It’s not the only way. But there is no native app. Also the issue with Airplay 2 and Apple Music is that currently Apple Music still outputs at only 256 aac over Airplay 2. This is not only Naim but any Airplay 2 device. Possible this could change in an upcoming IOS release.
So the other way to play Apple Music on the Naim is a direct connection via coaxial or optical input. I have a usb to coaxial converter that works directly with the iPad mini usb-c port. On an iPhone, you’d also need to used the camera converter. With the direct method you can play hires files all the way up to 192k. With this method you bypass the streamer so the album art doesn’t show up and you lose the playback controls on the remote other than volume. You have to control only on mobile device and also be hardwired in. Kind of takes away from the beauty of the Naim.
I personally use roon with Qobuz but do have an Apple Music account for my family. So if Apple enables true lossless over Airplay 2 or some lossless handoff feature, I’ll drop Qobuz and just use Apple Music. Apple Music over Airplay 2 loses a little bit of spatial cues and sounds flatter than Qobuz. Also little less sparkle. But overall it doesn’t sound too bad for just casual listening.
Is this still true? When apple rolled out lossless, a significant portion of their catalog was not in fact lossless. This has changed over the past couple years.
Is this still true? When apple rolled out lossless, a significant portion of their catalog was not in fact lossless. This has changed over the past couple years.
It’s still true even with iOS 16.3. Believe their whole catalog is now in lossless and a lot in hires. But that app itself limits output to 256k aac over Airplay 2. I was kind of hoping whenever they launched their classical app this would change. Would think more classical users would be listening on a home system than portable setup.
It’s still true even with iOS 16.3. Believe their whole catalog is now in lossless and a lot in hires. But that app itself limits output to 256k aac over Airplay 2. I was kind of hoping whenever they launched their classical app this would change. Would think more classical users would be listening on a home system than portable setup.
I did some searching after you posted your first comment. Such a typical apple thing to do.
Now it makes sense to me why I never had the same enjoyment streaming Apple Music Airplay to my various non apple devices (KEF LS50II wireless, Naim Uniti Atom HE). Something always felt "flat" about the sound compared to Roon streaming.
I did some searching after you posted your first comment. Such a typical apple thing to do.
Now it makes sense to me why I never had the same enjoyment streaming Apple Music Airplay to my various non apple devices (KEF LS50II wireless, Naim Uniti Atom HE). Something always felt "flat" about the sound compared to Roon streaming.
The thing is Apple never claims lossless over Airplay but they also don’t mention it can’t currently play it either. They make mention wireless headphones can’t do lossless. Also, the app itself should not show the lossless or hires icon once you turn on Airplay. I think Apple Music can do CD quality lossless over an Airplay 1 connection but can also suffer dropouts when not the most perfect connection.
Roon mentioned adding more than one streaming service this year, so who knows if it could somehow be Apple. Doubt it but they did say Deezer is out so who’s left? Amazon?
Question to the round .. I will have a Hifi Rose RS250A staying over for a couple weeks. Would anyone be able to recommend a desktop headphone (DAC)/AMP
that would roughly have the same or a similar sound signature as the Naim HE? Must haves would be an USB input (if w/DAC) and Balanced headphone outputs (4.4 or XLR) ..
The thing is Apple never claims lossless over Airplay but they also don’t mention it can’t currently play it either. They make mention wireless headphones can’t do lossless. Also, the app itself should not show the lossless or hires icon once you turn on Airplay. I think Apple Music can do CD quality lossless over an Airplay 1 connection but can also suffer dropouts when not the most perfect connection.
Roon mentioned adding more than one streaming service this year, so who knows if it could somehow be Apple. Doubt it but they did say Deezer is out so who’s left? Amazon?
Well, it is lossless over airplay when streaming music from other than the Apple Music app and only CD quality. It is just streaming from the Apple Music apple is compressed. That’s the typical apple part. There is zero reason why they use AAC 256 compression over airplay when other apps can stream ALAC 16/48.
The ‘balanced’ outputs on the Uniti Atom HE are only there for convenience, since the device‘s design is solely single-ended. The 4-pin XLR output *does* provide more low end - not sure about the 4,4 mm output, since I never heard it - so it’ll give you a different flavor.
I don’t think with utopia it would be a huge difference (if any) using the 4.4 v RCA. The utopia is easy to drive. The cable or adapter/connectors themselves could just as easily account for minute differences in sound signature which makes a controlled test difficult.
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