Apple devices and music have a long history together. Musicians and other creative types often use Macs, and the iPod was a major step for portable music. Nowadays, the iPhone carries that torch.

Whether you're an audiophile or just want the highest-quality sound your money can buy, high-resolution audio is intriguing. While building and maintaining a hi-res music collection on your computer is fairly easy, playing it back on your iPhone or iPad isn't as easy as it could be.

Let's take a look at the state of hi-res audio on iOS.

What Is Hi-Res Audio?

There's no standard for hi-res audio, so this term essentially means higher-than-CD-quality audio. Or, in other words, music with either better sample rate or bit depth, or both, than what can be provided by a CD (44.1kHz and 16-bit). Using this definition, anything that offers a sample rate of over 44.1kHz or audio depth greater than 16-bit is considered hi-res audio.

Despite that, hi-res audio commonly refers to music with 96kHz or 192kHz sample rate at 24-bit. You'll also bump into different sampling frequencies like 88.2kHz, 176.4kHz, and others at 24-bit.

Hi-res also signifies a lack of lossy compression, like what's used for MP3 files. Hi-res audio can come in many different formats, like Apple Lossless (also known as ALAC), FLAC, MQA, and DSD, among others. Here, we'll mainly focus on ALAC and FLAC.

What Do iOS Devices Support by Default?

Playing hi-res audio on iOS is not a walk in the park. This is mainly due to the DAC (digital-to-analog converter) inside Apple devices. At the time of writing, you can play some hi-res audio on your iPhone or iPad out of the box—just not in the best possible quality.

Apple Music can play ALAC files starting at 44.1kHz/16-bit (CD Quality) up to 192kHz/24-bit. However, built-in iPad and iPhone speakers will downgrade the output to a maximum resolution of 48kHz/24-bit, dubbed Apple Music Lossless.

Related: What Does Lossless Audio Mean in Apple Music?

And despite FLAC support in several versions of iOS now, the Music app won't play FLAC files. You can only play FLAC files via the Files app or using third-party apps.

Apple Music app

While the Music app supports hi-res audio, a few quirks mean you can't easily get the same on your iPhone or iPad out of the box.

Let's start by addressing the issue of hardware. Then we'll move on to software limitations.

An Ultra-Cheap Piece of Hardware Can Make a Huge Difference

Apple Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter

To get hi-res audio, you'll certainly need a wired connection. The problem with newer iPhones and iPads is that they don't have headphone jacks to let you plug in your favorite headphones. Bluetooth headphones are an option, but you won't get all the benefits of hi-res lossless audio over a Bluetooth connection.

Fortunately, there's a fix for the lack of a headphone jack. The Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter sold by Apple (one of Apple's many adapters) is no longer included in the box with an iPhone, but it will let you plug in any headphones you want. However, it doesn't come without limitation, as it can only output audio of up to 48kHz/24-bit.

As long as your headphones don't require a ton of power to drive, this cheap adapter is your ticket to hi-res audio goodness. But even then, you'll be limited to 48kHz. To enjoy the full-fledged hi-res audio at up to 192kHz, you'll need an external DAC.

Looking for Even Higher Quality? It Won't Come Cheap

FiiO i1 Portable DAC

If you have a set of expensive headphones and want even better sound quality, you might want to consider an external DAC. There are plenty of options available that work with iOS devices, spanning a wide range of prices.

On the lower end of the price range, you have the FiiO Q1 Mark II DAC. This is MFi certified, so it works well with the iPhone and iPad without any issues. It can decode audio up to 384kHz/32-bit and ships with different switches for fine-tuning audio to your liking.

The iFi Hip-dac Portable DAC will also get you a substantial bump in quality. It's slim, portable, and does offers up to 6 hours of battery. Additionally, it comes bundled with a Lightning to USB adapter.

The 1Mii USB DAC also delivers better sound quality and comes bundled with an adapter as well.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line solution, audio enthusiasts love the Chord Mojo. That said, it's extremely pricey, and you'll need a separate adapter or aftermarket cable to connect it to your iPhone. However, it can output up to 768kHz/32-bit and quad DSD 256. It also has two 3.5mm analog outputs so that you can listen to hi-res lossless audio with your buddy without any issues.

The main upside to buying an external DAC is sound quality. They aren't limited to just your iPhone or iPad—you can use most of these with your computer or Android device as well.

AudioQuest Dragonfly Red

On the downside, most of these are cumbersome compared to Apple's Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter. This is especially true with larger models like the Chord Mojo. This isn't a big deal if you're listening at home or work, but it could become a problem if you want to listen on the go.

You'll Also Need the Right Software

Listening to music in hi-res depends on the right software and hardware. Apple Music supports up to 192kHz/24-bit hi-res audio, but it's not the only streaming service with such. There are plenty of hi-res music player apps for iOS, but here are a few options.

For Music You Own: Vox Music Player

Vox Music Player

Vox Music Player is one of the most popular music players for the iPhone. Not only will it play hi-res ALAC, but it supports FLAC, DSD, and more. Even better, it's free.

That said, to make use of all its features, you'll need to sign up for a Vox Premium subscription. This costs $5 per month, $50 per year, or $90 for a two-year subscription. For the price, you get advanced audio settings, the ability to sync music from your Mac to your iPhone, and unlimited access to cloud storage for your music library.

Download: Vox Music Player (Free, subscription available)

For Streaming: TIDAL

Tidal website

TIDAL is a higher-fidelity alternative to Spotify if you prefer to stream your music rather than own it. TIDAL's $10 per month HiFi subscription offers audio quality comparable to Spotify or Apple Music. However, it shines with its $20 per month HiFi Plus subscription plan.

The HiFi Plus plan lets you stream all tracks from lossless 44.1kHz/16-bit CD quality up to 192kHz/24-bit. But that's not the real draw. With HiFi Plus, you also get access to TIDAL Masters. TIDAL makes these available in Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) format.

These streams are typically up to 352kHz/24-bit quality, but the MQA format makes for smaller, easily streamable file sizes. If you like to listen on the go but still want high quality, this is a great option.

Should you decide to sign up for TIDAL, we strongly recommend doing so through its website. If you sign up through the App Store, you'll pay an additional 30 percent for the subscription, to cover Apple's fees. There's no reason to do this, as you're not getting anything extra for your money.

Download: TIDAL (Subscription required, free trial available)

What About Hi-Res Audio on Your Mac?

Many of the limitations mentioned above aren't present on macOS. For example, Apple Music has no problem playing 192kHz/24-bit ALAC files on a Mac. Even with built-in speakers in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro, you can get sample rates up to 96kHz. That's double what you get from an iPhone out of the box.

That said, a quality DAC and headphone amp will still help you get the best results. You'll need an external DAC on other Macs to get anything higher than 48kHz.

If you don't use ALAC files, you'll also need an app other than Apple Music to listen to your music. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available. Take a look at our list of the best hi-res music player apps for macOS for a head start.