Apple Music HiFi Tier incoming?

I’m really confused now, I have AM and I’m using AirPlay to my Nova but I’m thinking it’s not lossless?
What do I need to do to hear AM lossless on my Nova, do I need a lead?

Because it needs to a digital USB connection rather than analogue connection…

You can use the camera adapter if you wish - and that allows you to externally power and charge the iPad at the same time as using the USB connection if you wish

The Audioquest Dragonfly DACs simply connect to the USB ‘part’ of the lightning interface - there are many third part cables for doing this - but without the Apple adapter you are reliant on using the batteries of the iPad . It works well for me - I use Audioquest DACs with my iPad. Obviously the iPad has only one combined power and Lightning/USB interface.

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One option is to play AppleMusic via your AppleTV 4K box (if you have one) and connect the fibre Toslink connection to the fibre input on your Nova (I think it has one). That way you can play lossless Apple Music - BUT at this time AppleTV 4K hardware is limited to 48/24 only.
All explained on Apple Support Pages. Expect to see a new version of AppleTV hardware shortly

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Apple hasn’t tackled Lossless over AirPlay yet - as is abundantly clear by its notable absence (at time of writing) from Apple’s own support guide

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT212183

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No, those settings do not appear, but someone else already confirmed I would need to sign up to Apple streaming before they appear.
Thanks

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Actually, Apple just released a new 4K TV model; most significant new feature is the improved remote. Maybe something better is on the way.

I can confirm that lossless on Apple Music played on an iPhone works just fine on the ancient nDAC, using a lightning to USB A cable. Haven’t yet found any files labeled HD lossless, to test and see if the HD light goes on.

Browsing through AM this morning, it’s clear that the emphasis is on Spatial, not lossless.

Managed to get lossless hi-res into the Atom from Apple Music using coaxial digital via a FiiO E10 and a USB cable. Never thought I’d be using that again!

Would it be possible to play Apple Music on iPad, then via Chord Mojo into NDX2, or am I over complicating it?

Unfortunately not, only Apple TV 1st-3rd generation had optical out. AppleTV 1 could definitely offer CD quality via optical, AppleTVs 2/3 mucked around with audio and output it as 16 bit 48kHz irrespective of source.

AppleTV 4 (later renamed HD) dropped optical which is a real shame, and it has not returned on later iterations.

AppleTV 1 and 2 are not supported at all. I think AppleTV 3 had a minor update recently though I don’t think it’s officially supported. Must check if my AppleTV 3 has Apple Music - it probably does, probably no reason they couldn’t tweak it to output hi-res over optical but doubt they will.

What Apple really ought to release is an Apple Audio device with optical or SPDIF out, similar to the old Google Chromecast audio (analogue/optical) device, but as you say Airplay would be a far more elegant solution than an extra tiny box.

Don’t see why not - scrub that, not sure how you’d imput to the NDX2 as the Mojo only has analogue out unless I’m wrong.

Another thing is that we all know Apple love their dongles and licensed/certified 3rd party products - I wonder if they intend to partner with various 3rd parties to produce devices which could stream hi-res/lossless to receivers/streamers/DACs. It’s certainly needed.

Even better would be if they do engage with hi-fi manufcaturers to allow native Apple Music streaming, I’d be surprised but you never know.

Try Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, CCR are all in hires.

I don’t have camera kit anymore to test. I’m just going to let things play out and see if AirPlay 2 gets updated or they come out with something like Spotify Connect. They already have a hand off feature built into Homepods but even that needs to be updated to handle lossless.

Another odd solution—and this one is very Naim specific—I can directly connect my iPhone (or IPad) to my Muso Qb (1) via USB and it plays 44.1kHz @ 1411 Kb/s then using Multiroom stream that to my Atom therefor getting lossless playback from Apple Music. :exploding_head:

So can i plug the standard charging lead into the USB port on the front of the Nova and use it that way?

I don’t have a Nova, but I don’t think that will work. Only some of the older Naim kit, such as the nDAC, have the required Apple certification. On the new streamers, USB is for stored files only.

No.

The Mu-so (possibly just the first gen) iPod dock connection mode does work really well → Multiroom. I’m guessing this bypasses any timing issues too as it’s all handled within the Naim system.

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Does this support lossless and hi-res?

As far as I can tell it’s just lossless. Playing back a 24/96 songs on my iPad, the Mu-so shows 44.1kHz.

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I doubt the iPod dock specification allowed for better than CD quality, if that.