Best DAC for Apple Music Lossless, and Who Needs One
From Apple's $9 adapter to the $650 Chord Mojo 2: seven ways to play Apple Music lossless, with the sample rate each maker states and the price.
Most people do not need one. Apple’s support page says the Lossless setting in Apple Music plays over any wired connection to headphones, and that an external DAC is needed only for songs at sample rates above 48 kHz. On an iPhone with a USB-C port, Apple’s $9 headphone adapter gives you that wired connection.
If you want the higher Hi-Res Lossless setting, the cheapest DAC we verified that covers all of it is the iFi GO link 2 at about $59. And if you listen to your phone on AirPods or any other Bluetooth headphones, no DAC will help: Apple says Bluetooth connections are not lossless.
Nothing below is a judgement of how a unit sounds. The figures are each maker’s own.
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What Apple says about lossless
Apple Music has two lossless settings. Lossless goes up to 24-bit/48 kHz. Hi-Res Lossless goes up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Apple says its whole catalogue is stored in its own ALAC format at resolutions from 16-bit/44.1 kHz, which is CD quality, up to 24-bit/192 kHz.
What you need depends on the device. This is from Apple’s page About lossless audio in Apple Music:
- iPhone and iPad: lossless plays through the built-in speakers or a wired connection to headphones, receivers or powered speakers. For sample rates higher than 48 kHz, Apple says you need an external digital-to-analog converter.
- Mac: the same, with one exception. Apple says the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro play up to 96 kHz on their own. Other Macs need an external DAC above 48 kHz.
- Bluetooth headphones: Apple says older AirPods and most Beats wireless headphones use the AAC Bluetooth codec, and that Bluetooth connections are not lossless. The exception it gives is AirPods Max with a USB-C port, which play lossless when connected by a USB-C cable.
- Android and Windows: the Apple Music app plays lossless over a wired connection. Apple says you might need an external DAC above 48 kHz and tells you to ask the device’s maker.
- Apple TV: Apple says Hi-Res Lossless is available only on the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation or later), connected to an AV receiver by HDMI.
Apple also warns that lossless streaming uses significantly more data, and that downloads take significantly more space. Higher resolutions use more of both.
Who needs a DAC
- You listen on wireless headphones. You do not need one. The Bluetooth link is the limit, not the phone.
- You have wired headphones and Lossless at up to 48 kHz is enough. You need a wired connection and nothing more. Most Macs have a headphone socket. An iPhone 15 or later needs Apple’s USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter, which is $9.
- You want Hi-Res Lossless, above 48 kHz. You need an external DAC, and one whose maker states 192 kHz or more if you want everything Apple offers.
Two things catch people out. The first is that a DAC’s price says nothing about its top sample rate: the $250 AudioQuest DragonFly Copper stops at 96 kHz and the $59 iFi goes to 384 kHz. The second is that Apple Music stops at 192 kHz, so a DAC that claims 384 or 768 kHz plays Apple Music no better for it.
DACs compared
Prices are from each maker’s US store, rounded, except where noted. The sample rate is the highest one the maker states.
| Model | Price | Maker’s top sample rate | Connects by | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter | $9 | Not stated | USB-C | From the phone |
| iFi GO link 2 | about $59 | 384 kHz, DSD256 | USB-C, with a USB-A adapter in the box | From the phone |
| FiiO KA15 | about $100 at FiiO’s US dealer | 768 kHz/32-bit, DSD256 | USB-C, detachable cable | From the phone |
| Questyle M15i | about $189, list $299 | 768 kHz/32-bit, DSD512 | USB, certified by Apple for iPhone | From the phone |
| iFi hip-dac 3 | about $199 | 384 kHz, DSD256 | USB-C | Own battery, up to 12 hours |
| AudioQuest DragonFly Copper | about $250 | 96 kHz | USB-A, with a USB-C adaptor in the box | From the phone |
| Chord Mojo 2 | about $650 at US dealers | 768 kHz, DSD256 | USB-C, Micro-USB, optical, coaxial | Own battery |
Under $100
Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter, $9
Apple describes it as a way to connect headphones or speakers with a standard 3.5 mm plug to a USB-C device, and lists it as compatible with the iPhone 15 and later, recent iPads and MacBooks. Its store page gives no sample rate. We would treat it as the way to get the Lossless setting on an iPhone and not count on it for anything above 48 kHz. For most listeners with wired headphones, this is the whole shopping list. Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter on Amazon
If your iPhone has a Lightning port, which means an iPhone 14 or older, there is a snag. Apple’s US store no longer shows the Lightning version of this adapter: its old product address now leads to a search page that offers only the USB-C one.
iFi GO link 2, about $59
A short cable with a DAC at the end. iFi states PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD256, a single 3.5 mm headphone output, and a USB-A adapter in the box for older computers. It weighs 7.8 grams. iFi’s app for changing its filters and updating it works on Android only. For Apple Music’s Hi-Res Lossless this is the cheapest unit here that states more than 192 kHz, and it is the one we would buy first. iFi GO link 2 on Amazon
iFi also sells the GO link 2 Max at about $85, which adds a 4.4 mm balanced output and more power: iFi states 241 mW against 79 mW.
