Decodering

I'm in the exact same situation, which is why I came to CA to see if anyone else was experiencing it. Very odd.

I agree with your thoughts on Apple Music. It's just that Apple could focus on that AND improve the quality of playback with no downside and lots of feel-good marketing benefits.

If the labels are really the culprit behind the lack of Redbook quality playback (if something verifiable has been published to that effect, I'd be interested in seeing it), I highly doubt Apple couldn't negotiate ALAC as a distribution standard. And while it would take some doing to change their ecosystem, it's not like it doesn't already have all the tools necessary to do so. All Apple has to do is say that AAC was a major breakthrough many years ago (it definitely was a step up from mp3) but that advances now allow for better sound reproduction. In doing so, they get to look good, show now much they love music, and get an opportunity to move the ball forward. It really would be pretty simple and completely in line with ways they've marketed changes in the past.

I've thought back to the OP's topic of whether Apple snuck in an inferior DAC in the new MBP that maxes out at 16/48; if really true, it is a step back for no real reason that benefits audiophiles. And that, to me, is the subtext of the original comment, since this an audiophile site. That's what makes using Apple products frustrating occasionally for my case use (and presumably that of others here). There just don't seem to be any technical reasons to focus on music reproduction that relies on inferior music formats. In the near past, small storage size and less-than-robust wireless transfer protocols meant that Apple had to be careful about its choices in order to ensure smooth reproduction for millions of people. Today, iDevices come with more space, and wireless transfer is basically solved. But Apple doesn't seem to want to push just a little bit to take advantage of these advances and consequently push the fidelity of music reproduction to a higher level. The company doesn't have to go as far as supporting DSD and other niche-within-a-niche formats and such. But it could so easily build its ecosystem around CD-quality playback. At the very least, it could decide that ALAC is the new lowest common denominator and leave AAC in the same dustbin as many of the other technologies it's ditched over the years. Apple is in a position to explain to millions and millions of people why music fidelity is important and act to show people the difference. It just doesn't seem interested in doing so. I'm not saying Apple is bad for the decisions it makes (I still am a fanboy, after all), but it seems like a missed opportunity for everyone involved -- customers/music lovers, the artists, and the company. Also, for a company that sells premium-priced devices, those choses dim a little of lustre they could have.

I totally get what you're saying; still, I think the issue is that there are just overriding considerations at Apple that take precedence over audiophile preferences. To me, it falls under the category of Apple's frustrating channeling of all their energy to creating products and services that, at the end of the day, don't really take more advanced users into consideration. The years-long drought of true pro-level hardware, middling and sometimes dumbed-down software, and a general tendency to iterate when, in the past, the company would have been more daring tell me that the focus is on middle-of-the-road solutions and leaving just enough wiggle room for people looking to push the limits of the system to tinker. Creating a music reproduction environment that moves people beyond what was innovative a decade or so ago doesn't seem to be a huge draw for Apple. (As an aside, I'm keen to hear the upcoming HomePod.) And, yes, it clashes with the oft-repeated "music is in our DNA" spiel. But I take it as Apple directing its ressources to reach other ends than responding to audiophile expectations.

You're right about AIFF; the support is generally fine and the music files sound good. The only problem I find with files created in AIFF format are the 24/96 files that iTunes won't transfer to my iPhone, which is the limit to which I was referring in my post. Having to manually transfer them in a separate step after using the super-handy wireless syncing function is just a (small) frustration. Another thing I don't get about iTunes (Apple) is why there is still no option for iTunes to automatically convert files to ALAC when transferring to an iDevice. Even after all these years and all the gains in storage capacity, one still can't have iTunes automatically create ALAC files when copying files. 256 AAC files are still the best one can hope for. Again, it just shows that Apple has its own ideas about music playback that don't match up with audiohphile expectations and use cases.

