[Taz777]

Offline download tracks play without internet.

Yes, I know.

But I think this is not forever. At some point it will require an Internet connection. Otherwise I could cancel my subscription and just listen to offline music for years, keeping my phone's WiFi off and mobile data disabled! I remember reading about this a while ago. Happy to be corrected though.

 

[elrey]

Why buy anything nowadays when you can offline download the hi res files? Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon music HD all offer this.

I wanted to have a Hi-res version of some of the titles I have in my CD collection. But after this experience, I am reconsidering the whole idea

 

[rkw]

But I think this is not forever. At some point it will require an Internet connection. Otherwise I could cancel my subscription and just listen to offline music for years, keeping my phone's WiFi off and mobile data disabled! I remember reading about this a while ago. Happy to be corrected though.

This is correct. The license agreements with music labels require that the offline file must "expire" after some time limit if the app can't verify that your subscription is still active. Since you can only play encrypted offline music through the app anyway, it shouldn't be an issue for most people unless you keep your device completely offline for long periods of time when you play music.

 

[Pro-Jules]

I wanted to have a Hi-res version of some of the titles I have in my CD collection. But after this experience, I am reconsidering the whole idea

Yeah for a short while I thought I was going to amas a large collection of baroque classical hi res flack files - but I didn't realise how vast the availabile selection was. I wanted it all! Thank God for streaming and offline downloads! Otherwise I would be dirt poor by now.

 

[elrey]

This is correct. The license agreements with music labels require that the offline file must "expire" after some time limit if the app can't verify that your subscription is still active. Since you can only play encrypted offline music through the app anyway, it shouldn't be an issue for most people unless you keep your device completely offline for long periods of time when you play music.

Yeah for a short while I thought I was going to amas a large collection of baroque classical hi res flack files - but I didn't realise how vast the availabile selection was. I wanted it all! Thank God for streaming and offline downloads! Otherwise I would be dirt poor by now.

Yeah. Also, the CDs at least I had 'something' to hold in my hands after spending money.

 

[elrey]

This is correct. The license agreements with music labels require that the offline file must "expire" after some time limit if the app can't verify that your subscription is still active. Since you can only play encrypted offline music through the app anyway, it shouldn't be an issue for most people unless you keep your device completely offline for long periods of time when you play music.

Long story short, before moving into Hi-Fi and all the related investment, I was perfectly happy listening to Apple Music. I noticed that songs would disappear from my playlists (see picture) without warning (probably due to changes in licensing agreements). After a while, I had enough, and I switched to Qobuz.
In Qobuz, my music hasn't disappeared so far, but I noticed other issues. For example: Go to Pomme (https://open.qobuz.com/artist/1243427), where the "most popular" tracks are from an album not available in the US. Her album "À peu près (Deluxe)" although advertised in Hi-Res, will only play at CD quality. According to Qobuz's support, this is a problem related to the 'rights holder.' I ended buying the Hi-Res album in a Japanese store because it is simply not available in the US.
screw geographical restrictions

 

[elrey]

Hello,
I recently purchased "Beethoven: 9 Symphonies (1963)" in HiRes after upgrading to Sublime+, which was actually my reason to upgrade.
(https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/b...lharmoniker-herbert-von-karajan/0002894793782)

As soon as I started to listen on my DAP, I discovered a problem with the audio, some kind of jump or gap. I noticed this on the very first track that I played. The mentioned problem is present in the FLAC and AIFF files (I downloaded both).

I just wrote to customer support to request a refund. I have been using Qobuz for a while for streaming, but this is the first time I buy from them, mostly because of Sublime+'s discount. I will update this as soon as I hear back from them.

Update: Last night, I decided to check if the Qobuz version of Beethoven 7th was the problem or not. I happen to have the other two versions of the same recording on CD (as part of two different box sets... I know ). I checked both, and I realized that the same 'detail' is on both of the other recordings!!
I am referring to a 1962 (or 61) recording, so I guess that the Deutsche Grammophone master is the issue here.
Finally, Qobuz is not to blame, I checked the other albums that I bought, and those are flawless.

 

[rkw]

Update: Last night, I decided to check if the Qobuz version of Beethoven 7th was the problem or not. I happen to have the other two versions of the same recording on CD (as part of two different box sets... I know ). I checked both, and I realized that the same 'detail' is on both of the other recordings!!
I am referring to a 1962 (or 61) recording, so I guess that the Deutsche Grammophone master is the issue here.
Finally, Qobuz is not to blame, I checked the other albums that I bought, and those are flawless.

I was just about to ask exactly that (whether the streaming version had the same artifact). It would be interesting to see if it's on the original LP as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it is.

 

[jlbrach]

Qobuz allows downloading of purchased music in so many file formats lol! I could be wrong, but I don't think Tidal has this feature. I visited their download store website and there only 2 options: Mp3 & FLAC. I am not an audiophile, but WAV & AIFF are true uncompressed audio formats, right? Because I downloaded the same Prince song in AIFF and the file size went up to 62.5 MB Anyway, being able to download music in so many formats is a very convenient feature to have. Especially for mobile users. Onkyo player on iOS supports both AIFF & WAV. ^__^

the amazing thing is it costs less in most cases to buy hirez than it does to buy cd quality if you have the proper plan...it is a great option I make use of quite often

 

[gimmeheadroom]

the amazing thing is it costs less in most cases to buy hirez than it does to buy cd quality if you have the proper plan...it is a great option I make use of quite often

Why amazing? There's nothing to ship, no packaging, no media. They should all cost 50 cents!

 

[elrey]

Why amazing? There's nothing to ship, no packaging, no media. They should all cost 50 cents!

At the end is not the cost of the media (CD) versus the file. A significant component in the price is 'rights' or who gets what percentage of the pie. Take, for example, Amazon and digital books. The kindle version can be more expensive than the paperback sometimes.

 

[jlbrach]

Why amazing? There's nothing to ship, no packaging, no media. They should all cost 50 cents!

I am referring to the download in both cases, I am saying I can buy the hirez cheaper than cd quality download

 

[elrey]

I am referring to the download in both cases, I am saying I can buy the hirez cheaper than cd quality download

Yes, they got me there for the upgrade to Sublime+

 

[rkw]

I am referring to the download in both cases, I am saying I can buy the hirez cheaper than cd quality download

Actually substantially cheaper, although the discount requires a Sublime subscription. It's well worth it if you regularly purchase downloads.

.

 

[gonzfi]

Sorry if this has been covered but I am having a consistent and regular problem with Qobuz plus various DAPS. I will import various playlists, albums, tracks, etc to use offline. They download fine and I can then listen to them. Then, mysteriously they vanish. This has occurred with a variety of DAPS from different manufacturers and has also occurred when importing to internal memory or an SD card. This is annoying to the point of cancelling Qobuz. Has anyone experienced this and come up with a solution?