lossless
Latest
Wired headphones are about to have a mini revival
Wired USB-C headphones are nothing new. You can already find hi-res IEM cables with the connection. Finally you can buy an all-in-one version for hi-res lossless audio on any phone.
Spotify's priciest lossless audio plan could sort playlists by "danceability"
The long-awaited option is likely to cost $20 per month.
Khadas' Tea DAC is a compelling MagSafe accessory
DACs, or headphone amplifiers, have become more popular since the rise of lossless music streaming. Tea stands out as it's MagSafe compatible, so no more mega-dongle hanging off your phone.
Spotify is still working on HiFi streaming, but won't say when it's coming
The service previously said it would offer Spotify HiFi in some markets in 2021.
HomePod mini software update adds support for Apple Music lossless
The original HomePod is getting lossless and Dolby Atmos.
HomePods get spatial audio and Apple Music lossless support in latest beta
Apple previously said it would enable lossless playback on the speakers via an update.
Apple Music's lossless and spatial audio streaming arrive on Android devices
Engadget has confirmed that Apple has started rolling out support for lossless streaming and spatial audio on Android.
Apple Music Lossless is now available on supported devices
Lossless-quality streaming is now available on Apple Music, shortly after the streaming service flipped the switch on Dolby Atmos spatial audio.
HomePod will support Apple Music lossless through a software update
Apple says its HomePod and HomePod mini speakers will support Apple Music lossless through a software update.
Amazon Music Unlimited plans now include HD streaming at no extra cost
The announcement comes on the heels of Apple introducing high-fidelity streaming.
Apple Music will offer Dolby Atmos and lossless streaming starting next month
Apple Music is adding Dolby Atmos and lossless streaming at no additional cost.
Apple teases a Music announcement as more 'Lossless' clues appear
An Apple teaser and newly discovered clues have reinforced the idea that Apple Music is about to launch a new HiFi tier.
Apple's HomePod now lets Siri handle Deezer music requests
Apple's HomePod smart speakers now offer voice control for the Deezer music streaming app via Siri.
Amazon Music HD expands 3D audio library with Warner Music Group tracks
Echo Studio, one of Amazon's latest smart speakers, might sound great, but until now it offered a limited library of 3D audio through Amazon Music HD. However, if you picked up the speaker and signed up for the hi-res streaming plan, you now have more 3D music options. You can listen to tracks from across the Warner Music Group empire in Dolby Atmos starting today.
Qobuz ditches MP3-quality streaming for a single hi-res plan
If you're running an upstart streaming music service like Qobuz, whose main selling point is its high-quality audio, how do you compete against the heavyweights? By offering that pristine sound at a price that's not easy to match, apparently. Qobuz is dropping its lossy, MP3-based Premium tier and consolidating around a hi-res Studio Premier plan that, for the first 100,000 subscribers, will cost $15 per month or $150 per year. Given that comparable plans like Tidal HiFi tend to hover around $20 per month, you could be saving a fair amount of change if you insist on the best possible fidelity.
Netflix says its new high-quality audio is equivalent to a master
Netflix announced today that it's bringing "studio quality" sound to its audiences. The company is increasing its audio bitrate up to 640 kbps on devices that support 5.1 surround sound and up to 768 kbps for Dolby Atmos -- though you'll need to be a Premium subscriber for that. It's also bringing adaptive streaming, a feature it's long used for video, to your speakers. So, your audio bitrate will be based on network conditions and device performance limitations. The goal is to make the sound more crisp, more immersive and to "bring the viewer closer to the story." It also helps out users with slower internet connections, since the adaptive streaming can scale down audio quality, instead of stopping the video and forcing it to re-buffer.
Amazon may be working on a high-fidelity music streaming service
Amazon could be preparing to set itself apart from rivals like Spotify and Apple in the music space, as it's said to be working on a high-fidelity streaming platform. It might arrive later this year for around $15/month. Amazon Music Unlimited starts at $4/month, while Amazon added a free, ad-supported music service to Alexa devices last week.
Tidal brings master-quality audio to its Android app
At CES two years ago, Tidal enabled studio-quality music streaming on desktop through a partnership with MQA. The feature later arrived on Essential Phone and LG V30, and even more people will be able to access Tidal's master recordings, as they're now available on all devices running Android 5.0 or above.
SoundCloud brings high quality streaming to Go+ subscribers
SoundCloud is giving its Go+ subscribers access to better audio while streaming. The top tier service from the company now offers a high quality streaming option, meaning that, whenever content is uploaded in a lossless or high bitrate format, subscribers will be able to stream that audio at 256kbps AAC. Just head to your SoundCloud settings and adjust your selection under "Streaming quality" to opt in.
LG's OLED TVs now pack loss-free 3D audio
There's a dirty secret to listening to Dolby Atmos sound on LG's current OLED TVs: all the audio is compressed, so you're losing a little fidelity for the sake of immersive 3D sound. You won't have to make that sacrifice before long. LG is trotting out an update later in October that will add support for lossless Dolby TrueHD audio to all its 2017 OLED sets. If you're watching a 4K Blu-ray movie (the most likely candidate for TrueHD support), you can hear jets soaring overhead at maximum quality.
