[TK33]

Amazon Music Unlimited can be bit perfect. I use the Amazon Music app on iOS and cast it via Alexacast to WiiM Pro.

Something is off. I know plenty of people casting AMU on Android using Alexacast to any WiiM streamer up to 192kHz/24 bit perfect.

Even with a dongle, there must be a way… but it doesn’t matter for you as you moved on.

You've repeated this a number of times but it seems everyone is just talking past each other and I think everyone has lost sight of the fact that @Nick24JJ was originally asking about a DAP, which unfortunately I cannot provide any insight on since I have never owned a DAP. I am sure @Nick24JJ would appreciate any feedback on Amazon Music and bitperfect playback on DAPs.

However, I agree with @Polky74 that using a streamer and using an external USB DAC with an Android phone are two very different things (since a streamer is not very portable). Also agree @GlenAppleton in that Amazon Music Unlimited (f.k.a. Amazon Music HD) has always been unable to bypass Windows resampling when trying to use an external DAC. I have posted about this in the past and can confirm these are still limitations. Yes, streamers can be used as a workaround if just listening to music at home but it doesn't help for those who want bitperfect playback at home.

I personally went all in on BluOS and use 2 Node 2is, which can output bitperfect digital signals to external DACs just like the Wiim (I use the Node 2i via coax to a RME ADI-2 DAC). Also use a NAD M10 v2 to drive my desktop speakers and have some Bluesound Pulse M speakers scattered about for background music.

Unless this has changed over the last couple of years, the "exclusive" mode in the Amazon Music app didn't work that way when I was using it. It would prevent other devices from sending sound through the "locked" device, but it would not change the bit rate / depth on the device based on the track being played.

Broadcasting to a streamer is one thing... listening directly to an android DAP/dongle connected to your phone is another. They are different uses... if you buy a good DAP/dongle and have a subscription you would prefer to listen to it directly (using its internal DAC) connected to the IEM/headphones you prefer (at least that's how it is for me) and not transmit the signal to who knows where to be able to listen to it without it being degraded by Android or by a poorly made app (Amazon Music) that lets Android decide the sampling (48kz). This also applies if you have a dongle connected to a phone... but with Amazon and Android you don't go beyond 48 kz (not even native but resampled) so let alone the quality. I asked Amazon several times (before abandoning it) to implement a decent app for Android that would really allow me to enjoy music with its native high resolution sampling or (as Qobuz does) allow the use of dedicated apps (UAPP) for be able to get around the problem... the answer hasn't reached me yet.

I have pretty much given up hope that Amazon will ever implement exclusive mode like Qobuz or allow bitperfect playback to an external USB DAC with an Android phone. My guess is that 99% of their customers either don't know what terms like bitperfect or WASAPI mean anyway ot just don't care since they use TWS or bluetooth headphones when out and about.

Personally, I used to have Qobuz (individual for myself) and Amazon Music HD (for the family) and used to use Qobuz with UAPP (Android phone + Dragonfly for on the go) and the WASAPI Exclusive Mode in Qobuz on a Windows PC with varuous external DACs. My current DAC on my desktop setup is the RME ADI-2 DAC FS and I can confirm that, when using it as an external USB DAC with Windows, the sample rate is set by Windows and does not change even if "exclusive mode" is turned on in the Amazon Music Windows app. Same applies to trying to bypass Android resampling. In the end, I got tired of paying for two subscriptions and maintaining two libraries so I cancelled Qobuz since, while bitperfect playback on the go is nice, for me, it was more important that my entire family had access to the music we wanted to listen too. The catolog on Qobuz was too limited for our needs so we continue to pay the ever increasing fees to Amazon (I also have numerous Echo devices throughout the house).

 

[GlenAppleton]

This is why I got Qobuz, as well. Until December when my Amazon subscription ends, I will have plenty of time to compare the 2 services and decide which one suits me better. With Qobuz, though, I will be utilizing all the features I am paying for.

If you have a Windows PC or a Mac, and you don't mind paying a subscription for playback software, I recommend Audirvana Studio with Qobuz. That's what I use when I'm home and listening through headphones or IEMs, and it sounds amazing.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

So close, but yet still so far. With their library could have been the best streaming service around, why not just make a little tiny extra effort to offer bit-perfect.
Missed opportunity, just like most of their original movie series, "The Rings of Power", etc.

 

[Polky74]

Amazon pays the rights for millions and millions of songs in HD and can't find two Android programmers to make a bit perfect app. Others like Tidal and Qobuz have built their success on these little things. We would need a drawing by Matt Groening to illustrate the components of the Amazon Music HD technical department... lol

 

[adias]

Amazon pays the rights for millions and millions of songs in HD and can't find two Android programmers to make a bit perfect app. Others like Tidal and Qobuz have built their success on these little things. We would need a drawing by Matt Groening to illustrate the components of the Amazon Music HD technical department... lol

What do you mean? I listen to Amazon Music Unlimited bit perfect up to 192kHz/24 bit all day long.

