Please add full Apple Music support!!!

[sminnick]

Seems goofy that you can have Apple Music connected to your Amazon Alexa account but you can't actually play music from apple via Alexa on the WIIM. Amazon Echo speakers can play Apple Music, Sonos etc.....WIIM -please add this feature! Native support for Apple Music please

 

[Brantome]

You can use airplay from your iOS device to a WiiM, albeit it’ll probably only be AAC quality not lossless. Also, the Alexa route is unlikely to be any better given that only amazon music can be played lossless on echo or compatible devices (I have seen a claim that Tidal is CD quality on Alexa too, but I take that with a large pinch of salt).

 

[sminnick]

You can use airplay from your iOS device to a WiiM, albeit it’ll probably only be AAC quality not lossless. Also, the Alexa route is unlikely to be any better given that only amazon music can be played lossless on echo or compatible devices (I have seen a claim that Tidal is CD quality on Alexa too, but I take that with a large pinch of salt).

Gotcha -
Just hoping for the equivalent that Sonos kinda has - basically Alexa voice control with access to Apple Music …but I’d also like to be able to sync with my other echo speakers ….

 

[Achim1811]

Some additional lines regarding Apple Music "integration". Apple is still doing the best they can to avoid products using their losless music tier. Just had a randomly talk with a guy who told me about the problems HiFi Rose has with the integration. Apple only makes AAC with 256 available. And so is with Sonos. If one is fine with this codecs or resolution everything is ok. If one wants really what Apple advertises, High Res up to 24/192 it still is only possible with a bunch of adapters. Mobile, on the newer iPads with USB-C one external DAC is enough. But quite sure not every external DAC on the market. Personally I can confirm the Apple Dongle (limited to 48) works. The FiiO KA1 and the Hidizs DH80s deliver full resolution. A few other dongles did not work. Edit: Forgotten, this way is only up to the 3,5 or in case of the Hidizs an additional 4,4 balanced headphone socket.
The iPhone is the next issue. Quite sure the next generations will provide USB-C, but for sure only to meet the legal regulations. Quite likely not to send music through.
So, waiting for any development on this field will be the same harras as Qobuz Connect or Spotify HD. Dreaming, only dreaming.

 

[Brantome]

So, waiting for any development on this field will be the same harras as Qobuz Connect or Spotify HD. Dreaming, only dreaming.

While there may be a wait for Spotify and Qobuz, I think it would be fair to say that those two companies would want those features available on as many platforms as possible: Apple on the other hand make it extremely difficult to support their streaming service on anything other than their own kit unless you throw barrowloads of money at them. Other than being deeply immersed in the Apple ecosystem, I struggle to think why people stick with Apple Music tbh

 

[Achim1811]

While there may be a wait for Spotify and Qobuz, I think it would be fair to say that those two companies would want those features available on as many platforms as possible: Apple on the other hand make it extremely difficult to support their streaming service on anything other than their own kit unless you throw barrowloads of money at them. Other than being deeply immersed in the Apple ecosystem, I struggle to think why people stick with Apple Music tbh

Have to confess that I own and use my iPad the whole day. It makes my ridiculous steady presence here possible
For me the iPad is kind of a Gold Standard for tablets.
Apple and their siege mentality is as weird as successful. For shareholders it seems still the way to go. Apple Music HD was the first ever thing Apple gave "for free". Very, very suspicious . I have it for my granddaughter who is in Apple's universe. Is, not lives.
What I also have to confess is that this b..s.. Dolby Atmos or Spatial Audio can be fun. For testing I had the Airpod Max and Airpods Pro and I could hold them. Nothing to do with music reproduction, but as a kind of stunt could be fun.
Qobuz Connect and Spotify HD I am still sceptic. Would be fine for some or some more people, but I don't see it in the nearer future.

 

[WingnutSardo]

Seems goofy that you can have Apple Music connected to your Amazon Alexa account but you can't actually play music from apple via Alexa on the WIIM. Amazon Echo speakers can play Apple Music, Sonos etc.....WIIM -please add this feature! Native support for Apple Music please

Yes, please add native Apple Music Support to WiiM Pro products so that we can obtain Hi-Res Lossless from Apple Music.

 

[Brantome]

Yes, please add native Apple Music Support to WiiM Pro products so that we can obtain Hi-Res Lossless from Apple Music.

