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Apple lossless official announcement

Bamyasi

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Curiously, Apple Music app on android supports chromecast, but not airplay.
That's trivial: Android supports Chromecast but Android does not support Airplay. Apps can only use what OS supports.

Beat this: Amazon Fire Tablets does not support casting to Amazon Fire TV sticks. The answer from Amazon support? "It is as it is, no further explanation available."
 

blueone

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Beat this: Amazon Fire Tablets does not support casting to Amazon Fire TV sticks. The answer from Amazon support? "It is as it is, no further explanation available."

Seems odd, but is probably explained by the one of the two products (Maybe both!) not being an Amazon design. They bought or licensed what they could for expediency or cost, and some obvious requirements fell off the table as a result. Expediency does seem to be an Amazon corporate strategy.
 

hmscott

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Just got an email from Amazon. What a coincidence. :)




Our highest quality streaming audio is now available at no extra cost. Going forward, your subscription price will be $5 less, with no additional charge for HD. Look for the change in your next billing cycle.
Yup, I received this email Monday:
May 17, 2021, 10:57 AM
"Dear Scott,
We have some great news for you – going forward, there will be no extra charge for HD as part of your Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
You will continue to have full access to all of your HD content, but at no additional cost. This change will be reflected in your next billing cycle."

And, my Annual bill went from $129 to $79... not including my normal yearly Amazon Prime costs :)
Amazon Music HD Annual Plan Price Change.JPG
Discussed here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...sless-high-res-music-service.9033/post-784955
 
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MediumRare

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Yup, I received this email Wednesday:
"Dear Scott,
We have some great news for you – going forward, there will be no extra charge for HD as part of your Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.
You will continue to have full access to all of your HD content, but at no additional cost. This change will be reflected in your next billing cycle."

And, my Annual bill went from $129 to $79... not including my normal yearly Amazon Prime costs :)
View attachment 131254
Discussed here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...sless-high-res-music-service.9033/post-784955
How do you play your music, i.e. get it to a DAC or amp? Will the Amazon Music App work with Chromecast?
 

hmscott

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How do you play your music, i.e. get it to a DAC or amp? Will the Amazon Music App work with Chromecast?
I don't use a Chromecast yet - still debating getting the Google Chromecast with Google TV (Snow) or the Roku Ultra - but I consider both are ready for upgrades, so I've been holding off.
For the Roku Ultra there is the current sale "While supplies last":

Sale $69.99 was $99.99 Save $30
Offer ends 5/29/2021. While supplies last.
https://www.roku.com/products/roku-ultra

Perhaps a new Roku top model Summer 2021? Or, is this huge price drop only a temporary reduction for "Prime Day"?

IDK, we've already had 2 annual "Ultra" models, the Ultra for 2019 and the Ultra for 2020, will there be a third new Roku Ultra for 2021? :)

Google is a little less clear, as most of the upgrades happen in software, but 8k / upscaling from lower resolution has higher processing requirements + continuing improvements in process technology will eventually bring a hardware upgrade. Then there are the new for 2021 TCL 8k TV's and TCL's introduction of GoogleTV integrations:

TCL’s 2021 TV lineup to include Google TV and more 8K models

TCL TV 2021: All the 8K and 4K TVs announced so far

I can't tell from those articles if the 8k TV's will get GoogleTV integration, but if TCL is pushing 8k TV's like they did 4k TV's - my first 4k TV's were TCL's - eventually TCL will want to include GoogleTV integration in their 8k TVs.

I'm mostly looking for a Chromecast dongle with higher processing capabilities resulting in less heat generation at HD/4k, not necessarily interested in 8k particularly - although the Benq 4k 3280U does a great job displaying the 8k HDR content I've watched on youtube.
I use the Android App for Amazon Music HD on my phone, tablet, DAP, and the Windows App on Windows 10 with occasional web browser usage with USB connections to a Topping D90 MQA and FiiO M15, and to my Benq 4k 3280U via DisplayPort - why I am looking for a 4k streaming appliance :)
 
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Reed

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My experience with digital music starts with iTunes, ripped CDs and Napster. Through the years, I’ve used Apple Music as my central point of data for songs and playlists. I’ve used Qobuz, and Amazon but ditched them for catalog and interface reasons. I’ve been hedging my bets with Spotify, Tidal and Roon. I convert my Apple Music playlists using Soundizz, usually to Tidal. In other words, I’ve kept my options open, hoping for this day. I have no concerns on what Apple will offer from a quality or catalog standpoint. My only concerns are the Airplay architecture that keeps me from using Apple Music as a true remote like Tidal Direct or Spotify Direct. It lets me use the hardware buttons on my iPad to control the streamer/preamp, not the stream from my iPad. I’ll have to use the BluOS app to control volume of my NAD C658. Add that BluOS has volume control issues due to volume steps that don’t match Apple’s. I brought it up as a support issue and Bluesound and said complain to Apple. Imagine thinking Apple would change their OS to accommodate BluOS.
 

