In 2021 Apple brought more improvements in audio experience, both at devices and sound technology level.
Spatial Audio(cu Dolby Atmos), a spatial sound experience on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, what gives you the emphasis that the sound comes from all directions and stays at a fixed point when you turn your head, is completed by Apple Lossless Audio.
A Higher sound quality In another format audio.
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This is Apple Lossless Audio?
In full name, Apple Lossless Audio Codec (Alac) is a new audio file compression technology developed by Apple to bring a clear sound, identical to that of the original studio recordings. A sound that, as a result of compressing, is lost absolutely nothing.
When a song is removed from the studio, most of the time it reaches listeners in a compressed format AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) the 256 kbps. Known as well as AAC-256. A codec supported by almost all audio players.
Apple lossless audio this compressed sound to bit-to-bit, with an accuracy of up to 24-bits with the frequency of 48 kHz.
Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) is available for subscribers Apple Music, but you must know that not all songs are currently with this codec. Apple has not yet forced the record houses and authors to load / recharge on Apple Music content in lossless format.
The songs that support Alac Up to 24-bit/48 kHz have the title "Lossless".
How can we listen to high audio quality music in lossless audio format?
Unfortunately we can't listen to Lossless music on AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. Wireless headphones use AAC Bluetooth Codec, and Bluetooth connections do not support audio lossless.
We can listen Lossless music on the speakersiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and in a near future and on HomePod / HomePod mini After a software update with lossless support will be launched. Most likely the Lossless format on Homepod will come with iOS 15, when we can listen to this format and through airplay.
However, there is good news if we like to listen to music. Traditional threads, those with 3.5 mm jack are compatible for Lossless format, if we use Lightning adapter. As we know, on the new generations of iPhone, Apple eliminated the 3.5 mm jack. The adapter is able to convert from analog to digital, and the experience of sound will be as good as that of lightning threaded headphones.
It should be mentioned that on the iPhone and iPad it takes a minimum of iOS 14.6 / iPados 14.6, and on the Mac we must have at least macos 14.4 to be able to listen in audio in lossless format.
Cum activam Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) in Apple Music?
By default this option is not activated on iPhone or iPad for easy to understand considerations. A song in Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) song less storage space and use one much lower internet traffic than the same song in Apple Lossless Audio Codec (Alac) format at 24-bit/48 kHz. We are not talking about the format Hi-Res Lossless la 24-bit / 192 kHz, which is much larger and is also available in Apple Music for songs edited by Apple Digital Masters.
A song will have:
- 6 MB in formatul High Quality AAC / 265 kbps
- 32 MB with lossless compression Alac la 24-bit / 48 kHz
- 145 MB cu Lossless Alac up to 24-bit / 192 kHz
So, before we activate one of the Lossless formats, we must keep in mind in which scenario will be activated and if for the music discharged on the iPhone, iPad or Mac we have enough storage space, especially in the case of Hi-Res Lossless.
Lossless activation on the iPhone and iPad is made of: "Settings" → "Music" then we go to "audio Quelity", where the first option is "Lossless Audio", Which we activate. On the green. Once activated the" Lossless Audio "option will appear two options, in which we can choose in which scenery we use the Lossless format or Hi-Res Lossless.
Once activated Lossless Audio we can choose if this format has listened to (streaming) when we are connected to the Internet through the cell network (4G / 5G), when we have a Wi-Fi connection or if we want to download the device.
Since I said above the Lossless and High Resolution Lossless files are much larger than the traditional AAC, it is not advisable to activate this format when you have a mobile internet connection. Additional internet data traffic can cost you quite a lot.
Choose to store music in Lossless Aleac 24-bit / 48 kHz music only if you have enough storage space on iPhone or iPad.
We see that besides the classic AAC and the new 24-bit Alass Alass / 48 KHz, we also have the high definition option 24-bit / 192 kHz. This Hi-Res format is not currently supported on any Apple device, and activating this format requires connecting the device to an external sound source, capable of conversion analog-to-digital and emitting high definition sounds. Most likely Hi-Res Alac is intended for those who make music.
