Testing if you need lossless music
Apple Music Lossless promises music in the highest quality imaginable. The announcement was immediately controversial: you can't play it on Apple's own audio products, the AirPods, or the HomePod. You will need special equipment for it. And even then the question remains: how many people actually hear the difference? There are tests with which you can check this.
Lossless is an option that many people have been looking forward to. Tidal and Amazon already had it, Spotify promised it earlier this year, and Apple couldn't be left behind. After all, Apple claims that “music is in its DNA”. and with the high-end products they make, it was actually strange that Apple Music only offered standard quality audio. With the announcement of Apple Music Lossless, we can start enjoying it from June. So you still have some time to prepare and see if you have the right equipment.
You can listen to lossless music on this $ 2000 Sennheiser HD 820.
On the AirPods (all models) and on the HomePod it will certainly not work and Sonos also informed us by email that lossless for Apple Music is not yet supported.
 and a third sample (X). You always have to decide whether A or B best matches X, hence the name ABX test. </p>
<p><img src = )
>The more exercises you do, the more accurately the test can indicate whether you hear the difference. Those in a hurry can already get an impression with 5 exercises, so that you get a good impression in five to ten minutes. If you have half an hour, you can do 100 exercises for an even better estimate. You listen to FLAC files, so in a different format than Apple makes available. Furthermore, the audio system on which you play the fragments must of course be suitable for lossless music. Listening through the speakers of your iPhone makes little sense.
Tidal also had a similar test a while ago, but you always had to indicate which of the two had the best quality in your opinion. With the ABX test we mentioned above, the result would be more accurate, because you always have to compare two samples with the original and also evaluate several samples from the same number.Sample X can be a lossless quality fragment, but it can also be a lossy fragment. This makes it virtually impossible to influence the test result in your favor. You will only get a good score if you have really good hearing. Afterwards you will receive a score per track and a total score.
If you get the result that you probably cannot hear the difference, then that is completely normal. As one Twitterer noted:
Apple Music's Lossless and Spotify HiFi are the & lsquo; princess in the pea & rsquo; of the audiophiles. Few people have the equipment to use it. Nobody can actually hear the difference.
For audiophiles with the right gear
Of course you want the best possible audio quality, especially if you call yourself a music lover. But it is not equally relevant for all genres, nor is it a must-have for everyone. For a small group of audiophiles who want to hear every detail and already have the right hardware, it is a nice addition. Especially because you don't pay anything extra for it.
Do you want to know exactly how things work with Apple Music Lossless? Read our FAQ, because we try to answer as many questions as possible!