FiiO KA15, about $100
FiiO states up to 768 kHz/32-bit and DSD256, a small colour screen, a ten-band equaliser, and a desktop mode that raises the balanced output to 560 mW a side for harder-to-drive headphones. The cable detaches, and FiiO lists iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows and macOS as supported. FiiO’s website gives no prices. Apos, the US dealer FiiO lists, had it at about $100. FiiO KA15 on Amazon
For a Lightning iPhone, FiiO’s smaller KA13 is worth a look: its page lists a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box and 384 kHz/32-bit. We could not find a US price for it at FiiO’s dealer.
From $150 to $250
Questyle M15i, about $189
Questyle states PCM up to 768 kHz/32-bit and DSD512, with both a 3.5 mm and a 4.4 mm balanced output and a gain switch. It is certified under Apple’s MFi programme, and Questyle names the iPhone 16 and 17 series, iPad, Mac and Android as compatible. Its store had it at $189 against a regular price of $299. Questyle M15i on Amazon
iFi hip-dac 3, about $199
This was on our 2021 list in its first version. The current one has its own 2,200 mAh battery, which iFi rates at up to 12 hours, so it does not run down the phone. iFi states 384 kHz and DSD256, a USB-C input, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm outputs, and 400 mW into 32-ohm headphones. It is a separate pocket-sized unit joined to the phone by a cable, not a dongle that hangs off the port. iFi hip-dac 3 on Amazon
AudioQuest DragonFly Copper, about $250
The Copper is the newest DragonFly. AudioQuest says it has twice the output power of earlier models and draws 25% less current, which matters when a phone is powering it. It has a USB-A plug and comes with a USB-C adaptor. On a Lightning iPhone, AudioQuest says you need Apple’s Lightning to USB camera adapter.
The limit is the sample rate. AudioQuest says a DragonFly plays 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz, and that a 192 kHz file should be played at 96 kHz. So it covers Apple’s Hi-Res Lossless only up to 96 kHz. If the reason you are buying is Apple Music at 192 kHz, a $59 DAC states a higher ceiling than this one. AudioQuest’s site still lists the older DragonFly Black at about $130, the Cobalt pictured here at about $200 and the Red at about $250, all with the same 96 kHz limit. AudioQuest DragonFly Copper on Amazon
The expensive one
Chord Mojo 2, about $650
A battery-powered DAC and headphone amplifier made in the UK. Chord lists five digital inputs, which are USB-C, Micro-USB, optical, coaxial and dual coaxial, with 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm headphone outputs. It states support up to 768 kHz and DSD256, though the optical input stops at 96 kHz. Chord’s site gives no price. Three US dealers we checked all had it at $650. This is hi-fi equipment that also happens to work with a phone, and it is far more than Apple Music asks for. Chord Mojo 2 on Amazon
Which to pick
- Bluetooth headphones only: nothing. Keep the money.
- Wired headphones, iPhone 15 or later, Lossless setting: Apple’s adapter at $9.
- Hi-Res Lossless for the least money: the iFi GO link 2 at about $59.
- Headphones with a balanced cable, or you want an equaliser: the FiiO KA15 at about $100.
- Long listening away from a charger: the iFi hip-dac 3 at about $199, because it has its own battery.
- Skip for this purpose: the DragonFly Copper, unless 96 kHz is enough for you. It costs four times the GO link 2 and states a lower ceiling.
Two of Beats’ headphones take lossless audio straight over a USB-C cable with no separate DAC, according to Beats. They are in our guide to the current Beats range. Apple Music’s other upgrade, Spatial Audio, does work over Bluetooth, and our guide to earbuds with spatial audio covers that.
What happened to the old list
- iFi hip-dac: replaced by the hip-dac 3, above.
- AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt: still listed by AudioQuest, now below the new Copper.
- FiiO Q3: FiiO’s site still has a page for it. Its US dealer showed it at about $150 and out of stock.
- Ugreen USB-C headphone adapter and Apogee Groove: we could not confirm either on its maker’s own site, so they are left out. Apogee’s site refuses automated readers, and Ugreen’s US store search returned no headphone adapter.
Quick answers
Do you need a DAC for Apple Music Hi-Res Lossless?
On an iPhone, an iPad and most Macs, yes. Apple says songs at sample rates above 48 kHz need an external digital-to-analog converter. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro play up to 96 kHz without one.
Can you play Apple Music lossless without a DAC?
Yes, at the Lossless setting of up to 24-bit/48 kHz. Apple says the built-in speakers or any wired connection to headphones will play it.
Do AirPods play Apple Music lossless?
Not from a phone over Bluetooth. Apple says Bluetooth connections are not lossless. AirPods Max with a USB-C port play lossless when plugged in with a USB-C cable, and Apple lists recent AirPods as playing lossless with its Vision Pro headset.
Does Apple Music lossless work on Android?
Yes, with wired headphones and the latest Apple Music app. Apple says some Android devices need an external DAC for sample rates above 48 kHz.
What is the best DAC for an iPhone?
For an iPhone 15 or later, start with Apple’s $9 adapter and move to the iFi GO link 2 only if you want Hi-Res Lossless. For a Lightning iPhone, pick a DAC that comes with a Lightning cable, such as the FiiO KA13.
Prices move, so confirm on the maker’s store before you pay.
