How to play Hi-Res sound on iPhone or iPad

In recent years, Android smartphones have supported Hi-Res audio (high definition) but there is no indication that Apple plans to do this even though the iPhone is a voice quality device. Best bar. So how to listen to Hi-Res music on iPhone or iPad?

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What is Hi-Res sound?

There is no exact standard for Hi-Res audio, so this term basically refers to higher quality audio than CD. It is not lossy compression like MP3 files.

Hi-Res audio has many formats like Apple Lossless (also known as ALAC), FLAC, MQA, DSD and many other formats. Here we only focus on ALAC and FLAC formats.

1. How to convert FLAC file to ALAC

What is needed to play Hi-Res sound on iPhone or iPad?

You can play some Hi-Res audio on iPhone or iPad like running ALAC file in Music app but only good 24 bit / 96kHz. High-resolution audio usually has a bit rate of up to 24 bits / 192kHz. You will not be able to play audio at this speed on iOS devices by default.

Although some iOS versions support FLAC, Apple Music applications cannot run FLAC files. There are a few reasons iOS devices can only play audio at 24 bit / 96kHz. First, this is the highest bit rate EarPods comes with iPhone support. Second, iTunes does not allow you to transfer files with higher bit rates to iPhone.

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We will solve this problem by using the support device to be able to play Hi-Res audio on iPhone.

The problem with newer iPhones and iPads is that they don't have a headphone jack. Therefore bluetooth headphones are an alternative but you will not be able to feel all Hi-Res audio via Bluetooth connection.

You can overcome the lack of this headphone jack using Apple's Lightning to 3.5mm adapter (209 thousand VND). This adapter is now not only "exclusive" on the iPhone, you can use it to plug in any headset if you want. And it is capable of playing audio up to 24 bits / 192kHz.

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This is because the adapter has a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) adapter, takes the digital signal from the phone and converts it into an analog signal for use by the headset. The DAC converter in Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter is a 24 bit model of Cirrus Logic, which supports audio with bit rates up to 192kHz.

If you have an expensive headset and want better sound quality, you might consider another DAC digital converter. There are many options available that work with iOS devices at different prices.

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With a slightly higher price, you can use the FiiO i1 Portable DAC adapter (930 thousand VND). It provides the same quality as the Apple adapter but has additional inline and built-in mic controls.

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If you want better quality, you can use AudioQuest Dragonfly Black (3 million VND), with a Lightning to USB adapter. AudioQuest Dragonfly Red (5.5 million VND) even offers better sound quality. It also comes with an adapter.

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If you are looking for a top solution, audio enthusiasts will love Chord Mojo (11.1 million VND). However, its price is extremely expensive and you need your own adapter or cable to connect to the iPhone.

The main advantage of external DAC is the sound quality. They are not limited to use only on iPhone or iPad, you can also use it with most Android computers or devices.

The downside of this adapter is that it is more bulky than the Lightning to 3.5mm adapter, especially the Chord Mojo model. If you listen to music at home or work, there is no problem but it is inconvenient to move.

Hi-Res audio listening software

To listen to Hi-Res music, you need the right application, refer to the article Hi-res Music applications on your phone and find yourself a favorite application.

When listening to Hi-Res audio on macOS, you will not encounter the same limitations as on iPhone. iTunes does not encounter any problems when running ALAC 24 bit / 192kHz files. However, if you want to hear better sound, you can still use the DAC converter and headphones. If you don't use ALAC, you can also use applications other than iTunes to listen to music.