Apple music

[fozy tornip]

Hi.

Seduced during Covid lockdowns and restrictions by the marvel that is streaming music, I'm minded to give Apple Music a run. Have been given antiquated ipad that's great for all sorts but runs an ios too old to platform apple music such that high-ish quality streaming is possible.

I understand that running apple music on a Samsung tablet is straightforward. But do the same considerations/limitations apply as do in the appleverse, where not all ios iterations will get the most from it? The appeal of apple music is their absorption of classical music specialist Primephonic and that all streams are CD resolution or above.

Should I avoid any current models of Samsung Galaxy tablet on the grounds that earlier/lesser android operating systems won't enable all the features of apple music to be enjoyed? Or are they all up to it?

I've scoured the net and can't find the answers. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Fozy

[Obsydian]

I wouldn't worry all the top streaming services work on both Apple or Android, ones like Spotify, Deezer and Amazon are fine, if you want HiRes then consider Tidal or Qobuz.

If you have the iPad just use it with Apple music.

Question is what mobile, TV or home audio do you have, as one of the joys of streaming is to get it on all devices.

[fozy tornip]

Thanks, but at risk of repeating myself, the ipad I have sports ios 12.5.7, which is insufficient to get hi-res digital streams from apple music. Being so old this ipad is incompatible with later ios upgrades. So to stream tolerable (CD) quality music into a hi-fi system, using an apple tablet and external DAC arrangement, would need a later ipad running - I think - ios 15 or above. ipads aren't cheap, hence thinking about Samsung galaxy tablets but am hesitant in case similar limitations exist in Samsung world.

If I pick up a Galaxy Tab A9 from Amazon for £100, say, am I going to be able to enjoy apple music's cd quality streaming offer or will I be limited to something compressed and lossy unless I shell out for a more premium Galaxy tablet?

FWIW I have a standard home stereo arrangement: amp/tuner, CD player, speakers, all reasonable but not exactly high end. Looking for an inexpensive way to add a streaming capability. I can get spotify, BBC sounds etc to play from the ancient ipad and a 3.5mm aux to RCS cable but the quality is noticeably poorer than CDs played through the same system, and FM radio. 

So, are Samsung Galaxy tablets all the same when it comes to capability to platform the full apple music offer?

Fozy

[Obsydian]

Ok, then the DAC or streamer is more important, WAV and FLAC are more prevalent than AAC.

What streamer, DAC are you using or considering?

If you just want a cheap control tablet, then suppose the A9 is fine, but if you are set on Apple Music, then you really need Airplay, and the Samsung doesn't support it, only Chromecast.

[fozy tornip]

OK, let me try again.

I'm not looking for a tablet to act as cheap control for a streamer. I'm looking for a tablet through which/from which I can stream apple music as CD quality data via USB into external DAC, then take the analogue signal from DAC into home stereo amp via RCA. This is unremarkable as a streaming solution. There exist any number of webpages/youtube vids about how to do this from an ipad.

For example: https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/blogs/how-to/how-to-get-the-best-out-of-apple-music-high-resolution-l....

This is a wired solution so the airplay question is immaterial. The tablet streams so a dedicated streamer isn't needed.

My question was and remains whether all current Galaxy tabs will platform apple music such that CD quality (or better?) data stream can be extracted from it, or do there exist constraints as there do with apple products where earlier kit running more 'primitive' operating systems can't deliver the full apple music offer?

Anyone?