[wdh777]

A few articles today with rumors Apple may introduce a high bitrate streaming option in 2016 similar to tidal. I would be psyched but worried my existing dacs may not support it or God forbid existing headphones. Do you think you could replace headphone cables with a newer version with a lightning adaptor or is it more complicated than that. This rumor would put a new spin in the beats acquisition if Apple would introduce proprietary headphones needed for the high bitrate option.

 

[ChickenWaffles]

I haven't jumped on streaming yet, but this could be my ticket! I hope Apple can find some way to make this happen with existing hardware. I don't have any desire to have to purchase their equiptment to use the streaming service. I don't know about the whole cable thing, but I think Fiio is making some lightnig to micro cables. That may just be a rumor, though.

 

[karlgerman]

Yes, nice idea--to get new customers. Remind´s me to the Mp3 hype, 3D television and curved tv screen´s.
For sure there is more information in High resolution files, but this does not help if the recording is crappy. And to my ears, a lot is or could be better.
 
And IMO fine recording and tonemeister data is useful for unplugged live music, Jazz, Classical stuff but who need High resolution data on Metall, Rock and most of the Pop music production? To make it worse, most of the Instruments in Pop production´s are sampled, not real, at high tech level if we are lucky.
 
So i prefer a good redbook CD data over most of the high resolution music available that was produced on lower level equipment, and streaming is not a progress in quality!
 
My HiFi rig is upper level, Headphone and Loudspeaker --- and i did some serious tests with Data from several services and this is my personal conclusion/ opinion.
Even Apple might not change my mind.
 
I read also that Apple plan to sell 96/24 bit Data on iTunes soon. 
This would be a acceptable option for me. First check if the recording is worth the upper effort and buy after. But that is just another high bitrate service.

 

[ubs28]

A few articles today with rumors Apple may introduce a high bitrate streaming option in 2016 similar to tidal. I would be psyched but worried my existing dacs may not support it or God forbid existing headphones. Do you think you could replace headphone cables with a newer version with a lightning adaptor or is it more complicated than that. This rumor would put a new spin in the beats acquisition if Apple would introduce proprietary headphones needed for the high bitrate option.

Can't you just use a DAC + AMP connected to the lightning port? 

 

[watchnerd]

A few articles today with rumors Apple may introduce a high bitrate streaming option in 2016 similar to tidal. I would be psyched but worried my existing dacs may not support it or God forbid existing headphones. Do you think you could replace headphone cables with a newer version with a lightning adaptor or is it more complicated than that. This rumor would put a new spin in the beats acquisition if Apple would introduce proprietary headphones needed for the high bitrate option.

 
Ok. let's deconstruct this:
 
1. All high resolution formats currently in existence can be handled by USB 3.0. You don't need Thunderbolt. 
 
2. 'High Bitrate' probably means lossless or at most 24bit/96khz, when it comes to streaming, which even old HW can handle just fine.