[originalsnuffy]

The Amazon HD experience is quite different depending on your platform.

My primary platform is the Apple iphone. On that, it generally works OK but not great. Downloads are fairly finicky. The biggest issue is that every time that app starts up there is a big lag until the first song plays.

On the Fire 8 platform, the app is terrible when it comes to downloads. It hangs all the time with network errors even though the wifi is just fine.

On the PC, everything is pretty straightforward. I am not trying for critical listening on that unit, but everything sounds just fine.

The craziest thing is that there is no way to contact their developers as far as I know. They should be getting this feedback.

 

[exdmd]

The Amazon HD experience is quite different depending on your platform...

The craziest thing is that there is no way to contact their developers as far as I know. They should be getting this feedback.

Amazon has a forum but no one knows if the developers even read it. On the forum it is recommended to leave feedback from within the app using the drop down under your name: Help > Tell us how we are doing. I agree it is unfortunate Amazon does not have better customer service. At least for Qobuz the US Manager is active on a thread at Audiophile Style and you can get questions answered.

 

[robm321]

Once my Amazon trial is finished, I'm getting Qobuz.

 

[tomwoo]

Amazon has a forum but no one knows if the developers even read it. On the forum it is recommended to leave feedback from within the app using the drop down under your name: Help > Tell us how we are doing. I agree it is unfortunate Amazon does not have better customer service. At least for Qobuz the US Manager is active on a thread at Audiophile Style and you can get questions answered.

Amazon simply doesn't care. They are not expecting its music streaming service make money anytime soon. As long as it helps they sell other products, they are more than happy.

 

[TK33]

Interestingly, I went into settings-->Music Settings to check my renewal last night and my Individual HD subscription is set to renew on Dec 16 @ 8.99/month (3.99 unlimited + 5 for HD). I don't recall seeing any promos recently for renewals but I'll probably keep it at a lower rate for another month and hope they resolve some of the issues I've been having with the android app.

 

[grokit]

Once my Amazon trial is finished, I'm getting Qobuz.

I have been trialing Qobuz and I recently found a new album, "Pink Floyd the Later Years" quite fatiguing with a high-frequency bump. Then I realized that I can have both Qobuz and Amazon Music HD apps running simultaneously on my Mac Mini, so I went back and forth for the first few songs. This treble bump was non-existent with the Amazon app, that's where I finished listening to the album, and my Qobuz trial is over.

I realize this is just one listener's experience with one album, but it makes me think that Qobuz might be trying a little too hard to impress. Since none of the streaming services are perfect, I'll go with the biggest music library for the least amount of $. If I am ever able to separate myself from the Prime ecosystem, I will re-visit the competition. But for now I don't see a reason to continue the Qobuz trial for a couple more weeks.

 

[Richter Di]

I have been trialing Qobuz and I recently found a new album, "Pink Floyd the Later Years" quite fatiguing with a high-frequency bump. Then I realized that I can have both Qobuz and Amazon Music HD apps running simultaneously on my Mac Mini, so I went back and forth for the first few songs. This treble bump was non-existent with the Amazon app, that's where I finished listening to the album, and my Qobuz trial is over.

I realize this is just one listener's experience with one album, but it makes me think that Qobuz might be trying a little too hard to impress. Since none of the streaming services are perfect, I'll go with the biggest music library for the least amount of $. If I am ever able to separate myself from the Prime ecosystem, I will re-visit the competition. But for now I don't see a reason to continue the Qobuz trial for a couple more weeks.

For my personal taste Qobuz always sounds better compared to Amazon Music HD.

 

[grokit]

For my personal taste Qobuz always sounds better compared to Amazon Music HD.

That what I thought too. Try the album I mentioned on both players and compare for yourself.

 

[Richter Di]

That what I thought too. Try the album I mentioned on both players and compare for yourself.

Can not do it properly. My FiiO M11 player just takes ages after I used Amazon Music HD to start any track on Qobuz. Only using Amazon is fine (most of the times, I have to kickstart it with the HiBy player playing a hires song), only Qobuz also fine. But one after the other impossible. I can try it via the two apps with my Samsung Smart Phone and the @Jan Meier Soul. Let me try tomorrow.

