Spotify Finally Went Lossless.
Now There’s Just One Problem.
Spotify’s long-awaited lossless rollout means studio-quality streaming is finally mainstream. But without wired headphones, you’re not hearing the full detail. Here’s why it matters, and our top pick for getting the most out of lossless audio.
Spotify finally rolled out Lossless audio to Premium users
For years it was the feature that never arrived. Spotify first teased “HiFi” streaming back in 2021, then delayed it repeatedly while competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music moved ahead with their own lossless offerings. Many people started to wonder if Spotify would ever actually ship it.
But on September 10th, the wait was finally over. Spotify began rolling out Lossless streaming to Premium subscribers across dozens of countries, delivering music in up to 24-bit / 44.1 kHz FLAC quality across nearly its entire catalog.
In other words, the biggest music streaming service in the world finally caught up with studio-quality audio, which should have been the moment everyone suddenly started hearing music at its best — except there’s a small catch: most people still won’t.
And by the end of this article, I’ll explain why — along with one wired setup I’ve been using lately (the new Soundbrenner Wave Pro) that actually lets you hear what lossless streaming is supposed to sound like.
The Lossless Irony
Lossless audio means the music file preserves the full recording without throwing away information through compression. Compared to standard streaming formats, that means more detail, cleaner separation between instruments, and a much more natural sense of dynamics.
It’s essentially the same level of fidelity you’d get from a CD or a high-quality studio master.
But there’s one weak link in the modern listening chain: Bluetooth.
Wireless headphones are convenient, but they can’t transmit true lossless audio. Bluetooth simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to send that much data in real time. Instead, the signal gets compressed again using codecs like SBC, AAC, or LDAC before it reaches the headphones.
Spotify itself even recommends using wired headphones or speakers for the best results, because Bluetooth connections can’t carry full lossless audio streams.
So the moment your lossless stream hits a wireless connection, the quality is reduced again.
It’s a strange situation. The streaming service is delivering studio-quality audio, but the last step in the chain quietly downgrades it.
Which means that if you actually want to hear the difference lossless streaming promises, you need something that has quietly been disappearing over the past decade: a wired pair of headphones.
Wired Headphones Suddenly Make Sense Again
For a long time, wired headphones felt like old technology. Wireless earbuds were easier. They paired instantly, fit in a pocket, and worked everywhere. Sound quality wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for most people.
Lossless streaming changes that equation. Once the source audio improves, the headphones themselves become the limiting factor. If the music is arriving at higher fidelity, it suddenly makes sense to use equipment that can actually reproduce it without compressing the signal again.
That’s why a lot of musicians, producers, and audio engineers never stopped using wired headphones in the first place. In professional environments, wireless was never the goal. Accuracy was. And if you’re trying to hear the full detail in a lossless recording, accuracy matters.
The Problem With Most “Audiophile” Gear
The moment people start looking into wired headphones, they often fall into the audiophile rabbit hole. Suddenly you’re reading about DACs, amps, impedance matching, and headphones that cost $800, $1200, sometimes even more. It can start to feel like you need an entire recording studio just to enjoy a playlist.
But every once in a while a product appears that takes the same philosophy of accurate monitoring and packages it into something far more approachable.
One of the most interesting examples I’ve come across recently is the Soundbrenner Wave Pro in-ear monitors. Soundbrenner is better known for its wearable metronomes used by musicians around the world, which makes their entry into the headphone space particularly interesting. Monitoring tools are something musicians tend to take very seriously, and that mindset is clearly visible in how the Wave Pro is built.
Inside each earpiece is a quad-driver hybrid array:
10 mm beryllium-coated dynamic driver for bass
8 mm polymer dynamic driver for the midrange
6 mm titanium driver for treble
6 mm planar magnetic driver for the highest frequencies
Instead of forcing one driver to handle the entire frequency spectrum, each driver focuses on a specific range. The result is a sound that feels controlled and balanced in a way that’s surprisingly close to studio monitoring. Bass stays tight without overwhelming the mix. Vocals remain clear and centered. High frequencies have plenty of detail but avoid the sharpness that makes some headphones fatiguing over time — which is exactly what you want when listening to lossless recordings. The whole point of higher-resolution audio is hearing the details that compression normally hides.
What's in the box: Wave Pro in-ear monitors, 9 pairs of ear tips, 1.5m Hi-Fi over-ear cable, 1/4-inch adapter, and a carrying case
The First Time Lossless Actually Clicks
The interesting thing about lossless audio is that the difference isn’t always dramatic at first. It’s not like switching from standard definition to 4K video. Instead, the changes appear in small details.
You start noticing the texture of instruments more clearly. Background elements in a mix become easier to pick out. Reverb tails stretch further into the soundstage. Everything simply feels a little more open and natural.
That’s exactly what happened the first time I listened through the Wave Pro using lossless streaming. Songs I had heard hundreds of times suddenly revealed subtle layers that had always been there but never stood out before. The experience wasn’t louder or flashier. It was just more complete.
Technically, the Wave Pro is also easy to drive, with 111 dB sensitivity, 15-ohm impedance, and a full 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response, meaning you don’t need a complicated amplifier setup. A phone, laptop, or small portable DAC is more than enough to get excellent performance. Ideal for something as simple as plugging in and listening to a lossless playlist.
Soundbrenner Wave Pro was made for musicians, but is perfect for anyone looking for the absolute highest sound quality
The Real Shift Happening in Music Streaming
Spotify rolling out lossless streaming is more than just another feature update. It marks the moment when high-fidelity audio stops being an enthusiast niche and becomes part of mainstream listening.
Once the world’s largest streaming service delivers music at studio quality, expectations start to change. Listeners begin to realize that there’s more detail in their music than they were previously hearing. When that realization happens, the equipment used to listen to that music suddenly matters a lot more.
Wireless headphones will always have their place. Convenience is hard to beat — but if you actually want to hear the difference that lossless streaming promises, the answer is surprisingly old-school: a wired connection.
The Soundbrenner Wave Pro do that very well. Normally priced at $349, it’s currently available for $199 during the sale, which makes it one of the most compelling ways to experience lossless streaming the way it’s meant to be heard.
If you’re curious what your favorite tracks actually sound like without the layers of compression most headphones add back in, it’s a very good place to start.
Ira
23 hours ago
Didn't even know lossless was a thing, very cool!
Julia Miers
2 days ago
Literally just ordered these headphones from Soundbrenner! So excited for them arrive after reading your recommendation.
Peter
3 days ago
Just picked up the Wave Pro after reading this. Hope they're worth it!
Marvin Cavanaugh
1 day ago
Peter, thanks for reading and I'm sure the Wave Pro's won't disappoint! They've become my daily driver when it comes to serious listening.
Priv8
3 days ago
Is lossless even worth it? I don't feel like I can tell a difference at all lol
Marvin Cavanaugh
2 day ago
I hear you - there are definitely variables at play. Having proper speakers or headphones - like Wave Pro - is an absolute must to enjoy something like Lossless at all. Otherwise you're just wasting data.
