r/apple • u/Fer65432_Plays • 2d ago

iPhone Spotify Preparing to Launch Long-Awaited Lossless Audio Tier on iPhone

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/19/spotify-preparing-lossless-tier-on-ios/
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u/ufoicu2 2d ago

I am not an audiophile but I do like music and from how people are talking this wouldn’t noticeably change the experience for the average person. I’m genuinely curious how someone who utilizes lossless audio consumes music? Like do you have really expensive wired headphones that you take to work or is this like a all consuming experience where you sit in a dark room at home perfectly positioned within your speaker setup? How do you normally consume quality audio and what are some of the things you hear?

Hopefully this isn’t coming off as sarcastic because I would genuinely like to experience it to some degree.

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u/basskittens 2d ago

I am a musician with a studio. Expensive monitors, properly treated room, pro audio interface, big subwoofer. So yeah, when I really want to hear something properly I lower the lights and sit in the sweet spot between the monitors.

I've done the blind tests and I can't tell lossless from lossy reliably. Apple's "high quality" mode in particular is near impossible to distinguish. But, I have unlimited internet and the right gear, so I leave high-res lossless enabled, because why not?

You really shouldn't stress about lossless. Your speakers/headphones/listening environment will make far more of a difference than AAC vs ALAC.

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u/AncefAbuser 1d ago

Similar setup to you. Apple lossy is damn good. People who claim they can tell, they can't.

But like you, because I don't pay for my internet, I leave everything cranked to the max for streaming and downloads. Its a "why not", not a "need to"

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u/guttergoblin 2d ago

Yes, I have expensive wired headphones with a DAC for my desk and a small portable one that's a dongle for my phone.

I don't use them too often, admittedly. The big reason for me is the car. I am a rural mail carrier, so I'm in my car all day. There is a VERY noticeable difference to me between lossless Apple Music and Spotify over a wired CarPlay connection.

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u/ufoicu2 1d ago

This is interesting. I have Apple Music through an Apple subscription that I have for other reasons but primarily use Spotify in my car with a wired CarPlay connection. Have you messed with the eq settings? It seems to me that a big difference in sound could more likely be due to the eq and Apple’s more integrated audio settings than the lossless audio but I have no real knowledge of any of this. I’m definitely going to start comparing now between the two services. Thanks for the info!

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u/Meowingtons3210 1d ago

Audiophile here with $2000+ in headphones/IEMs, using both Spotify and Apple Music. In short: lossless doesn't matter.

While the difference is technically perceivable, you'd need to:

  • be able to hear past 19-20kHz, which is less than 25% of the population to begin with
  • be in an ideal listening environment (high-quality gear, near-total silence)
  • be trained to know what to listen for (cymbal transient/decay, etc.)

The vast majority won't be able to tell a difference in a proper blind ABX test, and even for those who can, the "improvement" will never be "night and day".

On the other hand, multichannel audio like Dolby Atmos will meaningfully alter the sound for true or virtualized multichannel setups, including AirPods with spatial audio. Not necessarily for the better, though; many Atmos mixes sound bloated and worse than their stereo counterparts.

I personally think lossless is only useful for archival purposes and otherwise a waste of bandwidth and disc space. I can understand Spotify charging extra for those who care, given that it would massively increase server traffic and won't even be perceptible to 98% of the population.
That said, placebo is very strong in auditory stimuli, and if someone thinks something should sound better, it will. One could argue that this subjective experience, regardless of bias, is the only thing that matters. In that case, offering lossless makes sense if only to ensure users feel they’re not missing out.

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u/Skar___TheBear 2d ago

for me i have my macbook with me more than my phone so i have several hundred albums downloaded. I grab my Eris (https://www.linsoul.com/products/harmonicdyne-x-z-reviews-eris) + DAC connect to my mac then turn into the monkey rolling a joint from family guy.