[ForSerious]

Anyone can like the sound of Tidal, but at least one person has found it to be less than lossless.
Besides all the watermarked tracks still on Amazon music, I have not found any of the claimed Hi-Res tracks to not be what they claim.

 

[3Putter]

Anyone can like the sound of Tidal, but at least one person has found it to be less than lossless.
Besides all the watermarked tracks still on Amazon music, I have not found any of the claimed Hi-Res tracks to not be what they claim.

Agree, there are some tracks on Tidal that sound horrible. I may really like the music but if it doesn't sound 'right' or good I don't listen. There are some Rush albums on Tidal that I find poorly done and I won't listen to them. Found the same things on other services, too. I'm not overly technical and don't analyze to the extent many can and do. But I know what sounds good and what doesn't. When you say less than lossless is that everything or just certain tracks?

 

[ForSerious]

If I remember right, it was just the tracks that are being encoded in the MQA format… but that Tidal is eventually going to convert their entire collection to that format. I don't remember where I read that, so don't just take my word as total truth.

 

[3Putter]

If I remember right, it was just the tracks that are being encoded in the MQA format… but that Tidal is eventually going to convert their entire collection to that format. I don't remember where I read that, so don't just take my word as total truth.

Could be. The MQA tracks do sound good but so do their normal HiFi tier, IMHO. My headphones range from mid-level Grado, Periodic Audio's Be and C's, and basic JDS Labs Atom, and a new NAD Streamer for listening room. Nothing fancy but I can still tell the difference on bad or lower sound quality. Could be my brain playing tricks on me but that's giving my brain too much credit.

 

[ForSerious]

I agree, go with what sounds good. I just like to have a clean base to start from.
Pretty much all of my music gets an Auto-EQ applied, declipped, high frequencies restored, and resampled. I pretty much make all the changes possible, but it sounds great to me. I still need that clean base-line to revert back to in case all my messing around does something unenjoyable.

 

[hmscott]

And it does not sound as good as Tidal or Qobuz.

This is not a unanimous opinion.

Unanimous meaning most people do not agree? I tested it out for a month and found the Amazon delivery of music to be less detailed and missing clarity that I found in both Qobuz and Tidal. Spent hours A/B'ing the same tracks and albums. This was on all gear I own across wired and wireless sets, amps, and DAC's. Seems to me most on these forums agreed with that opinion but yes, it's just my opinion (or fact to my ears. Using Amazon or Apple would be a tad more convenient for me but...

Well, it might be when you did the A/B comparison Amazon wasn't as far along in their rollout as they are today. Now I find AMHD compares well against Tidal Hifi non-MQA or MQA, some recordings are better on Tidal some are better on Amazon.

Early on both Tidal and Amazon had Windows App problems, Amazon more problems than Tidal. Amazon Music HD and App improvements have greatly improved AMHD's usability and SQ.

And, both Tidal and Amazon catalogs have many of the same core publishers, but many fringe recordings are on one or the other, but not both.

I find having both beneficial, I've already got Prime - and now Amazon HD Music is even cheaper since Amazon folded HD down into the base charge - only $7.99 for HD instead of 2 charges totaling $12.99 per month.

And, while Tidal Hifi charges $19.99/mo direct, I bought an annual pass from BestBuy almost a year ago for $89.99/year ($7.49/month) - now $99/year - that renews after the 1st year for $119.99/year ($9.99/month), so my monthly cost for both services is $7.99+$7.49=$15.48, until September when the charges rise to $7.99+$9.99=$17.98

And, I have 2 catalogs of music to draw from, if I can't find something on Tidal I go to Amazon and usually find it, and Amazon HD sounds great to me.

BTW, I'm using a Topping D90 MQA + Topping A90 => I've now mostly replaced my A90 by the Xduoo TA-20 Tube/Hybrid for most of my listening, with some mobile listening done with my phone + Hidizs S9 USB, or FiiO BTR5 BT, or FiiO M15.

 

[dharmasteve]

I have both Tidal and Amazon. Tidal I use via UAPP MQA and Amazon HD through it's app. The only difference is there may be more MQAs than Amazon Ultra, but they sound much the same. Same for generic tracks. Amazon is way cheaper and I just slightly prefer the interface. Tidal MQA is good, but so is Amazon Ultra. Draw.

 

[TK33]

I have both Tidal and Amazon. Tidal I use via UAPP MQA and Amazon HD through it's app. The only difference is there may be more MQAs than Amazon Ultra, but they sound much the same. Same for generic tracks. Amazon is way cheaper and I just slightly prefer the interface. Tidal MQA is good, but so is Amazon Ultra. Draw.

The one thing I wish Amazon had was UAPP integration. No way to bypass Android or Windows resampling and play bitperfect. Somehow you can play via BluOS or HEOS so not sure why it doesnt work with other apps. Still holding out hope.

 

[dharmasteve]

The one thing I wish Amazon had was UAPP integration. No way to bypass Android or Windows resampling and play bitperfect. Somehow you can play via BluOS or HEOS so not sure why it doesnt work with other apps. Still holding out hope.

That would be the ideal thing but I don't think Amazon co-operate with anybody. The Tidal interface via UAPP is not that good. In practice they sound pretty much the same, and in the UK Tidal is silly money, way too expensive.

 

[TubeStack]

I find Tidal is labelling a lot of stuff MQA that isn’t high res and sounds worse than even just CD quality (Van Halen OU812, for example).

 

[3Putter]

I find Tidal is labelling a lot of stuff MQA that isn’t high res and sounds worse than even just CD quality (Van Halen OU812, for example).

That's discouraging to hear. I'll check it out and see what I hear and write back. My experience with Amazon HD was the first month it came out. I just tried Apple Music with their Spatial Audio and Lossless music and it sounds much better than normal tier Apple Music but it isn't anywhere near my Tidal albums I have saved and tracks in my playlists.

 

[Nabooh]

It seems that Amazon Music HD now have some 3D binaural songs. But it just seems to work on the smartphone App, I tried on my desktop, and it didn't work?

 

[Brava210]

I disagree, Tidals MQA is awful.
Amazon through Bluesound node is Awesome

 

[3Putter]

What is awful in comparison?

 

[iFi audio]

What is awful in comparison?

Was going to ask the same thing ;P

@Brava210, can you explain please ?