Nergrettez

I have a pretty advanced hifi setup (compared to most people but the nerd-fi crew); it’s good enough to hear differences when I use better power and signal cables; even a better HDMI cable carrying the I2S connection between the USB conditioner and the DAC made a difference.

That being said, I use Apple Music as source. I’d prefer to have used Spotify from my native Sweden, but unfortunately, their sound compression is vastly inferior to Apple’s (freeware Ogg Vorbis vs AAC licensed from the Fraunhofer Institute). I don’t need Apple to go high-resolution audio, lossless would suffice.

I’d also like too see Apple doing a better/simpler API to Apple Music. Most hifi streamers support Spotify and Tidal, but only Sonos supports Apple Music. And let’s face it, without an USB output, Sonos Connect isn’t very hifi. 

Having connected my Mac mini to my DAC, I would never use the volume control on the system level or in Apple Music/iTunes. That would mean digital volume control = less bit resolution = inferior sound quality. No, run the Mac system and iTunes to max, and use the hifi rig to control volume.

As a Swede, I wish Spotify well. But as a hifi nerd, I think Apple Music sounds far better. Among compressed music sources, I’d say Apple Music is the best choice. Spotify’s open source Ogg Vorbis is inferior to Apple Music’s tweak of the licensed AAC+ from the German Fraunhofer Institute. More punch, presence and dynamics with Apple Music.