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Apple lossless official announcement

voodooless

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From what I can see, the Apple Digital Masters has mostly to do with how the AAC lossy compression files are made: they take the masters, über ASRC it to the reduced sample rate, 32 bit output, and then use that as input for the AAC encoder. Which makes sense, because most lossy encoders are not really limited to 16 bit input anyway. There is a lot of useless information in the document so it's a bit hard to figure out what else is actually done.

There is no mention of what it means for lossless encoding though.. .
 

Reed

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SoundCheck was automatically activated for me after I made the changes so make sure to uncheck if you normally go without. Atmos gave an effect I’m not sure about when listening through my Sony WXM so I unchecked Always for the moment.
 

hmscott

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And their site explains it only works for local files, not for streaming from Apple Music.

Does anybody know of an alternative method to automatically switch between sample rates based on the content playing? Having to set it manually in the Audio/Midi setup is a pita.
And, it looks like the BitPerfect app hasn't been updated since Thursday, 10 October 2019 - Announcing BitPerfect v3.2.0

This is one of the reasons I've stay away from MacOS as at some point Apple simply lost interest.

Apple still loves selling new hardware - and making money from it, so new device drivers are written for new hardware - with new OS features added to support those new advances, but I don't see any CoreOS or consistent App love from Apple for their stewardship of the MacOS.

I would have thought the MacOS BitPerfect App would have been in the Top 10 items to be updated for the Apple Lossless release on the current / latest MacOS:

What’s New Version History Oct 10, 2019 Version 3.2.0
Support for MacOS Catalina. Further optimizations.

SoundCheck was automatically activated for me after I made the changes so make sure to uncheck if you normally go without. Atmos gave an effect I’m not sure about when listening through my Sony WXM so I unchecked Always for the moment.
Same in Windows iTunes, disabled "SoundCheck" as well, also there are no special "Apple Lossless" mentions or options in the Windows iTunes Preferences, so perhaps it isn't updated on the Windows App, I wonder if Apple will ever get around to adding Apple Lossless Support? historically speaking, that seems unlikely... sigh.

In App "Help" shows iTunes 12.11 Windows version...Apples own site shows that 12.11 is the latest version for their Windows iTunes App.

Apples Security Update notes for iTunes 12.11 Windows version shows it was updated less than a year ago, but not updated recently enough to support Apple Lossless: iTunes 12.11 for Windows - Released November 17, 2020

I haven't checked the Android Apple Music app yet...
 
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Ata

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You do. You can switch Dolby Atmos on and off on the fly just as your can change resolution during playback.

If you mean by going to Settings, that is not what I want. I’d like to do it from within the music app.
 

hmscott

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Atmos adds value - object oriented immersive multichannel playback. What value does MQA add?
Tidal has ATMOS recordings :)

"Dolby’s mission has always been to create the strongest bond possible between artists, their stories, and the world. As the driving force in sound innovation, Dolby Atmos Music pushes the boundaries and frees music to be expressed and experienced as intended. Welcome to music reborn in Dolby.

With your TIDAL HiFi membership and Dolby Atmos compatible device, listen to thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos."
Dolby Atmos | TIDAL

Here are some Dolby Atmos samples:
Tidal created Playlist: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/cc065c40-951f-4bf7-aaa8-e6724f53ff7f
2021 New Release Album "Lifelike" by "A Bad Think" - Dolby Atmos Mix: https://tidal.com/browse/album/183983977
Lifelike: the making of an album in Dolby Atmos (Video): https://tidal.com/browse/video/172107170

"...thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos" :)

Update: I don't have a Dolby ATMOS device, but listening to the "Lifelike" Dolby Atmos Mix still sounds great on my Topping D90 MQA DAC + Xduoo TA-20 headphone amplifier.

Here is non-ATMOS recording for comparison: https://tidal.com/browse/album/170591297

They sound very similar, but the ATMOS recording on "Stay On" has a slightly higher background - ancillary - vocal track, news report that sounds more in the background on the non-ATMOS recording... I haven't spent a lot of time comparing, but it shows there may be differences that when played back on a non-ATMOS device may not show the effect you intend on ATMOS. Fun stuff :)
 
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DimitryZ

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Tidal has ATMOS recordings :)

"Dolby’s mission has always been to create the strongest bond possible between artists, their stories, and the world. As the driving force in sound innovation, Dolby Atmos Music pushes the boundaries and frees music to be expressed and experienced as intended. Welcome to music reborn in Dolby.

