[Uebelkraehe]

When I used the app it was never certain what level of compression you were getting at any one moment.

Does this definitely also apply if you set the streaming quality for wifi to "HD/Ultra HD"? Serious question, i thought this would only apply if you choose "best available".

 

[runssical]

Does this definitely also apply if you set the streaming quality for wifi to "HD/Ultra HD"? Serious question, i thought this would only apply if you choose "best available".

Not sure. I no longer have a subscription.

But I think it's possible to test this. Login to your WiFi router's console and put an aggressive bandwidth cap on the device you're using for streaming such as your phone. Then see if the stream still continues to play. That would imply that Amazon is lowering the bitrate to mp3 levels to accommodate the slower connection.

 

[runssical]

@Uebelkraehe I've used both Tidal HiFi and Qobuz in the past year. I directly compared Tidal to Amazon and Tidal sounded noticably better. The streams from Amazon sounded compressed, thin, and bass light.

 

[Uebelkraehe]

@Uebelkraehe I've used both Tidal HiFi and Qobuz in the past year. I directly compared Tidal to Amazon and Tidal sounded noticably better. The streams from Amazon sounded compressed, thin, and bass light.

Can't confirm from my own experience as i did the same thing last year. Actually, Tidal seems to be eq-ing for more bass when using their app, which is not what i want a high-res streaming service to do by default.

 

[runssical]

Can't confirm from my own experience as i did the same thing last year. Actually, Tidal seems to be eq-ing for more bass when using their app, which is not what i want a high-res streaming service to do by default.

That's possible. I only stream Tidal and Qobuz through UAPP

 

[Uebelkraehe]

That's possible. I only stream Tidal and Qobuz through UAPP

Incidentally, i'll be able to extensively compare Amazon HD with Qobuz through Audirvana and UAPP this month, should be interesting. Would be nice to be able to ditch AHD as i'm not a fan of the company, either.

 

[dharmasteve]

I have used Tidal and Amazon HD extensively together for 3 months. Tidal MQA sounds the best to me through UAPP using my Android phone (Samsung S9+)..through the iFi Hip Dac. I think there is too much criticism of Amazon HD. There is not a lot of difference between the two when using just HD/General files. Tidal customer services is the worst ever known. Amazon is not great but is contactable. Tidal is an embarrassment. I like the Tidal sound a lot and looking from every angle Tidal just outdoes Amazon HD in sound quality, but only at the top level and there is not much in it. I've binned Tidal though as the difference is not enough to put up with the abysmal Customer Services and price difference is too much. I prefer the Amazon app. Tidal on UAPP sounds great, but does have quite a few problems in use.

 

[Marlowe]

I prefer the Amazon app.

Really? Well, to each his or her own. When I had an Amazon trial, I thought Tidal generally sounded slightly better, but the difference was not great. If it were just cost, I might have switched. But I simply could not abide using the Amazon Windows (or Android) app; it was and is (I've checked back using the free Prime service) so appallingly awful that I'm not sure I'd use Amazon HD if it were free.

 

[dharmasteve]

Really? Well, to each his or her own. When I had an Amazon trial, I thought Tidal generally sounded slightly better, but the difference was not great. If it were just cost, I might have switched. But I simply could not abide using the Amazon Windows (or Android) app; it was and is (I've checked back using the free Prime service) so appallingly awful that I'm not sure I'd use Amazon HD if it were free.

I agree the Tidal sound is a little better 'overall' in general, but the Tidal app is really poor when using through UAPP on Android, and for most Android phones without UAPP you cannot get MQA Bit Perfect. The Tidal app used itself on Android cannot deliver MQA, it has to be through UAPP and with a purchase of the MQA function through UAPP. Things are not always as they seem. I have to agree on Windows, Amazon HD is poor, but on Android the Tidal app offers very little and is quite some worse than the Amazon app and does not deliver it's best sound quality.

 

[sebek]

I did a month trial with Tidal, but I don't really like SQ directly from Tidal. Sound too dark and fuzzy. From UAPP it's great, but can't play offline.

Now I have purchased a month of Amazon HD, my use is exclusively from Android smartphone, with Chord Mojo and Dragonfly Cobalt.

What do you think of the Amazon HD SQ compared to Tidal and Qobuz, played directly from their APP on Android?

 

[originalsnuffy]

When you A / B sources like Tidal and Amazon you may pick one over the other. But after extended listening my conclusion is that Amazon HD on its own offers about 95% of the sound quality of going straight from a CD or HD tracks. I have Amazon HD on Android on my HiBy R5. Also on my iphone and at home on the HTPC and Amazon Fire Cube. I would go with the 95% comment for virtually all of them. YMMV. By the way I am happy with the service at the price. And the convenience is phenomenal.

 

[ForSerious]

Unless they have gotten new copies lately, Amazon has the biggest collection of watermarked songs I have ever listened to.

 

[originalsnuffy]

Does that mean the music has "notches" in the audio band or just that there are measures to deter copying?

 

[ForSerious]

The best way I can describe it is an added swishy noise. You can check out a sample here.

 

[dharmasteve]

I had Amazon and Tidal MQA at the same time. I would say Tidal MQA is minutely better, but there is no big difference, so I stuck with Amazon HD because I had to run Tidal through UAPP to get MQA. I prefer the Amazon interface.