Hello, all you Head-Fi'ers...
(And especially Lavcat , Spartoi , tbob18 , JackDuluoz , n00b2 ,and hykhleif , who were interested in Apple/apt-X related questions...)
Spartoi , yesterday, when this apt-X and Apple discussion came up, I was out of the office, and was trying to respond remotely, which I shouldn't have tried to do (multitasking, traveling, driving, talking on the phone, texting, and not doing any of the tasks very well...).
Anyhow, I am at my desk, and am able to respond more completely.
(To begin with, I must admit, I am a PC and Android guy, and I do not proclaim to be an expert on anything Apple, but I felt responsible to at least try to clear things up
According to Jesse Bandersen, www.jessebandersen.com, here are some devices that Apple reportedly has implemented apt-X into:
iMac
Mac Mini
Mac OS X Yosemite
Mac OS X Lion
Mac OS X Mountian Lion
Mac Pro
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
You'll notice that these are all relatively lower production volume products from Apple, and no iPhones, iPads, or iPods (higher volume products) are included in this list....
Apple is taking a lot of heat from users in online forums, that want apt-X to be included in their suite of features, but so far those requests/complaints are falling on deaf ears.
Our STANCE S1+ DOES accommodate A2DP which IS used on Apple iPhones, and comes close to the quality of apt-X, but apt-X is still the preferred codec of choice for discriminating manufacturers and listeners.
I'm sorry for any confusion that I may have caused yesterday, and I hope this helps clarify what Apple devices may be utilizing apt-X technology...
By the way, here are some key features of apt-X, off of CRS's website.
Key Features
§ Compression ratio: 4:1
§ Audio Format: 16-bit, 44.1kHz (CD-Quality)
§ Data Rates: 352kbps
§ Frequency Response: 10Hz to 22kHz
§ Algorithmic Delay: <1.89ms @ Fs 48KHz
§ Dynamic Range: 16-bit: >92dB
§ THD+N: -68.8dB
Remember, the quality of sound is going to be commensurate to the type of file being played from your source device.
If you are listening to really condensed files (MP3), it is probably going to sound pretty limited.
If you are listening to FLAC, AAIF, WAV, or any other uncompressed file types, then you will reap the full benefit of apt-X 44.1kHx CD quality sound.
And just a reminder...
STANCE S1+ is available at www.Moon-Audio, www.TTVJAudio.com (Todd The Vinyl Junkie) on our website at www.pendulumic.com, and Amazon.
All the best,
Mike Johnson
Pendulumic