hmscott

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My experience with digital music starts with iTunes, ripped CDs and Napster. Through the years, I’ve used Apple Music as my central point of data for songs and playlists. I’ve used Qobuz, and Amazon but ditched them for catalog and interface reasons. I’ve been hedging my bets with Spotify, Tidal and Roon. I convert my Apple Music playlists using Soundizz, usually to Tidal. In other words, I’ve kept my options open, hoping for this day. I have no concerns on what Apple will offer from a quality or catalog standpoint. My only concerns are the Airplay architecture that keeps me from using Apple Music as a true remote like Tidal Direct or Spotify Direct. It lets me use the hardware buttons on my iPad to control the streamer/preamp, not the stream from my iPad. I’ll have to use the BluOS app to control volume of my NAD C658. Add that BluOS has volume control issues due to volume steps that don’t match Apple’s. I brought it up as a support issue and Bluesound and said complain to Apple. Imagine thinking Apple would change their OS to accommodate BluOS.
I've used Apple Music since the beginning, but stopped using it when higher resolution delivery from other services was available. The in-built hi-res limitations of Apple iPhone, iPad, Macintosh hardware has kept me from buying Apple hardware, limited to a 48k/96k maximum via Apple hardware output ports.

Recently I was about to try to get higher resolution audio out of the the Macintosh Pro M1 with a HyperDrive GEN2 16-Port Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station — Latest Generation Titan Ridge Docking Station. Supports 8K video. – HyperShop.com via the external Coax/Optical ports.

But, I ended up returning the M1 before the 30 days return period expired due to Apple's Security infrastructure essentially requiring me to have an iPhone to Verify my AppleID - without an iPhone to verify my AppleID I needed to do a daily recovery of my AppleID to operate my Macbook Pro M1, and it became too much of a hassle. New Apple M1 Macbook Air, M1 Macbook Pro, and M1 Mac Mini - Audio. So I don't know for sure if the Apple Music content resolution limitations would persist through the Optical/Coax outputs.

I still have legacy content on iTunes, but other than the brief time I recently had used Apple Music again while I had the Apple Macintosh Pro M1 - and re-discovered Apple's even more restrictive "Streaming" content limitations - see bottom half of post, I don't feel the need to supplement my Amazon Music HD and Tidal streaming subscriptions with Apple Music Streaming. :)
 
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voodooless

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Just got an email from Amazon. What a coincidence. :)




Our highest quality streaming audio is now available at no extra cost. Going forward, your subscription price will be $5 less, with no additional charge for HD. Look for the change in your next billing cycle.
“HD music for all”.. a blatant lie. It’s still not available in many countries, including mine :mad:
 

ENG

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It’s true! Can our friends from Sweden having Amazon inform us whether they can get Amazon Music HD?
 
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vibess

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It’s true! Can our friends from Sweden having Amazon inform us whether they can get Amazon Music HD?
As far as I can tell, it doesn't seem available for us yet.

edit:
1621673923064.png
 
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Honken

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Considering the past few pages complaining about how hard it is to use Apple Music, and how it seems impossible to listen to whole albums at a time I figure that some info on how Apple Music works is in order. Because really, the core concept of the UI is really the reason why I use it myself.

I'd say that Apple Music is library focused, whereas Spotify is playlist focused. I personally prefer the former and the latter confuses me.

In Apple Music there's a distinction of two libraries, your own and the whole catalogue from Apple. You can add albums to your own library by searching for the album, and from the album page you can add the album to your library. Doing so will also add the artist to your list of followed artists so you can be notified of new releases.

The way I use Apple Music now is that I more or less exclusively search and play music from my own curated library, and it feels like a native music player (on Android I used to use Vanilla Music, with my music on a µSD card - functioned more or less exactly the same). And yes, in this mode it is very easy to search for albums that you like and play them whole. There are multiple views of your library, but really, finding an album you wish to play couldn't be easier, on iOS you simply select Albums from the Library page - in iTunes it's listed in the menu on the left (and iTunes starts up in the library view).

I never visit the Browse page, but I do look at the Listen Now every now and then to look at the new releases (from artists that I follow).
 

jensgk

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Curiously, Apple Music app on android supports chromecast, but not airplay.
I didn’t know that, but it means that there is better hi-res streaming support for Apple Music on Android, than there is on iPhone. AirPlay on iPhone only goes to 16/44.1 while chromecast goes to 24/96.
 

voodooless

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I didn't mean to try to convince people who don't like it, but to help people who are confused by it.

That the same thing in my book. If you need to explain the interface, you did something wrong (.. well, not you, bu Apple).
 

Honken

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That the same thing in my book. If you need to explain the interface, you did something wrong (.. well, not you, bu Apple).
And as I mentioned, Spotify confuses me. As does Tidal. I haven't tried Amazon, Qobuz or Deezer so I cannot say anything about them.

Truth is, modern UIs are awful.
 

voodooless

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And as I mentioned, Spotify confuses me. As does Tidal. I haven't tried Amazon, Qobuz or Deezer so I cannot say anything about them.

Truth is, modern UIs are awful.

I agree. Spotify is also confusing at times, but at least it has the features I like (like bookmarking an artist).
 

Taddpole

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How do you play your music, i.e. get it to a DAC or amp? Will the Amazon Music App work with Chromecast?

Amazon app does work with chromecasts it only used to do it at standard definition, but that line has been removed from the amazon help page.

Could just be that they now don't front up that it's not high definition rather than fixing it though.
 

Jimbob54

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Amazon app does work with chromecasts it only used to do it at standard definition, but that line has been removed from the amazon help page.

Could just be that they now don't front up that it's not high definition rather than fixing it though.
Is that from apple devices too? (cast to chromecast)
 
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