Amazon launches Music HD with lossless streaming

[Huck]

Has anyone here that has both Amazon Unlimited and Qobuz care to share their opinion on which one they like best for sound quality and then for the app?
Quboz just recently became available here in Canada and I would like to try it,but not sure if the sound quality is any better than AMZ...I would be streaming from a Bluesound NODE (N130) to a Denafrips ARES II Enyo DAC. Thanks,Huck

 

[GlenAppleton]

Has anyone here that has both Amazon Unlimited and Qobuz care to share their opinion on which one they like best for sound quality and then for the app?
Quboz just recently became available here in Canada and I would like to try it,but not sure if the sound quality is any better than AMZ...I would be streaming from a Bluesound NODE (N130) to a Denafrips ARES II Enyo DAC. Thanks,Huck

I don't have both, but I did try Amazon Music Unlimited about 2 years ago along with Qobuz, and I chose to keep Qobuz. The Qobuz app isn't great, but it does at least offer actual exclusive mode (bit-perfect) connection on a Windows PC, and that made all the difference for the sound quality (for me) at the time.

Not long after, I subscribed to Audirvana Studio (a music player), and stream Qobuz though that program and the quality and UI experience has been excellent. I also use UAPP on Android (Pixel 7) with Qobuz as the source, and that sounds pretty great as well.

 

[Nick24JJ]

Has anyone here that has both Amazon Unlimited and Qobuz care to share their opinion on which one they like best for sound quality and then for the app?
Quboz just recently became available here in Canada and I would like to try it,but not sure if the sound quality is any better than AMZ...I would be streaming from a Bluesound NODE (N130) to a Denafrips ARES II Enyo DAC. Thanks,Huck

I have Amazon Music Unlimited for a few years now and I have also used Qobuz for 90 days, when I bought my Chord Mojo 2, a free offer. When I had Qobuz, I remember myself always thinking that it sounds better but that might have been placebo. I have not continued my subscription on Qobuz because it did not have much of the music I am listening to, Electronica.

 

[TK33]

Has anyone here that has both Amazon Unlimited and Qobuz care to share their opinion on which one they like best for sound quality and then for the app?
Quboz just recently became available here in Canada and I would like to try it,but not sure if the sound quality is any better than AMZ...I would be streaming from a Bluesound NODE (N130) to a Denafrips ARES II Enyo DAC. Thanks,Huck

I used to have both but canceled Qobuz and kept Amazon. I think sound quality was probably better if using exclusive mode on. PC but that doesn't matter if you are using a Node (I also have two Node 2is and the Bluesound Nodes are bitperfect out to an external DAC for both Amazon and Qobuz). Larger library and a better app kept me with Amazon. Marginal improvement in SQ isn't as important to me if you can't find the music you want to listen to. When I cancelled Qobuz a few years ago, I recall some ofthe music on my playlists had started becoming unavailable and they had almost no kids music for my toddler.

I do recall liking Qobuz and have always considered going back but I also recall disliking maintaining two different services. The nice thing about BluOS is that it will let you create playlists that have music from across all your services (e.g. local files, Amazon, Qobuz, etc.). If they are offering a trial of Qobuz in your country, you should definitely try it out for yourself.

 

[Huck]

I used to have both but canceled Qobuz and kept Amazon. I think sound quality was probably better if using exclusive mode on. PC but that doesn't matter if you are using a Node (I also have two Node 2is and the Bluesound Nodes are bitperfect out to an external DAC for both Amazon and Qobuz). Larger library and a better app kept me with Amazon. Marginal improvement in SQ isn't as important to me if you can't find the music you want to listen to. When I cancelled Qobuz a few years ago, I recall some ofthe music on my playlists had started becoming unavailable and they had almost no kids music for my toddler.

I do recall liking Qobuz and have always considered going back but I also recall disliking maintaining two different services. The nice thing about BluOS is that it will let you create playlists that have music from across all your services (e.g. local files, Amazon, Qobuz, etc.). If they are offering a trial of Qobuz in your country, you should definitely try it out for yourself.

Yeah,I think I will wait a bit,till they(Qobuz) get all the bugs out before I try it.Thanks,Huck

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Had Amazon, switched to Qobuz over a year ago due to the lack of bit perfect. Tried 90 days Amazon HD promotion recently, it still sucks, Qobuz sounds significantly better.
Also UAPP support, Amazon does not have it.

 

[PorscheFanatic]

Qobuz is hands better than Amazon and Tidal.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Qobuz is hands better than Amazon and Tidal.

Is there any basis for that or just wanted to express your opinion?

 

[C_Lindbergh]

Qobuz is hands better than Amazon and Tidal.

Slight edge in sound quality, but Tidald got a way better UI and many more features.

Tidal will soon offer FLAC files too, it was announced at during a Reddit-AMA.

 

[F1x1on]

I know when I tried Amazon I was not impressed with its quality. I had initially planned to drop Tidal and go with amazon but I felt like A/B of the two Tidal sounded much better.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Slight edge in sound quality, but Tidald got a way better UI and many more features.

Tidal will soon offer FLAC files too, it was announced at during a Reddit-AMA.

Where are they gonna get all these high-res flac, trancode non bit perfect MQA?
Also Tidal High-Res tier seems like $19.99, Qobuz can be had for $10.83 with annual subscription.
So unless you are in Czech Republic , I'd opt for Qobuz any time of the day.

 

[mauaudiocr]

Just wondering if anyone here can answer a doubt/question I have, as you already know when you set the audio settings to match what the dac supports and when playing music from Amazon everything plays at that bit rate you set for the dac, my question is, is the Amazon app converting the bit rate or is the OS doing that, just curious, I recently started playing with HQ player (I use Qobuz and Roon too) so I have been learning a little bit of the benefits of up-converting the bit rate to match the DAC's bit rate, so I am curious for Amazon where this conversion is happening, the Amazon app or if is the OS doing the conversion (I know HQ player doesn't support Amazon Music).

 

[gimmeheadroom]

If you're talking about Windows, the app does nothing and the DAC does nothing. The Windows audio stack resamples based on the rate you set.

Best quality is if Windows is set to match the sample rate of the song you're playing.

Some streamers can do bitperfect with scamazon. Bluesound works and HeOS probably does also, I'm sure there are others.

 

[stan1121]

Has something gone wrong with the Amazon music interface?

 

[Click]

Has something gone wrong with the Amazon music interface?

Seems like they changed it for mobile app. Looks weird now and not as good as before the change today.