AV Quick Takes: Apple Music Classical and Audyssey MultEQ-X Pro Enhancements

Apple
Music Classical

In
August of 2021, Apple acquired
the classical music streaming service Primephonic, which offered users “an
outstanding listening experience with search and browse functionality optimized
for classical, premium-quality audio, handpicked expert recommendations, and
extensive contextual details on repertoire and recordings,” according to Apple.
The acquisition was intended to give Apple Music a leg up on its competitors
when it comes to catering to classical music fans.

Bringing
the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development
for the classical music industry. Artists love the Primephonic service and what
we’ve done in classical, and now we have the ability to join with Apple to
deliver the absolute best experience to millions of listeners. We get to bring
classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians
with the next generation of audience.

—
Thomas Steffens,
Primephonic’s co-founder and
CEO

Now,
this partnership has come to fruition in the form of Apple Music
Classical, a standalone app
that will become available on March 28th, 2023. At launch, the service will
offer over five million classical tracks, joining Apple Music’s standard catalog of more than 100 million tracks.
Apple is saying it’s the world’s largest classical music catalog. Apple Music
Classical will be included in the $10.99 monthly price for a regular Apple
Music subscription. Audiophiles will be pleased to learn that the Apple Music
Classical catalog
includes high-resolution files up to 24-bit/192 kHz, as well as tracks in Spatial Audio via Dolby Atmos. The purpose-built
app, which will be downloadable from Apple’s App Store, rather than pre-loaded
as part of iOS, is reportedly designed from the ground up specifically for
classical music. Users can instantly find specific recordings “with search
built for the genre,” according to Apple, including search by composer, work,
conductor, or even catalog number. The service will also provide “complete and
accurate metadata to make sure you know exactly what and who you are playing.”

For
longtime classical music lovers, these search and metadata features make all
the difference. But Apple Music Classical will also be inviting for beginners, helping them get into the genre with
“hundreds of Essentials playlists, insightful composer biographies, deep-dive
guides for many key works, and intuitive browsing features.” Apple says that
thousands of classical albums will be exclusive to the service, which will be
100% ad-free. Downsides? There’s not yet a version of the app made for iPad,
and there’s no way to download tracks for offline listening.

Apple Music Classical makes it quick and easy
to find any recording in the world’s largest classical music catalog with fully
optimized search, and listeners can enjoy the highest audio quality available, and
experience many classical favorites in a whole new way with immersive Spatial Audio.

—
Apple

Audyssey
MultEQ-X Pro

 

Dirac
Live may be getting most of the press attention this year, but since launching
in early 2022, Audyssey MultEQ-X has been well received by reviewers
and customers alike. This $199 software offers users of recent Denon and
Marantz receivers (among others) greatly improved adjustment flexibility over
previous Audyssey versions. Processing can be applied to a limited frequency
range or to the entire audio signal, and adjustments are shown in a simplified
parametric EQ format. The program must be run on a PC, and because it’s
downloaded from the Microsoft Store, it requires a Microsoft account and
password. (For a deeper dive, check out our Audyssey MultEQ-X livestream.) In this livestream, we go over all the new features in ver 1.5 including disabling auto-leveling, and ways to increase dynamic range of your system with an online tutorial.

The
consumer version of MultEQ-X isn’t changing, but Audyssey is now launching MultEQ-X
Pro, designed specifically for AV professionals
and installers. It offers all the same technical features as the original
version of MultEQ-X, but adds useful business-to-business features, including
an improved licensing system that is easier to manage. The streamlined
license management system makes it easier to resell licenses, and
purchases/downloads come directly from Audyssey — a Microsoft account is not
required. Other advantages include discounted pricing for bulk license
purchases and live phone support for both sales-related issues and technical
concerns.

More
information: Audyssey
MultEQ-X Pro