Best DAC for Apple Music Lossless, and Who Needs One

Apple Music’s Lossless setting does not need a DAC. Apple’s support page says it 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, and for most listeners with wired headphones that is the whole shopping list.

The higher Hi-Res Lossless setting does need one, and the cheapest here that covers all of it is the iFi GO link 2 at about $59. On AirPods or any other Bluetooth headphones, no DAC will help, because Apple says Bluetooth connections are not lossless. Keep the money.

Some links on this page go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What each device plays without a DAC

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. Its page About lossless audio in Apple Music goes through the devices:

• iPhone and iPad play lossless through the built-in speakers or a wired connection to headphones, receivers or powered speakers. An iPhone 15 or later needs Apple’s USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter for that. Above 48 kHz, Apple says you need an external digital-to-analog converter.
• Most Macs have a headphone socket and need an external DAC above 48 kHz. Apple says the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro play up to 96 kHz on their own.
• Bluetooth is the limit, not the phone. Apple says older AirPods and most Beats wireless headphones use the AAC Bluetooth codec, and that Bluetooth connections are not lossless. AirPods Max with a USB-C port play lossless when connected by a USB-C cable, and Apple lists recent AirPods as playing lossless with its Vision Pro headset.
• Android and Windows play lossless in the latest Apple Music app 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 plays Hi-Res Lossless 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.

Two of Beats’ headphones take lossless audio straight over a USB-C cable with no separate DAC, according to Beats. You will find them in the current Beats range. Apple Music’s other upgrade, Spatial Audio, does work over Bluetooth, which we cover under earbuds with spatial audio.

Why 768 kHz plays Apple Music no better

Apple Music stops at 192 kHz, so a DAC that claims 384 or 768 kHz gains nothing here. What you want, for everything Apple offers, is one whose maker states 192 kHz or more. Price is no guide to that: the $250 AudioQuest DragonFly Copper stops at 96 kHz and the $59 iFi goes to 384 kHz.

Seven DACs by top sample rate

Prices are from each maker’s US store, rounded, except where noted.

Apple’s adapter and the cheap dongles

Apple describes its $9 adapter 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. Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter on Amazon

We would buy the iFi GO link 2 first for Hi-Res Lossless. It is a short cable with a DAC at the end, and the cheapest unit here that states more than 192 kHz. 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. 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.

Get the FiiO KA15, about $100, for headphones with a balanced cable, or if you want an equaliser. 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, so that figure is from Apos, the US dealer FiiO lists. FiiO KA15 on Amazon

Lightning iPhones

A Lightning port means an iPhone 14 or older, and there is a snag. Apple’s US store no longer shows the Lightning version of its adapter: the old product address now leads to a search page that offers only the USB-C one.

So pick a DAC that comes with a Lightning cable. FiiO’s smaller KA13 lists a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box and 384 kHz/32-bit, though we could not find a US price for it at FiiO’s dealer. For the DragonFly Copper, AudioQuest says you need Apple’s Lightning to USB camera adapter.

Balanced outputs and built-in batteries

Questyle states PCM up to 768 kHz/32-bit and DSD512 for the M15i, 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

The iFi hip-dac 3, about $199, is the choice for long listening away from a charger. Its own 2,200 mAh battery, which iFi rates at up to 12 hours, means 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

FiiO’s site still has a page for its older Q3, which its US dealer showed at about $150 and out of stock.

The Chord Mojo 2 is a battery-powered DAC and headphone amplifier made in the UK, with five digital inputs (USB-C, Micro-USB, optical, coaxial and dual coaxial) and 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm headphone outputs. Chord states support up to 768 kHz and DSD256, though the optical input stops at 96 kHz. Its site gives no price, and three US dealers 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

The DragonFly Copper is the wrong buy here

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.

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, at four times the price of a GO link 2 that states a higher ceiling. Skip it unless 96 kHz is enough for you. AudioQuest’s site still lists the older DragonFly Black at about $130, the Cobalt at about $200 and the Red at about $250, all with the same 96 kHz limit. AudioQuest DragonFly Copper on Amazon