I can only speak from a very limited experience on this as I only did anything like this once and it was last week. I do not use apple play so I cannot speak for that. However, I can speak for standard CD, MOFI-CD, Hi-Res (24-192) digital download, and Amazon HD music (so they claim). On my desk top I have a TMS T300MKll mini tube amp and a pair of Klipsch RP-600Ms. I used two "albums"for the comparison, Allman Brothers first album and Crosby Stills and Nash CSN as I have both of these in the formats listed above. From ABB I played It's Not My Cross To Bear, from CSN I played Run From Tears. Hands down the Hi-Res download versions were the clear winners in overall sound quality, to my years. Especially disappointing was the CSN-Mofi recording. When I get some time I will do the same comparison on my listening room set up. Rogue M-180s, Rogue RP-7, Panasonic DP-UB-9000, NAD C658 DAC, and Focal Kanta No.2s.
Oh Ye of Little Format
Tonight our group of 13 people held a blind A/B/C test comparing
Formats of CD, SACD and Apple Sound.
We listened to one minute three formats of five different cuts
ranging from Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Santana
Celine Dion, & one other.
The cuts were removed from the same CD using different layers.
Bottom line- Nobody zeroed in on anything! The Apple Sound actually
was slightly the favorite. Try it yourself.
Sound leveling software was employed and were the services
of sound engineer.
I always thought SACDs were nothing special.
Now if an XRCD had been included I think it would have been preferred
but you can perform the same test using XRCD due to the way
it is recorded.
The fun never stops here...