24 bit/48 KHz tracks only playing as 16/44.1 even through the camera adapter

[Crunchynut]

Hi all,

I’m using an iPad mini 5 with a USB camera adapter to allow it to feed my DAC.

On Apple Music, some albums that are listed as ‘lossless 24/48’, seem to be downloading (and playing) as 16/44.1.

In Music settings I have set downloads and streaming to ‘Lossless - 24 bit / 48 kHz’, and indeed some music is downloading / streaming at the advertised hi-res, but some are not. I’ve tried the higher setting too.


I have experimented with albums I haven’t downloaded so I can be sure I’m not just picking up an already downloaded lower resolution file.

For example, an Ed Sheeran album advertised at 24/48 did play as that, and a Marvin Gaye album advertising 24/96 played at that too - so it seems there is nothing wrong with my set up.

But if I try, for example, Cara Dillon - Wanderer and Lana Del Rey - Born to Die, both of which advertise as 24/48, they both play at 16/44.1.

I would appreciate other thoughts perspectives / experiments.

Thanks

 

[Crunchynut]

For all those who might find this post and wonder the same thing, the answer is somewhat embarrassing. But, to explain in case you are quietly in the same state of confusion:-

In Apple Music IOS app, when you display an album a ‘lossless’ icon appears on the album art display. I had assumed that the resolution displayed when you press the icon pertained to that album, but in fact it just says whether that album is available at lossless resolution (up to 24/48) or hi-res lossless resolution (up to 24/192). So it isn’t a definitive statement for that album - it is just a band. Only when you set the album playing and then press the displayed ‘lossless’ icon again do you find out where in the ‘lossless’ or ‘hi-res lossless’ band that album is. So an album in the lossless band of 24/48 may only be available at 16/44.1, for example. This is a bit annoying since you have to start the album playing to find out what resolution it is available at, but at least it now makes sense.

So there you go, and apologies if I told you something you already knew!