carefully curated Apple Music library and playlists in hi-res quality, as I can with Qobuz Connect and Tidal Connect.

The arrival of Qobuz Connect earlier this year has made the difference all the more apparent, demonstrating the significant impact a Connect version of AirPlay would have.

I appreciate that Apple prioritises seamless connection and integration across its own devices and when using its own technology. AirPlay achieves this successfully, even if it compromises audio quality.

The majority of Apple users likely aren’t concerned with codecs or bitrates and simply want their products to function smoothly at all times. I concur with this sentiment.

However, as one of the smaller percentage of users who also deeply value optimal sound quality, I simply desire better.

Imagine how much greater the audio experience could be if Apple pushed the boundaries even further and focused on delivering true hi-res (and hi-fi) audio quality?

For those of us who rely on Apple Music as our primary streaming source and yearn to hear its full potential through our high-quality hi-fi systems, we can only hope that Apple adopts a more audiophile-centric approach when developing AirPlay 3 and delivers a fully Connect-style version as a genuine upgrade.

Let’s hope this materialises before another decade passes for Apple Music!