Apple Music

[Wiewlod]

Hi. When I play music from Apple Music using Google Cast, do I lose the quality offered by Apple?

 

[Burnside]

Hi. When I play music from Apple Music using Google Cast, do I lose the quality offered by Apple?

Yes you do lose it, Google Cast doesn’t support the lossless ALAC format so you get 256kbps lossy AAC just like AirPlay 2.

 

[Wiewlod]

Is there any solution?

 

[Burnside]

Is there any solution?

Other than cabling your iOS device directly into your WiiM (which rather takes away the point for me) or investing in a much more expensive streamer like Eversolo or FiiO which use the standard Apple Music app on a modified version of Android, then no.

 

[makli]

Is there any solution?

There are several options available, but all with some limitations.

• iOS device with a cable adapter USB --> Optical, delivers Hi-Res, but cannot be operated with the smartphone from the sofa.
• Apple TV with a cable adapter/splitter HDMI --> Optical, delivers lossless, comes with a resampling to 24bit/48KHz, but can be remotely controlled with the iPhone from the sofa.
• Sonos Port with a cable adapter Coax --> Optical, lossless, but limited to 24bit/48 KHz, and the Sonos App with Apple Music comes with some limitations compared to the Apple Music App.
• Android based streamers like Eversolo or FiiO with an integrated Apple Music, support Hi-Res, but expensive.

I'm in the same situation. I also have the WiiM Ultra and Apple Music and am looking for a good connection. ALAC 256 via an Airplay 2 device would probably be sufficient. But if the music is available in Hi-Res, I want to use that too, regardless of whether I can hear it or not.

Regardless, for me it‘s a big problem with the Ultra that the automatic switching between the HDMI input and the optical input doesn't work. This makes the Ultra very uncomfortable.

 

[Smartplug]

Switch to another service that support flac like tidal. Apple offer hi resolution loseless but its airplay would cripple their service to lossy.