With your TIDAL HiFi membership and Dolby Atmos compatible device, listen to thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos."
Dolby Atmos | TIDAL

Here are some Dolby Atmos samples:
Tidal created Playlist: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/cc065c40-951f-4bf7-aaa8-e6724f53ff7f
2021 New Release Album "Lifelike" by "A Bad Think" - Dolby Atmos Mix: https://tidal.com/browse/album/183983977
Lifelike: the making of an album in Dolby Atmos (Video): https://tidal.com/browse/video/172107170

"...thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos" :)

Update: I don't have a Dolby ATMOS device, but listening to the "Lifelike" Dolby Atmos Mix still sounds great on my Topping D90 MQA DAC.
Here is non-ATMOS recording for comparison:https://tidal.com/browse/album/170591297

They sound very similar, but the ATMOS recording on "Stay On" has a slightly higher background - ancillary - vocal track, news report that sounds more in the background on the non-ATMOS recording... I haven't spent a lot of time comparing, but it shows there may be differences that when played back on a non-ATMOS device may not show the effect you intend on ATMOS. Fun stuff :)
For me, Atmos would seem to have little or no value.

It's full implementation requires specialized licensed hardware and a big change to my speakers. In the context of my main system, the last is a nonostarter.

In my home theater system, I would need a new AVR and additional speaker modules to get above my current 7.1. Also hard to justify, but maybe sometime in the future.
 

Zensō

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For me, Atmos would seem to have little or no value.

It's full implementation requires specialized licensed hardware and a big change to my speakers. In the context of my main system, the last is a nonostarter.

In my home theater system, I would need a new AVR and additional speaker modules to get above my current 7.1. Also hard to justify, but maybe sometime in the future.
Or you could buy some Airpods. :)
 

UCrazyKid

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Question: My setup Macbook Air, BigSur OS, running iTunes, USB out to Topping D90. When streaming an iTunes "Hi-res" track (Miles Davies - Kind of Blue "So What") my DAC only shows 44.1kHz. Is there some setting that needs to be changed in the Midi.app to have the Mac output the higher resolution format to USB? I use BitPerfect.app for playing my files through iTunes and it adjusts the output to match the files resolution, BUT when streaming, it has no effect and defaults to whatever Midi is set to.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
Andy
 

voodooless

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What am I doing wrong?

Nothing, that is how it works. The Music app works through the OS Mixer, as does the BitPerfect app for streaming as mentioned before by @DeLub.

Change the sample rate in the Audio MIDI Setup to something higher is currently the only known option on MacOS. Seems that iOS has the upper hand here..
 

Zensō

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Question: My setup Macbook Air, BigSur OS, running iTunes, USB out to Topping D90. When streaming an iTunes "Hi-res" track (Miles Davies - Kind of Blue "So What") my DAC only shows 44.1kHz. Is there some setting that needs to be changed in the Midi.app to have the Mac output the higher resolution format to USB? I use BitPerfect.app for playing my files through iTunes and it adjusts the output to match the files resolution, BUT when streaming, it has no effect and defaults to whatever Midi is set to.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
Andy
It’s my understanding that MacOS does not currently support automatic sample rate switching, though it’s likely to come in a future update. In the meantime you can manually set the sample rate in midi.app (a pain) or use an iOS streaming source (iOS sources support auto switching).
 

KeithPhantom

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For me, using my AirPods Pro and playing Atmos music through them, I don’t really feel nothing special about it. The difference (the very slight one) between stereo and Atmos is purely FR and maybe some other DSP I wouldn’t know how to name. This ain’t no multichannel system replacement.
 

KeithPhantom

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It never claimed to be that though.

In my experience Dolby atmos content is much more immersive even on Stereo. Didn't try it on headphones yet.
I have a friend who has a music/movie multichannel system with room treatment, and it doesn’t even remotely compare. I don’t know the funny trick they are using, but it isn’t working for me. In songs I know a lot, the FR seems so messed up compared to normal stereo that there’s no way this is spatial in any way. This is a pure gimmick. At least I got lossless for songs that I did really need this feature for $4.99
 

DimitryZ

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I have a friend who has a music/movie multichannel system with room treatment, and it doesn’t even remotely compare. I don’t know the funny trick they are using, but it isn’t working for me. In songs I know a lot, the FR seems so messed up compared to normal stereo that there’s no way this is spatial in any way. This is a pure gimmick. At least I got lossless for songs that I did really need this feature for $4.99
And yet no angry anti-Dolby threads all over the audiophile interwebs:)

Though Dolby will surely try to get their "super-duper" lossy format as default for all music
 
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