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Apple updated its support document for audio devices with some big news. The company confirmed that lossless audio support would be coming to HomePod and HomePod Mini through a future software update.
Apple’s audio lineup includes AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, HomePod, and HomePod Mini. At the time of the announcement, none of these products shipped with lossless audio capability.
In its updated statement, Apple shared more details about which devices would actually get the feature. The short version: HomePod and HomePod Mini are in line for lossless audio through a software update.
Apple didn’t give an exact release date, though. The company’s statement at the time was clear: “HomePod and HomePod mini currently use AAC to ensure excellent audio quality. Support for lossless is coming in a future software update.”
new software update for HomePod and HomePod Mini
Now, here’s where it gets tricky for AirPods owners. The AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max all use Bluetooth with the AAC codec for audio transmission. They sound great, but Bluetooth doesn’t support lossless audio.
Since lossless audio requires more bandwidth than Bluetooth can deliver, there’s no way to get true lossless playback on any of Apple’s Bluetooth headphones. Apple confirmed this directly.
AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
The AirPods Max is an interesting case. Apple’s over-the-ear headphones can connect both wirelessly via Bluetooth and through a wired connection using a 3.5mm audio cable. Even so, the AirPods Max won’t deliver fully lossless audio.
Apple explained it this way: “AirPods Max can be connected to devices playing Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless recordings with exceptional audio quality. However, given the analog to digital conversion in the cable, the playback will not be completely lossless.”
The headphone jack adapter converts the Lightning port to a standard 3.5mm connection, and the built-in digital-to-analog converter supports up to 24-bit/48 kHz lossless audio. In theory, the wired connection should support the format. But since Apple chose not to confirm it officially, it’s likely not a perfect implementation.
What Is Apple Lossless Audio?
Apple’s Lossless Audio uses the company’s own ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) to preserve every detail of the original recording. Unlike standard compressed audio, nothing gets thrown away during encoding.
To use lossless audio on your HomePod or HomePod Mini, your device needs to support the ALAC codec. And since ALAC doesn’t work over Bluetooth, this feature is off the table for AirPods, AirPods Max, and AirPods Pro.
About Apple’s Lossless Audio
Apple also made lossless audio part of Apple Music at no extra cost to subscribers. The service offered up to 20 million songs in lossless quality at launch. Existing subscribers can redownload their favorite tracks in lossless format if they want the upgraded sound quality.
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