[Cornan]

Yeah you're correct. But it doesn't mention any other options. I take that to mean other options aren't even a consideration; otherwise they'll mention it.

Let's see! I definately hope for a Windows player on Tidal. Otherwise I figure that I will stick to Wimp as long as possible!

 

[Chikolad]

I must say, after 2 days of listening to all sort of content on Tidal, surprisingly all of which was HI-FI, the sound quality is rather good, but doesn't compare with CDs ripped to FLAC and played through fb2k.
I can't even put my finger on the differences, but it's like fb2k has a more crisp sound, a little clearer, and most of all more "alive".
This is true both for the web player and for the windows app.
If the files are indeed lossless, I guess the problem is in the playback software. Which is weird, because honestly I never noticed much difference between different players on Windows. Otherwise, something's fishy...

 

[sonitus mirus]

  I must say, after 2 days of listening to all sort of content on Tidal, surprisingly all of which was HI-FI, the sound quality is rather good, but doesn't compare with CDs ripped to FLAC and played through fb2k.
I can't even put my finger on the differences, but it's like fb2k has a more crisp sound, a little clearer, and most of all more "alive".
This is true both for the web player and for the windows app.
If the files are indeed lossless, I guess the problem is in the playback software. Which is weird, because honestly I never noticed much difference between different players on Windows. Otherwise, something's fishy...

 
Could your Foobar playback settings be configured in a manner that is different than your browser or the Tidal app is set up?  Maybe the CDs you are comparing are mastered differently?   Can you have somebody help you try and ABX by playing back from a random source to see if you can still identify a difference?  Just throwing stuff out there in hopes that maybe something will help.

 

[cuiter23]

  I must say, after 2 days of listening to all sort of content on Tidal, surprisingly all of which was HI-FI, the sound quality is rather good, but doesn't compare with CDs ripped to FLAC and played through fb2k.
I can't even put my finger on the differences, but it's like fb2k has a more crisp sound, a little clearer, and most of all more "alive".
This is true both for the web player and for the windows app.
If the files are indeed lossless, I guess the problem is in the playback software. Which is weird, because honestly I never noticed much difference between different players on Windows. Otherwise, something's fishy...

 
Maybe to you but I've been subscribed to Tidal when it was just released in North America and found no real audible difference between ripping my hundreds of CDs vs.Tidal.
 
It could most likely be a placebo effect. People here have done measurements and heard no real difference between CD FLAC vs. Tidal Lossless. 

 

[zilch0md]

+1

 

[diamondears]

+1. As a matter of fact I find Tidal better than many of my WAV cd rips. Maybe my CDs are just copies...lol

But my paid downloaded CD quality files are of equal quality, in fact I find in some instances that Tidal is better in the lower order harmonies.

 

[Chikolad]

   
Could your Foobar playback settings be configured in a manner that is different than your browser or the Tidal app is set up?  Maybe the CDs you are comparing are mastered differently?   Can you have somebody help you try and ABX by playing back from a random source to see if you can still identify a difference?  Just throwing stuff out there in hopes that maybe something will help.

 
The only difference I can think of is that on fb2k I use ASIO output, and tidal plays from the browser, meaning through the windows mixer. But to tell you the truth I will not be able to tell ASIO apart from any other output method on fb2k.
It's also not the mastering, because the ones that I compared were exactly alike in every way, including loudness, and in some cases I knew which master it was on Tidal because it said the year on it (e.g. 2012 Remaster).
 
I'm not ruling out placebo though. I tried playing something on Tidal and switching to fb2k window so I will have the same "visual" as I normally have to try to rule out placebo, but I could still sense differences

 

[Cornan]

+1. In my experiance there is a big difference between Windows mixer and Asio in Foobar2000. Asio sounds way better! Have you maked sure that your settings is correct? The first thing you should check is that you cannot change the volume in Windows...otherwise you are not bypassing the Windows mixer, eg not in bitperfect mode. The other thing to check is that your hardware (DAC) supports Asio...otherwise you will need Asio4All. If you want to do a fair comparison you will need to download Asio Bridge...so you can use Tidal with Asio as well.

 

[Chikolad]

If you want to do a fair comparison you will need to download Asio Bridge...so you can use Tidal with Asio as well.

 
Can you please explain how to setup Asio Bridge in order to use Tidal with ASIO?

 

[Cornan]

You download the Asio Bridge from http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Cable/. Set Hi-FI cable as your output sound device in Windows and sound device in Tidal if you have the Windows player. In Chrome you do not have the possibillity to change the sound device inside Tidal....it relies on your sound device. Open Asio Bridge program and choose Your asio device (output)...and you're done! Do not forget to tick that you want Asio Bridge to start when Windows starts under File/ System Tray (Run at startup). Otherwise you will have to start the program manually each time (=hussle). Forget about setting the Latency initially...and set your asio software to best possible option. I personally use minimum latency and 128 samples buffer is my Thesycon Driver Control panel. Hope that helps!
/Micael

 

[Billheiser]

Full concert video, Jack White, acoustic quartet, on Tidal right now.
Guitar, bull fiddle, dobro, fiddle.  Excellent.

 

[new to HiFi]

so sometimes it is great, but it appears random.
i sent mail to wimp so i hope it get wimp working on new windows app with offline mode.
maybe its pie in the sky but i will keep hopeing

 

 

[Chikolad]

You download the Asio Bridge from http://vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr/Cable/. Set Hi-FI cable as your output sound device in Windows and sound device in Tidal if you have the Windows player. In Chrome you do not have the possibillity to change the sound device inside Tidal....it relies on your sound device. Open Asio Bridge program and choose Your asio device (output)...and you're done! Do not forget to tick that you want Asio Bridge to start when Windows starts under File/ System Tray (Run at startup). Otherwise you will have to start the program manually each time (=hussle). Forget about setting the Latency initially...and set your asio software to best possible option. I personally use minimum latency and 128 samples buffer is my Thesycon Driver Control panel. Hope that helps!

/Micael

 
Thank you very much, I'll try that!
I prefer the web UI though, I hope when they put the app back on for download it will be redesigned.

 

[Chikolad]

I just realized you meant that it can be done with the web player too. It works! Thanks!
I wonder how this AsioBridge works... the sound still has to go through the windows mixer obviously, so what is the advantage of ASIO in this case?

 

[new to HiFi]

   
Thank you very much, I'll try that!
I prefer the web UI though, I hope when they put the app back on for download it will be redesigned.

"hope when they put the app back on for download it will be redesigned"
 
with offline mode for windos/mac app. 
 
then if allbums take aboute 700mb disk space , i with 500gb free disk space i having 400 allbums in offline mode.
 
will make  dropouts less annoying.