So it looks to me as though AppleTV 4k is (as with ATV 2/3/‘4/HD’) resampling output to 48 kHz - ok for 48/96/192 I suppose but can’t see how this works for 44.1/88.2/176.4 etc. Not impressed.
I did pretty much the same thing yesterday after purchasing a new AppleTV 4K (the HD version doesn’t support Lossless from Apple Music).
I got the lossless logo too on a code of tracks and I felt the sound was noticeably better than the old HD version (non-lossless). Unfortunately my UQ2 has the dreaded dead (as in parrot) screen. I haven’t checked on the final bitrate. Is it possible to do this through the Naim app?
One difference for me, is that I’ve connected the TV to the UQ2 via optical cable.
The Naim app seems to show the sample rate being offered to it but not the bit depth.
I thought discussions before have suggested that the Naim app can’t display all stream info, but I’m doing this over HDMI ARC - the TV via optical may well show you more but check TV manual as it could potentially have limits on ‘output’ audio quality.
I agree with you here - video has always been separately by Apple and the standard audio rate for video is 48hz. Probably the ATV is locked to 48/24 and everything hardware resampled to that?
Don’t follow sorry unless HDMI doesn’t support 44.1 kHz for audio (which I wondered about).
It’s an Apple Music 24/44.1 track - it’s being output as ‘something at 48 kHz’ over HDMI - is that an HDMI standard or AppleTV resampling audio to 48 kHz as used to happen for optical audio out on AppleTV 2/3 but not AppleTV 1.
Maybe just a shame AppleTV lost optical out as if still present audio could still be output as 44.1 kHz.
If it’s an HDMI ARC limitation ok, but it may not be and could be imposed by tvOS.
I think this is an Apple “keep it simple” thing. Also my Apple TV 3rd always output 48kHz via optical out.
I think they set output to a fixed rate and do everything else internally in software, because there’s so much TV/audio equipment that could be connected (and which hey don’t control), it’s much safer for them to have fixed-rate-output. Otherwise people fill threads in forums (not this one, of course) about having problems with device XYZ.
Only after several years and “public shaming” did they implement an optional mode, where they adjust video output according to source (HD/4K, 24/25/30/50/60 frames per second). And that has much more noticeable impact.
This is a plug-and-play home electronics/video device, and works as “best intended” for the average Apple consumer for Tv (at most: sound bar). Nobody will notice the rate conversion on audio, or even know, what it is.
Apple does not usually go fancy to support some expert/niche use cases. (And using an Apple TV as a measure to circumvent current Music/iOS shortcomings for a new, short-notice introduced lossless feature is surely not what Apple designed this box for.)
Sad, but (likely) true.
Correct - ATV 1 offered music audio at 16/44.1 over optical, ATV 2/3 output at 48 kHz over optical which was odd at the time as iTunes only offered lossy AAC based on 16/44.1 recordings one would assume. The ‘hi-res’ and lossless encodings as you know are new for Apple but a PITA to feed from devices to streamers or DACs without hoop jumping.
People did care and complained a lot that AppleTV ought to have better A/V settings options - the device is really getting there and 24 fps output was a biggie for me as iTunes movies were traditionally 24 fps, and when you could only use PAL/NTSC rates there could be awful judder/motion artefacts. Early iTunes movies encoding in both SD/HD left a lot to be desired early on, it’s come on in leaps and bounds in recent years quality wise, and the ‘free’ availability of ‘4k’ versions when available is very nice if you purchased 720p/080p versions in the past.
I’ve got one of the Firewire Duets which I used to digitise some vinyl in hir-res but I always felt it sounded ‘thin’ playing the files back to network based devices. I really should revisit it.
I thought you needed BigSur+ to get Apple Music lossless/hi-res.
If simply replaying hi-res audio downloads/recordings via some other method I’m sure my 2008 cheese grater will be fine.
@mayday sadly it is a dentist’s machine - a status symbol, not a Creative’s computer (no offence to any Dentists. It is a term that is normally used for a certain type of camera too).
Just installed iOS15 on my iPhone. @Stevesky, could you please check, if Apple now supports lossless AirPlay 2 streaming to Naim streamers. I heard on the grapevine, that it‘s at least supported for HomePods (where you won’t notice any differences anyway) and I wouldn‘t see any reasons to implement it only for a single device.
I’m saying latest beta is still lossy. Compared Qobuz vs Apple Music over AirPlay on iPad mini with ios 15.1
Off topic but roon finally released lock control functions bringing it closer to other apps. Can now control volume with device volume and have access to play function from Lock Screen or the widget pull down menu.
Nobody will notice the rate conversion on audio, or even know, what it is.