Very easily said but extremely difficult to do. As has been said many times before, Apple doesn’t freely publish an API that allows third parties to do that and even in the rare cases where they have, such as for Sonos or Tesla, only lossy AAC support is provided.

If you want full hi res Apple Music support, you either need to use a wired solution, or invest in a much more expensive streamer such as an Eversolo DMP-A6 or FiiO which use the native Apple Music app on a customised version of android with bespoke audio drivers.

If it were possible for WiiM to do it, they’d have done it already.

 

[WingnutSardo]

Very easily said but extremely difficult to do. As has been said many times before, Apple doesn’t freely publish an API that allows third parties to do that and even in the rare cases where they have, such as for Sonos or Tesla, only lossy AAC support is provided.

If you want full hi res Apple Music support, you either need to use a wired solution, or invest in a much more expensive streamer such as an Eversolo DMP-A6 or FiiO which use the native Apple Music app on a customised version of android with bespoke audio drivers.

If it were possible for WiiM to do it, they’d have done it already.

Understood - just want to voice my interest

 

[SpacePilot3000]

since there are 3rd party apps that uses Apple Music API and even MusicKit.JS that supports hi-res why this service is not considered to be added to Wiim? Is it really an assumption that streaming Apple Music MUST consider more expensive DAC?

 

[Brantome]

since there are 3rd party apps that uses Apple Music API and even MusicKit.JS that supports hi-res why this service is not considered to be added to Wiim? Is it really an assumption that streaming Apple Music MUST consider more expensive DAC?

My understanding of that is per this Naim post:

Q: Why not use Apple MusicKit
A: This is intended so apps & websites inside the Apple eco-system can have basic high level access to Apple Music tracks. They however, have no way to get at the physical music streams - a dedicated playback engine does that and hence keeping the licenced music streams secure. It is not a solution for standalone players.

Apple Music HiFi Tier incoming?

Hi @Simon-in-Suffolk et all, Quite a hot subject this one. Lots of various questions. Will try and nail as many as possible: Q: "Why does the transport stream influence audio quality - data is data" A: If there are no playback synchronisation needs then within reason (aka - its a data...

community.naimaudio.com

 

[SpacePilot3000]

then why there are plenty of 3rd party apps that supports Apple Music? or its just an excuse to buy 1000$ DAC with the screen?

 

[Brantome]

then why there are plenty of 3rd party apps that supports Apple Music? or its just an excuse to buy 1000$ DAC with the screen?

Do they run “inside the Apple ecosystem” or are they on standalone systems? As I’m sure you’re aware as it’s been discussed here before, the Eversolos and Fiios of this world achieve hi res Apple Music basically by using the official Apple Music app on a modded version of Android with bespoke audio drivers - almost like directly cabling your phone to a DAC.

I’m sure if WiiM knew of a way to do it, they’d have already made inroads given the potential market.

 

[Achim1811]

Even my new mid-end streamer does not offer "native" Apple integration. Those who advertises this use more or less "hidden" cast technologies and are far away from high fidelity. And I would highly recommend to ask the FiiO and Eversolo users about their experience with those shiny bling bling devices AND Apple.
Apple has its price and its merits, like it or not. By the way, I do not understand using Apple Music on one side and blaming their ecosystem on the other side.
And that the stuff is a bit more expensive? This is called real life.
Enough rant for today, it was a tiring one

 

[CrystalGipsy]

since there are 3rd party apps that uses Apple Music API and even MusicKit.JS that supports hi-res why this service is not considered to be added to Wiim? Is it really an assumption that streaming Apple Music MUST consider more expensive DAC?

I don’t believe the api allows access to hires at all only aac. Also it really isn’t suitable for hardware. Hifirose attempt at Apple Music integration uses it, it’s chunky, buggy and all authentication has to be done via Apple Music app and this has to be done often.

Webapi really is for web apps and iOS apps to have access to low res streams not much more. The apps I know that use are just reskinning Apple Music app and you need the Apple Music app for them to authenticate. All this is all over the internet if you search.

The only devices capable of Hires Apple Music are ones using their own app so not integrated at all.

Marvis as an example is basically a skin on top of Apple Music, it can play hires because it uses Apple Music app to play the streams it has no playback engine of its own.