Sonos support for Apple Music's Lossless Audio

Airplay is 16/44 ALAC.  The problem is, when it hands the URL off, it may just had off the AAC version of the track, and not the ALAC version, unless it is streaming through the iphone (like it would be screen mirroring).  Which is why the 9to5mac article above has you starting Airplay in a specific way.

Either way Airplay in a multi-user household is a poor way to control and queue music.  Let’s hope Sonos adds ALAC support to the SMAPI API so Apple can add it to their SMAPI layer for Sonos Apple Music.

yes i think you have figured out tthe only way to play Apple lossless on Sonos currently given that not on Airplay yet, not intergrated into Sonos and no USB input on connect/port  - sorry Sonos but I’m struggling to think of a worst spec on any Hi_Fi streamer on the market than the Port. To be fair the current hopefully short term lack of  Airplay support also applies to other manufacturers and Sonos seems to be the only maunfacturer with Apple intergrated in their own App but then the lack of USB input is special to Sonos. Nope. Still can’t think os a worst specced hi-fi streamer on the market than the Port - a hi-fi streamer than is meant to connect to hi-fi but has none of the functionality of every other hi-fi streamer on the market. It seems like they completely ignored the market and competition and as demonstrated by Apple with lossless and hi-res not even a tech giant can do that susstainably

I don't think my method works for streaming lossless around the house -- what it does is stream Dolby Digital 5.1 around the house. It sounds great, particularly on what started out as Atmos content - but DD 5.1 is still lossy, so lossless tracks are still being compressed. I don't know if that's because my TV lacks eARC or some other limitation, but the Apple TV seems to send both lossless and Atmos in DD 5.1.  So, close but no cigar -- and still waiting for Apple and Sonos to fix the Sonos Apple Music app. 

We may be waiting a while if ever for Apple on Sonos App as it would require agreement and  development by both Apple and Sonos. . Other manufacturer forums are complaining why can’t they have Apple integrated when Sonos does but currently Apple preferred appraoch is to offer Apple Music over Airplay. I prefer the Apple app personally but Sonos is more stable. I understand as above Airplay can play 16/44 currently so expect that will be available on Apple Music with the next software update.  Also sounds like Airplay is capable of 24/48 so will come later and then hopefully on Sonos. I expect more Apple compatible hardware further down the line like say an Apple TV with hi res and more Dolby Atmos/Lossless hardware as only way Apple can make money out of this  but in practice USB to external DAC is fine for now and if anyone can hear a subtle difference it won’t be on Sonos.  Access to better quality recordings designed to be heard on more transparent systems is the real benefit. 

Many are reporting that Apple Music is not AirPlaying in lossless and in fact is using 256AAC, even when it says it is lossless. Go figure? 

But there are no blind tests establishing that sound heard on such systems is inferior when delivered by them via the same recordings, downsampled to such formats that Sonos can play...

Didn’t say there was. I now have hi res content at no extra price and a hi res dac   Hi res content is now mainstream. HiFi streamers apart from Sonos offer hi res. That is the new technology and market reality which cannot be denied. I very much doubt that I can hear difference between bit depth and sample rates but I can hear massive differences between recordings DACS/Amps and headphone which massively increase my listening  pleasure. I appreciate not important to other people and not saying it should be. I would like to use a Sonos streamer to play my hi res content on my hi res dac but accept I can’t so I shall go elsewhere driven by the deniers of changes in technology and the market. 

But this isn’t a discussion about whether you can hear the difference or not, it’s a discussion about if it’s available via Sonos. Start another thread if you want to debate if you can tell the difference between compressed and uncompressed digital music.

Exactly. I would like the option to hear for myself. Sonos is convenient and reliable. Apple  16/44 or preferable 24/48 on Sonos speakers would be fine. Appreciate that is also down to Apple and Sonos by no means alone. If Sonos wants to offer a hi res Port that gives the option to not distort the sound so I can play hi res comtennt on hi res dac that would be great but accept that is not Sonos market and I will probably have to look elsewhere for Apple hi res hardware from other manufacturers as it becomes available. 

Just tried Apple Music Lossless from iphone via camera connection kit and USB cable to h-Fi DAC. iphone didn’t recongise the DAC I use for speakers wihich shows sample rate but was plug and play with my headphone DAC which doesn’t display sample rates.  Not really into the lossless/hi res debate but subjectively just switching between different rates on iphone lossless did sound not dramatically but noiticeably less compressed, clearer and more natural on lossless and a little more clearer and natural on hi res. Not so noticeable that you could independently say that is a lossy, lossless or hi.res but subtle improvements particularly between lossy and lossless when switching between rates on Apple Music. So personally I would say it would be good when Apple Music lossless hopefully comes to Sonos but full hi-res would be overkill on Sonos. But worth adapter and USB cable for hi-res on hi-fi and i will also buy a portable DAC for my iphone as does sound notieably better.