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Apple Music vs. YouTube sound quality

I need your help with finding out what is going on.

To begin: I do not have a dedicated music server. I am using my latest MacBook Air feeding my MSB DAC through a USB cable and a AcouSence reclocker. Most of my digital music is from Apple Music lossless and stored on my iCloud.

Recently someone recommended to me the sound track of "I am Legend", especially the beginning track "My Name is Robert Neville", for wide and deep soundstage and very deep bass towards the end. I found it on Apple Music and listened to it, and yes, it is a nice show piece. As I was not familiar with the movie, I looked for a YouRube clip to watch. I found exactly the same track and played it through my MacBook Air and the same downstream: WOW, the YouTube sound was dramatically better, more depth, more dynamic, more space; only the bass seemed to be less focused than coming from Apple. So, what is going on here? YouTube sound used to be much inferior to Apple Music. They must be using another codec, but that alone won't account - at least in my book - for the fact that this track sounded really much better on YouTube. I am now researching more recordings on both platforms, but in the meantime I wanted to throw this out here, and get your opinion: have you noticed something similar lately?

 
128x128reimarc
reimarc's avatar
reimarc OP
54 posts
 

My next listening was "Howlin' Wolf", the London Sessions, a favorite recording of mine. The same thing here with the Red Rooster track: while the Apple Lossless version is superb, the YouTube recording brings home the bacon: Clapton and Steve Winwood on the Left, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman on the Right and Howlin' Wolf smack center and about three feet forward. Simply great, and yes: better than the Apple Lossless version. There seems to be a theme here ...

 
kota1
2,706 posts
 

That is different than my experience but wil check it out and compare again

vonhelmholtz
911 posts
 

Since Apple Music is a paid service, I would start a support ticket. I only use Apple Music with Bluetooth EarPods and no lossless via Bluetooth.  It seems that my Sony/Google TV suggest Fart Music app, but doesn’t allow Apple Music.

soix
8,775 posts
 

Do a free trial of Qobuz that has superior quality to either Apple or YT just to see if you can hear any further benefit.  Plus, it probably has 90%+ of all your music in the cloud.  Nothing to lose and possibly much to gain as you obviously appreciate better sound quality. 

therandyman
33 posts
 

I also stream Apple Music (it is built into my McIntosh A/V processor) and watch music videos on YouTube through my main hi-fi system.  Like you, i have noticed that sometimes YouTube sounds better.  I first noticed it on Melody Gardot and Eva Cassidy recordings.  I don't know why, and appreciate your posting the question.

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