I don't think Apple hates music and audiophiles -- they just see music playback and delivery differently than audiophiles do. Yes, Apple frustrates me with their dacs (especially on the iPhone) and iTunes (specifically the inability to natively and easily transfer 24/96 files to said iPhone). And I think their disregard for audio formats in anything above 256 AAC is bewildering, which I think speaks more to them resting on their laurels instead of truly "innovating" on that front. I sometimes think about switching allegiances (platforms) because their focus is often not on audio issues important to me. But to say that Apple hates music is a gross overgeneralisation. Unfortunately, there are just not the options important to audiophiles that can all be found in Apple's universe.

Even if the finish isn't perfectly matched, I think the black nob looks so much better than the silver one. If I ever buy a unit with the black finish, I'll likely do what you've done! I actually passed on the opportunity to grab a black Bifrost because I thought the silver nob looked bad with the rest of the unit, so I totally get why you looked for a nicer-looking nob.

I stream through the Qobuz app all the time and periodically clear the cache within the app's settings, which frees up a ton of space on the hard drive. As an aside, I've never been able to have the app uninstall music using the Uninstall feature in the settings. But clearing the cache resets the space used by the app to zero.

I bought David Ian's "Vintage Christmas" last year and really enjoy(ed) it: Andy

When I checked Qobuz this morning, the following albums were available in 24/96 as well as Redbook downloads: Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, and Pink Moon. http://www.qobuz.com/interprete/nick-drake/telechargement-ecoute-albums Cheers. Andy

I don't know if you can find anything better at that price, but you can definitely do better (much better, actually) for just a little more. I bought an AE D1 and was pretty disappointed. For a little more, the Audioquest Dragonfly is, from myriad reports, a better performer. I don't know what your budget and needs are, but I recently upgraded to the Schiit Bifrost and am extremely pleased with the quality bump. Also, although I haven't heard it myself, I understand that the Schiit Modi for $100 is a good deal. Andy

Great idea for a thread! (YouTube links included in the name of the covering artist) New Order's Blue Monday by Joni Mitchell's A Case of You by Burt Bacharach's (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me by Naked Eyes Randy Newman's I Think It's Going to Rain Today by Willie Nelson's Always on My Mind by The Pet Shop Boys Andy

See if you can't buy it through Qobuz (a French service): Holst: The Planets (2011 - Remaster) | Gustav Holst par Sir Adrian Boult - Télécharger et écouter l'album if you don't succeed (some of their material is subject to geographic restrictions, others not), you can contact them and ask them to lift the restriction. They did it for me (I'm in Canada) and have done it for others on this site as well. Cheers. Andy

Judging from past responses by members to similar questions, I'm betting that people are going to recommend getting a better DAC and a good pair of headphones. Given your budget, one with which I'm all too familiar, here's what I would suggest as first moves: 1. DAC: The Audioquest Dragonfly (USB Digital-Audio Converter) is a favourite for budget DACs. I bought the AE D1 (having a bare-bones budget) before the Dragonfly came out, and I've been underwhelmed by it. I think that even with lower-resolution music, you'll get better sound through speakers and headphones with the Dragonfly. If you can allocate more money without breaking your budget, there are other options that you could find by reading in the forums. 2. Headphones: I don't use them myself, but someone will probably suggest a decent unit (or you can search the forums for previous discussions). 3. Speakers: The audioengines seem to have a good reputation for their price bracket. I went with Emotiva Airmotiv5s (Airmotiv 5 Powered Studio Monitor | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo amplifiers, and mo) and think they're fantastic, even with a middling DAC. 4. Don't buy any more lossy music! Sometimes, when I replace an album that I originally bought in iTunes with a CD-quality or better version, I can't believe how much detail, depth, and warmth I'd never heard because of the missing data. 5. Assuming you use iTunes as a player, check out other options. I have a feeling that you're using a PC because of your sound card, so you might want to check out JRiver media player (JRiver Media Center software), as the sound from iTunes isn't all that it should be. It could make a difference even with lossy music. Enjoy the adventure! Andy