While Apple Music now offers lossless audio streaming, experts say this may not matter even with high-quality speakers or headphones.

Apple Music compresses its audio files for download speed, which some users have found can degrade the overall sound quality. Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) is designed to compensate for these compression issues while preserving the data of the original file.

This allows for optimal playback of Apple Music’s entire catalog, encoded at 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD-quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz resolutions, provided listeners also have high-quality wired audio output devices connected to their devices.

“Sound loses quality when sent over Bluetooth and at this point it doesn't appear that Bluetooth will (ever) deliver the same quality as wired systems,” professional musician Keno Hellmann said in an email interview.