[mickylane]

Great I'll look forward to the Tidal update then on Monday. I can let you know if it works as desired if you're also interested in using that option.
Yes I am aware of that option in JRiver and was thinking the same-how to ensure no modifications before it gets to JRiver. Great please let me know if you obtain any further info on that. Cheers.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Thanks, yes I would like your feedback. Up to now I simply use Tidal through the web browser and haven't bothered with the desktop application, but with WASPI on the way I think I will certainly do this. Let me know how it works out. Cheers.

 

[mickylane]

@Sonic Defender, I just upgraded to JRiver MC 21 and followed yours and Joe's steps to get Tidal streaming through JRiver, many thanks for the advice. Please could you help on the following though:
1) I am getting some bad clicks/pops with this method. This appears to be a known bug with WDM and is minimised by increasing the buffer and latency settings. This has reduced the clicks/pops for me but I still get them when I skip or pause/stop and start tracks.
Do you encounter this issue as well? Any ideas how I can resolve?
2) There appears to be a contradiction in one of your earlier posts above where you state that this is a Direct Sound option so will not sound as good as local files played in JRiver. But according to Joe the whole point of streaming Tidal via JRiver in this manner is to avoid the Direct Sound utilised by Tidal when playing from Tidal straight to DAC. Please can you clarify?
3) Are you and Joe describing exactly the same process/setup here on how to stream Tidal through JRiver, or is yours a slightly different method? Just want to check I am not missing something here/a better way of streaming Tidal.
Many thanks.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I have not experienced the clicking and popping issues you are having. The issue with Tidal per say is that (and I'm not 100% sure of this) in order for the sound to leave either the web browser, or the desktop application there is an opportunity for some kind of sound management to occur before it gets to your DAC. I might be wrong, and even if I'm right, that doesn't mean it is really that bad. My point has been like in any chain, the more links, the more opportunity for differences from the first, to the last point.
 
If Tidal is starting to support WASPI it likely means there was in their estimation some sound quality improvement possible or else why bother right? Again, much of what we discuss in these forums hasn't even been proven to be audible, I think we assume a great deal. Point in proof, I didn't realize that Neutron does not use the DAC on whatever device it is installed on. Apparently all of the conversion is done via DSP through the SoC portion of the CPU (a complex topic I do not know much about). However, Neutron sounds fantastic on my Blackberry Leap, exceptional really. So here we have a player not using the DAC that still manages to sound amazing. Had you told me that just DSP processing implemented at the CPU level could sound this good I would have been skeptical. So maybe even if Tidal is going through some CPU based DSP before it hits the DAC that might not make any difference that I can hear. If it sounds great to you then that is the point isn't it?

 

[joeq70]

Hey all, I just want to pop in and clarify a few things:
 
1) I am using JRiver Media Center 20
 
2) I did encounter some issues with clicking and popping...basically it is JRiver trying to buffer to keep up with the track from the Tidal servers. I did not have this issue at first but a few weeks ago it started and it has been quite annoying. 
 
3)The purpose of the workaround in my first post was to get TIDAL to utilize WASAPI for sound. If TIDAL is updated tomorrow with WASAPI support then that would be amazing, and all of the aforementioned workarounds and issues should become obsolete. 
 
I will report back after downloading the updated TIDAL app to see if it is equal in sound quality to my FLAC rips played through JRiver Media Center. 

 

[joeq70]

I followed up with TIDAL yesterday, and they informed me that WASAPI support should be added to the desktop app by the end of this week. 

 

[Sonic Defender]

^ Thanks, I ran a download check on Tuesday and noticed there was no update available so I was wondering what was happening on that front. Cheers.

 

[joeq70]

Well guys, the update finally arrived! In my opinion, it is AWESOME. Seems to hold up to JRiver now.  In case you aren't sure how to take advantage of the new features, do the following: Open the Tidal after updating it-->Click Settings-->Click Streaming-->place a check mark next to your DAC-->Hover your mouse over your dac's name and click the gear symbol-->place check marks in the two boxes that say Use Exclusive Mode and Force Volume. Enjoy!

 

[Sonic Defender]

Have to agree, really like the new Tidal. Finally using my DAC and WASAPI. Way to go Tidal.

 

[mickylane]

Hey guys glad you're enjoying the new update for Tidal Desktop. I have to say I've been testing it on my gear and I'm very disappointed with the sound quality when playing Tidal exclusive mode to my Sennheiser HDVD800 amp/dac and HD800 headphones-very crackly and muffled. However, I now find that playing Tidal via Jriver with WDM is click-free and astounding sound quality-just like playing flac direct from jriver.
Don't doubt you guys are managing to get a great sound direct from Tidal to your dacs, guess it shows how different setup/equipment can behave so differently.
Either way we're all benefitting from the latest Tidal desktop update, enjoy guys

 

[joeq70]

Hey guys glad you're enjoying the new update for Tidal Desktop. I have to say I've been testing it on my gear and I'm very disappointed with the sound quality when playing Tidal exclusive mode to my Sennheiser HDVD800 amp/dac and HD800 headphones-very crackly and muffled. However, I now find that playing Tidal via Jriver with WDM is click-free and astounding sound quality-just like playing flac direct from jriver.
Don't doubt you guys are managing to get a great sound direct from Tidal to your dacs, guess it shows how different setup/equipment can behave so differently.
Either way we're all benefitting from the latest Tidal desktop update, enjoy guys

I'm glad you found a solution that works for you! What you are describing regarding exclusive mode is not normal and is most likely some kind of software/hardware compatibility issue. Really hard to say what it could be, but as long as your current solution works that is all that matters

 

[Sonic Defender]

Hey guys glad you're enjoying the new update for Tidal Desktop. I have to say I've been testing it on my gear and I'm very disappointed with the sound quality when playing Tidal exclusive mode to my Sennheiser HDVD800 amp/dac and HD800 headphones-very crackly and muffled. However, I now find that playing Tidal via Jriver with WDM is click-free and astounding sound quality-just like playing flac direct from jriver.
Don't doubt you guys are managing to get a great sound direct from Tidal to your dacs, guess it shows how different setup/equipment can behave so differently.
Either way we're all benefitting from the latest Tidal desktop update, enjoy guys

 

I have to assume something else is going on in your setup. The exclusive mode does just that, it talks to your DAC exclusively, whereas the WDM driver may do the same thing, but we don't know that.

 

[mickylane]

Agreed, I suspect the weak link is my HP laptop which cost about £300 2 years ago..
May I ask what laptops you guys are using/would recommend to get the most out of my Sennheiser gear?

 

[Sonic Defender]

Agreed, I suspect the weak link is my HP laptop which cost about £300 2 years ago..
May I ask what laptops you guys are using/would recommend to get the most out of my Sennheiser gear?

Are you using the soundcard only? If so almost any reasonable gear will kill that. So many choices that wil be better. Even a Schiit Modi 2 and Magi 2 stack should beat any built in audio. Can you tell us more about your setup?

 

[joeq70]

 
Are you using the soundcard only? If so almost any reasonable gear will kill that. So many choices that wil be better. Even a Schiit Modi 2 and Magi 2 stack should beat any built in audio. Can you tell us more about your setup?

He said he is using the Sennheiser HDVD800 which is a USB DAC plus amp, so...he shouldn't be using a soundcard.