 

[grokit]

Can not do it properly. My FiiO M11 player just takes ages after I used Amazon Music HD to start any track on Qobuz. Only using Amazon is fine (most of the times, I have to kickstart it with the HiBy player playing a hires song), only Qobuz also fine. But one after the other impossible. I can try it via the two apps with my Samsung Smart Phone and the @Jan Meier Soul. Let me try tomorrow.

It's harder to compare between different mobile apps, I think it's probably easier on a desktop. This may also explain differing results.

 

[Left Channel]

I have been trialing Qobuz and I recently found a new album, "Pink Floyd the Later Years" quite fatiguing with a high-frequency bump. Then I realized that I can have both Qobuz and Amazon Music HD apps running simultaneously on my Mac Mini, so I went back and forth for the first few songs. This treble bump was non-existent with the Amazon app, that's where I finished listening to the album, and my Qobuz trial is over.

I realize this is just one listener's experience with one album, but it makes me think that Qobuz might be trying a little too hard to impress. Since none of the streaming services are perfect, I'll go with the biggest music library for the least amount of $. If I am ever able to separate myself from the Prime ecosystem, I will re-visit the competition. But for now I don't see a reason to continue the Qobuz trial for a couple more weeks.

What you heard on Qobuz is how that album actually sounds (to you, via your own system, of course). What you heard through Amazon is something else. Regardless, clearly Amazon is best for your system and your ears, and that's fine. In fact it saves you money, so I'm jealous.

 

[grokit]

What you heard on Qobuz is how that album actually sounds (to you, via your own system, of course). What you heard through Amazon is something else. Regardless, clearly Amazon is best for your system and your ears, and that's fine. In fact it saves you money, so I'm jealous.

My system may be too resolving to 'recover' from poor mastering of the album. If this is the case, then I appreciate whatever Amazon is doing to smooth it out. Have you personally compared the album via both services?

 

[Left Channel]

My system may be too resolving to 'recover' from poor mastering of the album. If this is the case, then I appreciate whatever Amazon is doing to smooth it out. Have you personally compared the album via both services?

What's good for you and your system is what's good. My systems are "smoothing" not resolving, so may not be the best comparison. But anyway I don't have Amazon. I used up a free trail on an earlier version of their service, and won't be trying Music HD unless they add WASAPI Exclusive and etc.

 

[originalsnuffy]

I find it really hard to believe that Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, or Amazon has the time or inclination to change the EQ of their music. I think we are all hearing artifacts of the playback approach inherent in the apps from each of the vendors.

Because Tidal does not resample (either up or down) it does sound slightly different than the Amazon HD app on my iphone. I am feeding the iphone to my Shanling M2S and from there to my car's auxiliary input. The car has a really good audio system (Meridian) so its not a feeble test.

Even with resampling, I really can't distinguish between my Redbook rips and the redbook equivalent from Amazon (shown as HD). The Ultra HD material that I already own from HDTracks like Crosby Still and Nash (the first album; "couch") sounds just about the same from Amazon. I know the Steve Hoffman Forums people don't like that mastering but I am perfectly happy with it.

These tests become somewhat meaningless if you are testing MQA tracks. Whether you think MQA is the second coming of hifi or a joke pawning off compressed music as superior is up to you. But you really can't compare MQA to HiRes or Redbook; it is simply different.

 

[Pro-Jules]

Can not do it properly. My FiiO M11 player just takes ages after I used Amazon Music HD to start any track on Qobuz. Only using Amazon is fine (most of the times, I have to kickstart it with the HiBy player playing a hires song), only Qobuz also fine. But one after the other impossible. I can try it via the two apps with my Samsung Smart Phone and the @Jan Meier Soul. Let me try tomorrow.

I have been tearing my out with Qobuz performance on fiio m9 and Hiby R6 Pro.

I am getting a new Sony 507b Friday to see how that goes.