[TK33]

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.

I just dropped Qobuz for similar reasons...Qobuz definitely sounded better but if you arent comparing then you dont know any better. Qobuz just has too many holes in its catalog and no discovery functionality. Switched to an Amazon HD family plan so now everyone can listen on their own phones and Echo devices that are scattered in almost every room and it even works on grandma's Echo when my son goes over there. Just cant beat the convenience of it. Have my Amazon music accounts set up on my Node 2is and it works great.

 

[rkw]

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

I haven't tried Amazon Music, but UMG watermarking that I used to hear on Spotify and Tidal is no longer there. Others have also noticed the change:
http://www.mattmontag.com/music/an-update-on-umg-watermarks
How long ago was it that you heard watermarking? Streaming services play music files provided by the record labels, and it would be strange if Amazon receives a different version.

 

[TubeStack]

Amazon is always missing artists/albums I’m looking for. Every other time I search for an album, they don’t have it. Tidal has always had everything I’ve searched.

 

[ForSerious]

How long ago was it that you heard watermarking? Streaming services play music files provided by the record labels, and it would be strange if Amazon receives a different version

I think I stopped using Amazon music last March. So a year ago. They're offering me a month free trial again. I'll take them up on it and see if it's better.

 

[3Putter]

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?

Sound? Qobuz, Tidal, and a distant third for Amazon. Selection? Tidal, Amazon, and Qobuz a distant third...I feel Tidal is pretty close to Qobuz but just a skoche warmer...

 

[MikeO3]

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.

Why do you need to contact customer service so much?

 

[sebek]

Sound? Qobuz, Tidal, and a distant third for Amazon. Selection? Tidal, Amazon, and Qobuz a distant third...I feel Tidal is pretty close to Qobuz but just a skoche warmer...

Amazon HD sounds too bright and fatiguing. I also took the trial month with Qobuz and it is the most balanced and enjoyable sound of the three.

Then I tried Qobuz through UAPP and it's just perfect to my ears. Sound wonderful. In addition to having a much more intuitive and easier management than Tidal.

Too bad that it cannot be played offline through UAPP.

But isn't there another app on Android that can play Qobuz offline?

 

[ForSerious]

Why do you need to contact customer service so much?

I can't speak for dharmasteve or for Tidal, but at least with Amazon, I found several tracks that would play from the wrong version of an album. Or they were tagged as the wrong song. Like track 5 played track 6, 6 played 7 and 7: 5. In the time frame of the three month trial, I contacted them about 5 times over things like that.

 

[dharmasteve]

I can't speak for dharmasteve or for Tidal, but at least with Amazon, I found several tracks that would play from the wrong version of an album. Or they were tagged as the wrong song. Like track 5 played track 6, 6 played 7 and 7: 5. In the time frame of the three month trial, I contacted them about 5 times over things like that.

Yep that does happen. Occasionally the wrong track plays or tracks just added to playlists don't play. Playing Tidal through UAPP was worse though so it's 'the better of two evils'. Amazon is far from perfect but Tidal is significantly flawed especially playing directly through Android....no MQA. In the end I just chose Amazon HD because with Prime it is significantly cheaper than Tidal, generally as good, and the interface better than UAPP Tidal to me. Amazon though is flawed, but so is Tidal. In those circumstances £12.99 is better than £19.99.

 

[sebek]

Qobuz interface on UAPP instead is perfect, it's like using UAPP directly. Big plus point.

 

[3Putter]

Amazon HD sounds too bright and fatiguing. I also took the trial month with Qobuz and it is the most balanced and enjoyable sound of the three.

Then I tried Qobuz through UAPP and it's just perfect to my ears. Sound wonderful. In addition to having a much more intuitive and easier management than Tidal.

Too bad that it cannot be played offline through UAPP.

But isn't there another app on Android that can play Qobuz offline?

I find Tidal easier to use and a bit more pleasing but I did think Qobuz was outstanding sounding. Just didn't have half of what I find on Tidal. I have a list on Tidal 'Yet to Discover' that I add songs to every day to check out that get fed to me from listening tastes.

 

[sebek]

I find Tidal easier to use and a bit more pleasing but I did think Qobuz was outstanding sounding. Just didn't have half of what I find on Tidal. I have a list on Tidal 'Yet to Discover' that I add songs to every day to check out that get fed to me from listening tastes.

Regarding the Qobuz interface, I meant that from UAPP it is extremely simple, fast and intuitive. Instead Tidal from UAPP is much slower and more problematic.

By using their respective apps directly perhaps Tidal has a better interface.

Economically, however, Qobuz is worthwhile if you make an annual pass. It costs you € 15 a month. If you pay monthly, it's 20 € like Tidal.

 

[sfig]

Sound? Qobuz, Tidal, and a distant third for Amazon. Selection? Tidal, Amazon, and Qobuz a distant third...I feel Tidal is pretty close to Qobuz but just a skoche warmer...

That is just how they sound in my system as well. On sound, a very distant third for Amazon for me.

 

[Pro-Jules]

Qobuz via Roon here (way better looking than Qobuz on its own + discovery & Radio functions)

 

[sg2k]

I would also prefer Amazon Music HD over Tidal because it's much cheaper if you already have Prime. There is only one problem and that's the hires quality restriction on (HiRes) Android Devices. For example my Astell & Kern Player is restricted to 24bit/48KHz. That's the only reason why I'm still using Tidal. I wrote to Amazon because of this Problem, but they never reported back to me.