Chapter 1: Apple’s Audio Innovations

I was quite pleased when Apple rolled out lossless audio for nearly every track on Apple Music last year. With numerous music streaming platforms competing for audiophile attention, this update was long overdue.

However, there’s a significant drawback: the advantages of this enhanced audio quality cannot be experienced through any of Apple’s wireless headphones. It’s disheartening to invest over £500 in a pair of AirPods Max, only to realize they can’t reproduce audio that exceeds Bluetooth's limitations.

The Challenge at Hand

To save you some time, here’s the crux of the issue. Unless you have a keen interest in audio codecs and terms like ‘A2DP’, ‘bitrate’, ‘SBC’, and ‘adaptive pulse code modulation’, there’s one key takeaway about Bluetooth audio: it cannot transmit lossless tracks. The version that Apple employs is incapable of doing so, even through the inadequate cable they sell for the AirPods Max.

I attempted to delve into the technicalities of Bluetooth audio to add depth to this discussion but quickly lost interest; it’s a tedious subject. Trust me—Bluetooth and lossless audio simply don’t mix when you’re using Apple’s wireless headphones or earbuds.

Exploring Alternatives

There are options available. Sony offers ‘LDAC’ (what it stands for remains a mystery), which supports 32-bit/96kHz audio streaming at rates up to 990kbps—approximately three times the data capacity of standard Bluetooth. However, to experience this, you would need an Android device and Sony headphones.

So, what could Apple be planning?

Speculations on Apple’s Future Plans

Rumors regarding Apple’s proprietary high-fidelity audio streaming format surfaced last year. It was suggested that existing AirPods might gain lossless streaming capabilities through a software update, but that never occurred. This indicates that there’s more beneath the surface. For Apple to enable full wireless high-fidelity audio, they likely need to innovate at the hardware level.

In an interview with What HiFi, Gary Geaves, Apple’s VP of Acoustics, was asked if Bluetooth technology was limiting their progress. He noted, “We have to concentrate very hard on squeezing the most that we can out of Bluetooth technology. There are various techniques we can employ to optimize or bypass some Bluetooth restrictions. However, it's accurate to say that we desire more bandwidth... and I’ll leave it at that.”

It seems they have something significant in the works.

What's Next for AirPods?

Some speculate that the next AirPods update might feature Bluetooth LE Audio, which includes a new audio codec called ‘LC3’. Although still lossy, this codec is rumored to outperform Apple’s current AAC codec in terms of efficiency.

Yet, I believe Apple is aiming for something much grander than simply improving Bluetooth. The extensive work they’re investing in technologies like Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio suggests they have broader ambitions. Merely upgrading to a better version of Bluetooth seems too simplistic for a company like Apple.

Apple prefers to manage the entire ecosystem, which is why they introduced the M1 chip for Macs in 2020. Anything outside their control can be a source of frustration for their product teams and for Tim Cook's profit margins.

I suspect Apple is developing a completely new wireless audio streaming technology, which could mean much more than just the ability to stream lossless audio.

Does Lossless Audio Matter?

For many, lossless audio is inconsequential. They may not notice any difference, regardless of the headphones they use. Eddy Cue from Apple remarked that “99 or 98 percent of users can’t discern a difference.”

He’s correct. This fact is further highlighted by headphones like the AirPods Max, which tend to alter sound quality with their own EQ settings, much like other consumer headphones.

Thus, even if Apple successfully enables lossless audio streaming for AirPods Max and AirPods Pro, it likely won’t satisfy many audiophiles. Personally, I’d be curious to see if there’s any noticeable difference between streamed lossless audio and standard Bluetooth audio on Apple devices. More importantly, I’d like to see Apple license this technology and promote it among various manufacturers. This is where Sony has faltered with LDAC; few know what it is, how to utilize it, or its significance.

Wires can be cumbersome. We shouldn’t have to rely on outdated wireless technologies like Bluetooth. Apple understands this.

Audiophiles may scoff at the idea of a truly wireless future, but imagine if Apple could create a solution that matches the audio quality of a wired connection. This isn’t an unrealistic expectation and could pave the way for a new category of fully wireless audiophile headphones. That’s a thrilling prospect, isn’t it?

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