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Apple Adds Support For FLAC Lossless Audio In iOS 11 (thenextweb.com)
Reddit users who have installed copies of the developer beta of iOS 11 are reporting that Apple has finally added support for lossless FLAC audio files in their new mobile operating system. The Next Web reports: The functionality was first spotted on an iPhone 6S Plus running iOS 11 Beta 1 and is reportedly available as part of the newly announced file-management app, Files. Up until now, Apple had deliberately opted to ignore offering playback support for FLAC files in both iTunes and iOS -- though there are numerous third-party apps to do the trick. But it appears things are finally about to change.
When connected to an appropriate DAC or headphone connector, the lightning connector delivers raw uncompressed digital audio. You're not just limited to Bluetooth. Also, IIRC, airplay will generally deliver the audio in its native format over wireless, so there's that as well.
...si hoc legere nimium eruditionis habes...
All new iPhones will have to deal bluetooth compression anyway. Maybe I am simply ignorant
You're simply ignorant ;)
The (included) headphone dongle moved the DAC and amplifier outside of the phone case - but it's still there (and necessary). So you can still get uncompressed audio that way.
You can also connect the phone via USB to most DAC devices and play the raw bitstream directly. I do that in both of my cars, and have something similar for my HiFi system at home.
-- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
There is a teeny (yet startlingly high-quality) DAC in the adapter. The lightning port is digital-only. (Source)
Unlike porn, which yada yada rimshot hey-ooh!
no, when ALAC was released people pissed and moaned that Apple wasn't supporting FLAC which was the de facto standard back in 2003. with your user ID you should know that. the three formats you mentioned were not used in exchanging audio files and are not free formats, so obviously those would have been poor choices.
back in 2003 most MP3 encoders used a low-pass filter as part of the encoding process. you didn't need "golden ears" to tell the difference, you just needed to not be deaf.
if you're saying that today, ALAC isn't needed because 256 kbps AAC files sound pretty damn good, you might have a point, except that happened years after apple decided to foist ALAC on the world.