Actually I intentionally did not specify the sampling rate/bit depth... bottom line is that if I am streaming it is safest to use UAPP as it won’t do any upsampling under any circumstances (while staying on Android 8). If I am off-line I have no choice and it will be what it will be (according to my eldest son that is our unofficial family motto)...
I understand. And you are entirely right about the fact that streaming Tidal from UAPP is the safest way (as long as you remain on Oreo) since anything you play will be bit-perfect and unmolested.
The post of mine which started this debate (
here) was specifically about Tidal and MQA. That's why I felt compelled to point out that those do, in fact, play correctly in the Tidal app.
For my part, I only have Master (MQA) albums downloaded in Tidal. So when I use Offline mode, that's what I choose from -- and I know they will all play correctly.
Among Tidal's classical catalog, there really are some excellent Master/MQA albums. To mention a few:
1) The entire catalog of newly transferred
Everest Records' recordings. This label distinguished themselves by making very high quality 3-channel recordings on 35mm film tape back in late 1950s-1960s. For example, check
Copland: Symphony No. 3 (the composer himself directing London Symphony Orchestra). But there are many, many others, both popular and more complex works. Search in Tidal for "Everest Records Master Tapes" and Show All Albums. They are $40 a pop on HDtracks.
2)
Brahms: The Symphonies (Berlin Philharmonic, Simon Rattle). I know some people dislike Rattle for his earlier Mahler cycle, or even his personality. But to me these are the all-time best Brahms performances. Better than the BPO/Abbado cycle, which was my favorite before the Rattle cycle. For example, check the
Andante movement from Symphony no. 3. I challenge anybody to show me any music, of any genre, more beautiful than this performance. I am serious, that was a challenge.
3)
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies (Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim). When it comes to Wagner, I am out. But I do appreciate Bruckner's symphonies, and these are great performances and recordings.
4)
Dvorák: Complete Symphonies & Concertos (Czech Philharmonic, Jiri Belohlavek). Excellent performances and recordings of these romantic era favorites: These musicians have Dvorák in their blood. (Growing up with
Josef Suk's definitive 1976 performance of Dvorák's violin concerto, I have a hard time enjoying other performances of it. Frank Peter Zimmermann does a fine job on this MQA set; and sound quality is infinitely better than the old Supraphon recording, even with its latest 2011 re-release.)
5)
Mozart Violin Concertos (Trondheimsolistene, Marianne Thorsen). If you like Mozart, you will be hard pressed to find recordings with higher sound quality than these.
6)
The Nordic Sound (2L Audiophile Reference Recordings). Many of these can be downloaded on
http://www.2l.no/hires in a number of different resolutions.
Of course there any many others, but these come to mind as particularly excellent.
In short, I easily have hundreds of hours of top quality MQA music to choose from when playing offline Tidal.
I don't think 32 bit is the answer.
