You know, when Apple announced a few years ago that they were switching to lossless at no extra cost, it felt like an incredibly generous move. But then the reality set in… It turned out that even the most expensive AirPods Max, costing over 500 dollars, couldn’t actually play this audio without loss because of Bluetooth limitations. It was a classic case of marketing putting the cart before the horse. In 2026, the situation hasn’t changed much: if you want to hear every breath of the vocalist and the faintest resonance of a string, you have to go back to wires. And that, to be honest, is a whole rabbit hole that is very easy to get lost in. But let’s look at the facts without unnecessary fluff or over-the-top technical charts.
Table of Сontents
Why Your Bluetooth Is Lying to You
Let’s get one thing straight right away. Bluetooth is convenient. It’s great for the gym or a walk in the park. But for Lossless, it is, as they say, a dead end. Every wireless codec, whether it’s Apple’s own AAC or even Sony’s advanced LDAC, compresses the data. It’s like trying to squeeze an elephant through a keyhole. You’ll get some part of the elephant on the other side, but it won’t be the same animal. To hear ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) in its original form, you need a physical cable. Only copper can transmit the volume of data contained in 24-bit/48 kHz recordings, or especially Hi-Res 192 kHz.
This leads to a second problem. Modern iPhones lack a headphone jack. Using the standard white Apple “dongle” is a decent start – it actually supports 24-bit audio – but its power is barely enough to drive serious monitor headphones. So, if you’ve decided to invest in sound, be prepared for your setup to look like some kind of engineering construction made of adapters.
By the way, if you’ve spent years building your library in another service, like Spotify or Tidal, and now decided to switch to Apple for that specific quality, the prospect of moving thousands of tracks manually looks like a nightmare. In such cases, software like MusConv really helps out. This thing just takes your playlists from one place and carefully moves them to another. No “magic” involved, just a handy tool that saves weeks of your life by removing the need to search for every song again within the Apple Music search bar.
Open-Back vs. Closed-Back: Choosing a Concept
Before looking at specific models, you need to decide where you’re going to listen to music. If you plan to sit in a cozy chair at home, your choice should be open-back headphones. Their earcups have a mesh back, allowing sound to pass through. This creates an incredible sense of space; it feels like you’re sitting in a hall rather than having speakers strapped to your ears. But there’s a catch: people around you will hear everything you hear, and you’ll hear the kettle boiling in the kitchen.
Closed-back models are your personal bunker. They are ideal if you listen to music in an office or when someone is watching TV at home. The bass in these is usually punchier, but that specific “airiness” is harder to achieve. In 2026, the market is oversaturated with options, but there is some timeless classic gear that just works…
Sennheiser HD 600 and 660S2: The Gold Standard
If you ask any audiophile where to start, they’ll likely point a finger toward Sennheiser. The HD 600 line has been in production for decades, and for good reason. The HD 660S2 model is a modern take on the legend. They are open-back, very detailed, and, importantly, they don’t cause ear fatigue. In these, Apple Music Lossless reveals itself specifically in the details: you start to notice the echo of the room where the drums were recorded or the way a guitarist’s fingers slide across the string windings.
But there is one “but.” They have high impedance. If you plug them directly into a laptop or a phone via a cheap adapter, they will sound quiet and sluggish. They need an amplifier. This is that very “price of entry” into the world of quality sound.
Hifiman Edition XS: The Magnetic Revolution
Lately, more and more people are switching to planar (isodynamic) headphones. Unlike conventional dynamic drivers, these use a paper-thin membrane that moves within a magnetic field. The Hifiman Edition XS is perhaps the best way to spend your money if you want maximum clarity. They sound very fast. The bass doesn’t boom; it’s clearly defined. For electronic music or complex jazz compositions in hi-res, this is a real find.
The only problem with Hifiman is their build quality. It is, shall we say, a bit specific… Sometimes they creak, sometimes they look a bit too bulky. But when you play your favorite album in them, you’ll want to turn a blind eye to these little things.
What to Do if the Budget Is Tight: Audio-Technica and Beyerdynamic
You don’t necessarily have to spend thousands of dollars to feel the difference. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a classic that can be found in every other studio in the world. They are closed-back, foldable, and very honest. Yes, they might seem a bit boring because they don’t sugarcoat the sound, but that’s the whole point of lossless – to hear what was recorded, not what the headphone manufacturer tweaked with an equalizer.
The Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X is another great option. The Germans have refined their older models, making them more comfortable for use with modern gadgets. They have high sensitivity, so they will sound decent even without a massive stationary amplifier.
The Tricky Part of Moving Libraries
Since we’re talking about choosing headphones for a specific service, it’s worth mentioning that many users are currently bouncing between platforms. Someone leaves Apple Music because of the interface, while someone else arrives specifically for the sound. And this is where a snag often occurs: how do you take your “digital luggage” with you? If you don’t want to spend your weekend copying song titles, you can use MusConv. This is a service that understands the structure of most streaming platforms and allows you to sync your media libraries. It’s convenient when you’ve found the perfect headphones and realized that you prefer the sound on Tidal, or vice versa, and decided to settle in the Apple ecosystem.
Do You Need an External DAC?
Let’s be honest, buying expensive headphones without an external DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) is like buying a Ferrari for grocery runs on a broken road. Built-in chips in smartphones and laptops are usually made as an afterthought. They hiss; they cut off frequencies.
For Apple Music, compact “dongle-DACs” like the Chord Mojo 2 or more budget-friendly options from FiiO or iBasso are perfect. These little boxes take over all the work of turning numbers into sound. It’s with them that you’ll get that true Hi-Res Lossless 192 kHz. The difference between 48 kHz and 192 kHz isn’t actually as obvious as marketers shout about, but on good headphones, the sound becomes “smoother” and less “digital.”
The Verdict: Is It Worth the Effort?
In the end, music is about emotions, not bits and bytes. Is it worth building a fortress of wires, DACs, and heavy headphones for Apple Music Lossless? If you listen to music as background noise while washing dishes – definitely not. You simply won’t notice the difference.
But if for you, listening to an album is a separate ritual, like watching a good movie, then the right headphones will change your experience forever. It’s like the English proverb says: the devil is in the detail. It’s in the details that all the pleasure lies.
Read also: Apple Music Transfer Music From Other Services: The Practical Realities Of Switching Platforms