 

[Polky74]

Artificial intelligence "maybe" will save us:

Today - As every morning, the usual employee shows up at the head of the Amazon Music HD development department and says "boss, there are a thousand other requests from our users to implement bit perfect in our app" and the boss thinks "...but what do they want these? They have 80 million songs and they annoy me with the bit perfect... and what is this bit perfect? Go to hell!!!"

Tomorrow with AI - an email arrives to the head of the Amazon Music HD development department where it is written "Our esteemed users (who pay your salary) ask that bit perfect be implemented on our app. Do you want to do it yourself and continue to earn the salary or will I do it and fire you?"

...dreaming costs nothing...

 

[Polky74]

What do you mean? I listen to Amazon Music Unlimited bit perfect up to 192kHz/24 bit all day long.

With a DAP/Dongle/Smartphone? I do not think so...

 

[adias]

With a DAP/Dongle/Smartphone? I do not think so...

At least 3 ways:

1 - iOS device, Amazon Music App, connected via USB to external DAC.

2 - iOS device, Amazon Music App, AlexaCasting to WiiM Pro streamer, in turn connected to external DAC (or using its internal DAC).

3 - WiiM Home app, running native Amazon Music app controlling WiiM Pro streamer connected to external DAC (or using its internal DAC).

All day long for at least 1 year...

 

[Polky74]

At least 3 ways:

1 - iOS device, Amazon Music App, connected via USB to external DAC.

2 - iOS device, Amazon Music App, AlexaCasting to WiiM Pro streamer, in turn connected to external DAC (or using its internal DAC).

3 - WiiM Home app, running native Amazon Music app controlling WiiM Pro streamer connected to external DAC (or using its internal DAC).

All day long for at least 1 year...

Happy that you can do it... but with the little stuff I have in my signature I can't... and maybe I'm not the only one.

 

[Jon L]

At least 3 ways:

1 - iOS device, Amazon Music App, connected via USB to external DAC.

2 - iOS device, Amazon Music App, AlexaCasting to WiiM Pro streamer, in turn connected to external DAC (or using its internal DAC).

3 - WiiM Home app, running native Amazon Music app controlling WiiM Pro streamer connected to external DAC (or using its internal DAC).

All day long for at least 1 year...

So if you don't like Apple and Wiim, you are SOL ..

I was recently excited when I connected Amazon Firestick 4K->HDMI to spdif extractor and Firestick Amazon music app displayed it was automatically switching and playing different bit/sample rate. But when I connected a DAC with reliable digital input display, everything was shown to be spitted out resampled to 48kHz, even when Amazon music app was displaying "Playing at 92kHz."

 

[adias]

So if you don't like Apple and Wiim, you are SOL ..

I did not say that. I simply stated my experience, countering a forceful statement that Amazon was not bit perfect. I would be surprised if the Android version of Amazon Music player will not play at the full resolution. AS far as streamers... WiiM does a great job of handling different wireless protocols and streaming rates but even that has limitations with other streaming services; Amazon with AlexaCast support is full res.

 

[iFi audio]

I thought the Bluesound Node had Native Amazon support. I could be wrong but an alternative.

Amazon users don't have a ton of choices (mostly because of Amazon) I myself was excited about Lossless at the rate they promised but it fell short in its limitations.

We are all looking for that one "single" solution, Spotify had a chance to take big market share as well but dropped the ball.

Cheers!!

 

[adias]

So if you don't like Apple and Wiim, you are SOL ..

I was recently excited when I connected Amazon Firestick 4K->HDMI to spdif extractor and Firestick Amazon music app displayed it was automatically switching and playing different bit/sample rate. But when I connected a DAC with reliable digital input display, everything was shown to be spitted out resampled to 48kHz, even when Amazon music app was displaying "Playing at 92kHz."

You may find this thread useful:

https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/should-i-use-chromecast-or-alexa-cast.2889/

 

[iFi audio]

I forgot Eversolo DMP-A6 as well, I believe!

Cheers!!

 

[rlw6534]

I don't know about Windows but my iOS/iPad OS and Android DAPs all play Amazon Music at 192 kHz when using an external USB DAC regardless of the track's native rate, even for Atmos. My Android DAPs that bypass SRC also play at 192 kHz internally. I don't consider that bit-perfect, but upsampling really shouldn't be destructive. And you don't get clicks and pops the changing sample rates as everything plays at the same setting.