Posted on 07/21/2021 12:40:29 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Apple Music boss Eddy Cue says most people can’t tell the difference between compressed and lossless audio but he believes that spatial audio is ‘a game-changer’.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Cue, who is Apple’s Senior VP of Internet Software and Services, admitted that: “If you take a 100 people and you take a stereo song in lossless and you take a song that’s been in Apple Music that’s compressed, I don’t know if it’s 99 or 98 can’t tell the difference. For the difference of lossless, our ears aren’t that good”.
He went on to say that to say that only audiophiles with “incredible ears” can really tell the difference, but that this requires “very, very high-quality stereo equipment”.
Apple Music recently launched spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, while also bringing lossless audio to its entire catalogue at no extra cost for subscribers.
Several of the big streaming platforms, including TIDAL, charge a higher fee for lossless content.
While Apple Music now offers lossless audio across it entire catalogue, lossless listening is not supported by any of the brand’s HomePod speakers, or its headphones, not even the top-of-the range AirPods Max cans. A future software update is expected to bring lossless support for the HomePod speakers.
Spatial audio is much better supported by Apple’s hardware – both on the AirPods Pro and Max – and it’s this immersive format that Cue believes is the future.
Speaking with Audio Media International, Mirek Stiles, Head of Audio Products at Abbey Road Studios agrees that spatial audio is a truly game-changing development, saying: “Stereo is a marvellous format, but spatial audio takes sound to new dimensions of enjoyment, and now that it’s actually convenient for the consumer to experience this expansion of the sound stage, things are going to get very interesting. This is the most significant development in sound since stereo was introduced to the general public in 1958 and it will affect all aspects of our daily digital life.”
Can I play my Tinnitus album in spatial?
The right ear is still OK, but serious listening is ruined for me.
However, the premise of the article still holds true which is why audio Cassettes were so popular back in the day. People valued portability over fidelity.
Today they value storage capacity over fidelity.
And nobody has time these days to hand crank a Model T Ford either. Nowadays everybody has these fancy schmanzy automobiles with the push button ignitions and the remote starters.
Lazy bastards.
I bought a vinyl record for the first time since I was a little kid in the 70s so a musician pal could bump it over to a digital format for me. I don’t need any more dust collecting gadgets.
He loved the record and I told him to keep it for his trouble.
The guy is a super picky type and said expect some artifacts, hiss, and other minor problems. He did some post but I am a tad tone deaf and it all sounded great to me.
That's no problem at all. 127 people out of a hundred that spend their parent's money in an Apple store will claim that they can.
Bagpipes sound terrible no matter what — they are a weapon of war. They sound different when digitally recorded. They sound much different when put through a codec.
But I agree that 99% suck at everything. That’s why everything you buy these days sucks. Mass marketing.
I have been debating if I want to sign up for Apple Music.
“And nobody has time these days to hand crank a Model T Ford either.”
We had a tractor with a hand crank.
It was fine unless it decided to backfire, then it would darn near take an arm off. Give you a nasty sting at least.
I laughed at the youngsters when they were showing off their new cars with the push button start. “We got rid of that long ago” I would say. They just looked puzzled.
They also don't understand that push-button start is not a cool gadget to make their car better. It was brought back by manufacturers to make it easier to repo the car if the owner didn't make the payments. No more sending key copies to the repo company.
I was selling stereo equipment when the Kyocera CD player was introduced. It was evident that a good turntable setup sounded better. However, the CD removed any skill or care needed to get and keep getting good results.
Digital has come a long way since then and the hi resolution streams or files can be awesome. Even files at CD level can be real good. Bottom line is the original production has to be good. I have many albums and digital sources that sound like crap and many of both that sound incredible. With analog when you get the perfect , not worn out album, on a table set up right it is ultimately the best. But my cat does not like getting off my lap when I have to flip it over.
What’s important here is to CLAIM you can tell the difference. That makes you a better, more cultured, person than others.
“No more sending key copies to the repo company.”
I hadn’t thought of that one.
I guess they have work arounds for the door locks too. Sneaky auto companies.
The auto industry is like Hollywood these days, just recycling old ideas with a tech twist.
I deal with the record labels everyday. We always request linear files. Many times you can see the rolloff in the spectrum analyzer and know it’s been upconverted. What’s worse they don’t realize it. I have actually had files for early releases from the studio that way. Audio files in the editors are solid blocks with no dynamic range across all music formats. It’s like someone took heddeclippers and cut off the tops.
Many times it’s the same with the remastered releases. They’re remastered hot/loud. In some cases we revert back to the original CD releases.
If it ain’t analog, it ain’t music.
Most people can’t identify it on Apple systems. They rolled out this capability and their devices and headphones don’t support it.
I can tell the difference, but my high-end sound system can make it shine. Without that, he’s right. Most people can’t tell the difference…
I believe lot more people can identify “ take it easy” than can identify “ the garden of earthly delights”.
I took a flight physical in 1970 when I was 25 and the physician strangely asked me, “Do you own a good stereo system?” “No.” “Don’t waste your money ever buying one. You can’t hear worth a XXXX.”
Yes, I have hearing aids, but love quiet and don’t wear them most of the time..... ;-)
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