Apple Engineer Explains Why There is No Lossless Audio Support on AirPods Pro 2

Apple Engineer Explains Why There is No Lossless Audio Support on AirPods Pro 2

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If you are relying on Apple Music to get your daily music fix, you might already know that every track can be streamed in lossless quality. 

News Update
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

The Apple-designed H2 chip pushes advanced audio performance even further, resulting in smarter noise cancellation and more immersive sound. The low-distortion, custom-built driver delivers crisp, clear high notes and deep, rich bass in stunning definition. So every sound is more vivid than ever.

And in that streaming mode, there is basically no compression, which eventually results in better-sounding audio. But you can’t enjoy the feature with the AirPods Pro 2.

Well, it’s not just Apple AirPods Pro 2. The latest and greatest headphone from Apple, the AirPods Max, does not have wireless lossless audio support either. You will have to connect it with the optional wire to enjoy lossless music. 

Apple Engineer Explains Why There is No Lossless Audio Support on AirPods Pro 2
Source: Apple

Even if you do, the music will not be completely lossless. So, that made the users wonder why there is no proper support for lossless streaming in the AirPods.

And Esge Andersen, Apple Engineer who has been on the team for 11 years, came forward and answered the public.

In an interview with What Hi-Fi, Esge Andersen stated, “It is important to understand that we can still make big strides without changing the codec.” 

He further added, “the codec choice we have there today, it’s more about reliability. So it’s about making something robust in all environments.”

Apple Engineer Explains Why There is No Lossless Audio Support on AirPods Pro 2
Source: Apple

If you are keeping up with the audio codecs, you might already know about LDAC and aptX. They are Bluetooth codecs that support the streaming of high-bitrate audio.

However, Apple did not adopt either of the two for any devices available in the AirPods lineup. Instead, all the AirPods adopt the AAC format.

Although Anderson stated that Apple is always open to change at the beginning of the interview, it seems like the brand is not ready to make any changes in the codec department.

Apple Engineer Explains Why There is No Lossless Audio Support on AirPods Pro 2
Source: Apple

However, Anderson also stated, “We want to push the sound quality forward, and we can do that with a lot of other elements.” 

But according to the team, the codec is not really a limitation for audio quality in Bluetooth products. That means audiophiles will still need to resort to alternatives if they want to enjoy music at its highest quality. But this is not something new for audiophiles.

Spotify still did not introduce its lossless tier, even though it made a big announcement last year. And for this reason, most audiophiles have been sticking to Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal HiFi, and Amazon Music HD.

Likewise, audiophiles who are unhappy with the performance of the AirPods Pro 2 and Max are using alternatives to get their high-bitrate music fix. And judging from Andersen’s statements, things might be like this for a good while.

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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.

This post was last updated on 2024-03-18 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.


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