iPad (or iPad 2) and 24-bit files
Jun 21, 2011 at 1:08 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 69
blessingx

blessingx

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If my memory serves, at one point it was pretty clear the iPad supported only files up to 16/48. Both in file load and USB digital out (w/camera kit). The iOS FLAC Player allowed 24/192 (they then backed specs to 24/96) load and playback, but was still hardware limited at digital output. 
 
Benchmark recently posted this, which sounds like at least the iPad 2 is now capable of outputting 24 bit files through the camera kit. Has anyone else (or could they) confirm? I haven't heard anyone mention this change, so I'm kinda of suspicious, but may have missed it and if it's true it would be great (especially for occasional iPad users who don't want to spend 1/2 of their budget on third party iDevice specific jitter reduction). 
 
EDIT: Additional info on next page. 
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Jun 23, 2011 at 11:37 AM Post #3 of 69
thanks for the tip!! time to get that flac player
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:07 PM Post #4 of 69
Qusp, just to be clear, the iPod app (on iPad) also allows 24-bit music. In fact I've been playing around with a couple tweaker apps - EQu and Equalizer, which only work with iPod app stored music (Apples and its arguably forward thinking security nature has limited file access elsewhere), so although I'm also a FLAC user (blame Squeezebox), if you're using the iPad as a common source, perhaps ALAC is the way to go. Still debating myself.
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:10 PM Post #5 of 69
I get confused when something is said to be "hardware limited" (which I take to mean limited by the physical hardware that makes up the device), but then the "hardware" is suddenly able to do something else as a result of a software (ie. OS) change.
 
This tells me that the hardware itself wasn't limited, but the associated OS and/or the user-application software was.
 
Makes me wonder about what the Touch is capable of?
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:11 PM Post #6 of 69

Quote:
blessingx said:
Qusp, just to be clear, the iPod app (on iPad) also allows 24-bit music. In fact I've been playing around with a couple tweaker apps - EQu and Equalizer, which only work with iPod app stored music (Apples and its arguably forward thinking security nature has limited file access elsewhere), so although I'm also a FLAC user (blame Squeezebox), if you're using the iPad as a common source, perhaps ALAC is the way to go. Still debating myself.
Click to expand...

 
How do you get 24-bit ALAC files, beyond 48kHz, onto your iPad without downsampling?
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:21 PM Post #7 of 69
Jpelg, sorry if I was confusing. Last I heard (from a couple third-party iOS app developers) the iPad 1 was hardware limited to 16/48 through the USB out. I accepted this as gospel as it's a common USB device limitation and 24-bit ALAC files couldn't previously even be loaded. This is no longer the case and is obviously, as you implied, not an actual hardware limitation. You get no error messages loading 24-bit files through iTunes now (not sure the iTunes version this changed and I used AIFF files, but I'd guess ALAC would work too). Benchmarks test and my Lavrys indicator seems to show the 24-bit files are passing along the sample rate fine. This was also the case with the FLAC Player app.  
 
The big limitation now seems to be many DACs draw more power than the iPad is built to output, but a powered USB hub (although obviously limits portability) solves that in at least my case. 
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:28 PM Post #8 of 69
So if we convert our 24/96 and 24/192 FLAC files to ALAC, and import them into our desktop iTunes, they will synch via iTunes to the iPad without error, & the 96 or 192 sample rates will be output bit-perfect to a DAC?
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:31 PM Post #9 of 69
I can't confirm 24/192 output as my Musical Fidelity V-Link is limited to 24/92, but can confim up to 24/192 file load and 24/94 (and 24/88.2) output. I no longer have a HDCD DAC (my old way to test bit perfection though not 24-bit), so can only truly test V-Link and Lavry DAC lock on the sample rates.  
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:33 PM Post #10 of 69
What version of:
 
1. iPad hardware (1 or 2)
2. iOS
3. iTunes
 
are you using?
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:39 PM Post #11 of 69
Benchmark used an iPad 2.
 
In my case:
iPad 1
iOS 4.3.3
iTunes 10.3.1 (55)
 
Yeah, this is kinda a big deal. Transportable 24-bit playback with a $30 adapter (and likely AC powered USB hub).
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 12:42 PM Post #12 of 69
Nice. Wish the camera kit worked with the Touch. 
 
Thanks for the detailed info man!
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 6:40 PM Post #13 of 69


Quote:
jpelg said:
So if we convert our 24/96 and 24/192 FLAC files to ALAC, and import them into our desktop iTunes, they will synch via iTunes to the iPad without error, & the 96 or 192 sample rates will be output bit-perfect to a DAC?
Click to expand...



Not for me :/  I have iPad 2, iTunes 10.3.1 and it will only synch files up to 48 / 24.  Anything above that (e.g., 88.2 / 24, 96 / 24, 192 / 24, etc.) gives the "cannot be synched because cannot be played on this device" message.
 
The third-party FLAC player will accept and play up to 192 / 24 (I think), so the hardware is capable - Apple is just keeping us from synching the higher rate files for some reason :frowning2:
 
Jun 23, 2011 at 8:31 PM Post #14 of 69
Hmmm...the plot thickens!
 
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