The new AirPods Pro, despite featuring an all-new H2 chip and improved audio quality, do not appear to include support for lossless Apple Music audio.
The H2 chip is the successor to the previous H1 chip and delivers new features like improved Active Noise Cancellation, an improved Transparency mode, and better sound overall. One rumored new capability of the new chip was that it would support lossless Apple Music, but Apple's press release and tech specs page for the new AirPods Pro do not mention any lossless audio support, which seemingly rules out the capability.
We've asked Apple for more information regarding lossless audio support for the new AirPods Pro and will update this story if we hear back.
The new AirPods Pro do support Bluetooth 5.3, and while that standard does not directly support lossless audio, chip companies like Qualcomm have been moving in that direction. As of now, though, there is no indication that Apple has adopted it yet.
Regardless, the new AirPods Pro feature several new features, including improved audio, longer battery life, and a redesigned charging case. Priced at $249, the new AirPods Pro will be available to order starting September 9 and launch September 23.
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
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Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by Joe Rossignol
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You don't need lossless audio in £170 in ear buds - you can't hear the difference. You can't hear the difference on a £10,000 mastering studio setup with golden ears, it's been proven time and time again by the worlds best ears. No one here has the worlds best ears, despite what placebo they think - the upgrades to the drivers and processing are much much much more important and impactful.
If they tell you otherwise, they're wrong.
Edit - click disagree all you want, you're wrong - scientifically proven to be wrong, no ifs, no buts, no opinions, you're wrong, end of.
You don't need lossless audio in £170 in ear buds - you can't hear the difference. You can't hear the difference on a £10,000 mastering studio setup with golden ears, it's been proven time and time again by the worlds best ears. No one here has the worlds best ears, despite what placebo they think - the upgrades to the drivers and processing are much much much more important and impactful.
If they tell you otherwise, they're wrong.
Edit - click disagree all you want, you're wrong - scientifically proven to be wrong, no ifs, no buts, no opinions, you're wrong, end of.
With all due respect; what kind of cut-rate mastering studio has a $10,000 setup? They wouldn’t be fit to master my iPhone voice memos, let alone a commercial release. I’ve had mastering sessions with some of the best engineers, at some of the best mastering studios on the planet, such as Sterling Sound and Abbey Road… they have singular pieces of equipment that surpass $10K (ever check what a VMS-80 goes for these days? Or for that matter, what they sold for 40 years ago? You don’t even have to account for inflation) let alone having an entire system that amounts to that much. And for what it’s worth, any professional I’ve ever worked with would strongly disagree with your assessment of lossless audio.
Not that any of this matters of course, because it doesn’t take a $10K setup to be able to distinguish between lossless and lossy compression. It just takes some listening acuity. Tin ears need not apply.
You seem to be very offended by people who strive for better. I’m not sure how anyone wanting lossless affects you, unless you’re on the Fraunhofer payroll? You’re more than free to continue enjoying all the lossy compression you like.
Hearing "lossless audio" from a tiny driver packed into a pinky sized device is physically impossible.
Tell me that you don’t even understand what lossless audio is without telling me that you don’t even understand what lossless audio is
Over 90% of people would not be able to distinguish lossless from iTunes Plus tracks with ideal equipment. Using earbuds? Probably even less.
100% of people no one has EVER done it, in any blind A/B study, EVER.
Yet Joe Blogs on the Mac Rumors forum and some nutty audiophile who were buying devices that shaved the edges of CDs back in the 90's thinks they can hear the difference, so make of that what you will ?
