Still disappointed that Spotify is lagging so far behind as in my experience it has by far the best UI... They had a teaser for it a couple of years ago but nothing came of it.
Spotify on my iMac (320kbps) sounds wonderful and the same as my ALAC files played iTunes. For 12.99 euro a family pack is Spotify fantastic value. I do hear a lot of quality / loudness differences in content on Spotify, probably compression - loudness war.
I wonder if we can tell during a blind test what is the actual source from the PC/iMac ... I do know that the recording makes more difference than 320kbps vs files of around 900kbps.
@Jason Stoddard, I would be happy to Beta test one if you need more testers. I have owned various quality turntables since the seventies and own four or five brands of cartridges.
I have not seriously worked with turntables in 15 years, but used to set them up while working in an audio store in NYC. I do have a few vintage cartridges, and would be pleased to be a beta tester for SOL.
Still disappointed that Spotify is lagging so far behind as in my experience it has by far the best UI... They had a teaser for it a couple of years ago but nothing came of it.
I have Qobuz and Spotify (Family) now. Previously Pandora and Tidal. Not sure what to do, but this disruption is good for price and more conversation on quality.
I do like the Spotify UI and my family is already using it. There is a Amazon Music family plan as well.
I have Qobuz and Spotify (Family) now. Previously Pandora and Tidal. Not sure what to do, but this disruption is good for price and more conversation on quality.
I do like the Spotify UI and my family is already using it. There is a Amazon Music family plan as well.
I signed up for the Amazon family plan and while I have two, two channel systems and rarely listen to music on my home theater system, being Amazon it integrates there pretty easily as well as in my car. No doubt they will give the other services a run for their money and may bring prices down a bit if Tidal and Qobuz are to compete.
It would be nice if it was like Audible, I must have that on 10 devices right now and there does not seem to be a limit, or I am still under the limit lol. I had to flat stop Tidal on one computer before switching to another so 6 users on Amazon HD gives me more flexibility.
I think Qobuz has the best sound quality of the lot, so I'll stick with them. I have hung onto Tidal too given their selection is larger and there are some albums I am loathe to give up. I have noticed that Qobuz's catalog is expanding and that every week I've been able to replace some Tidal albums with Qobuz. Most likely though, I'll replace Tidal with Amazon. I wonder if Apple will jump into the lossless fray now?
I think Qobuz has the best sound quality of the lot, so I'll stick with them. I have hung onto Tidal too given their selection is larger and there are some albums I am loathe to give up. I have noticed that Qobuz's catalog is expanding and that every week I've been able to replace some Tidal albums with Qobuz. Most likely though, I'll replace Tidal with Amazon. I wonder if Apple will jump into the lossless fray now?
I could be wrong but I believe Amazon offers a 90 day free trial right now but that may be just for Prime members, I was able to compare Tidal and Amazon side by side using a switch box, I know people speak highly of Qobuz's SQ but I have not compared it to Amazon. I was starting to lose specific songs and albums on Tidal that were in my favorites. I checked one example this morn and Amazon had every album the artist had ever done.
A quick heads up on Amazon HD. If you are an iOS person, read this. I couldn't get HD, sent a note to support and got this reply:
I am sorry for the trouble you had while accessing Amazon Music HD on your iTunes account.
I have checked your account and found that the subscription is signed-up through Apple iTunes and it is managed though your Apple Wallet.
At this point of time Amazon Music HD service is only available with those subscription which are signed up from our website.
To sign up for Amazon Music HD plan, you must first cancel your auto-renewal through iTunes. At the end of your iTunes billing period, once the plan has expired, you can then rejoin via the Amazon website. Because your library and playlists are tied to your Amazon account, they will still be available when you re-subscribe.
I could be wrong but I believe Amazon offers a 90 day free trial right now but that may be just for Prime members, I was able to compare Tidal and Amazon side by side using a switch box, I know people speak highly of Qobuz's SQ but I have not compared it to Amazon. I was starting to lose specific songs and albums on Tidal that were in my favorites. I checked one example this morn and Amazon had every album the artist had ever done.
Cool. I have a Prime membership. Nice to hear that the selection is already robust. I may hold off a little while although curiosity will probably get the better of me. One critical requirement of any streaming service is integration with Roon if I am to keep it. (Having Audirvana integration is nice too, but not as critical.) I haven't checked yet to see if Amazon's new service has Roon integration or not.
Yep - Roon integration is a must. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have the APIs for it and Roon may not have the leverage to get Amazon to allow integration. My worry is Amazon's pricing puts Tidal and Qobuz out of business, leaving Roon flapping in the wind with no adequate substitute. In the short term, though, Tidal--which is purportedly already bleeding money--and Qobuz are going to need to drop the prices on their hi-fi tiers to compete.
Yep - Roon integration is a must. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have the APIs for it and Roon may not have the leverage to get Amazon to allow integration. My worry is Amazon's pricing puts Tidal and Qobuz out of business, leaving Roon flapping in the wind with no adequate substitute. In the short term, though, Tidal--which is purportedly already bleeding money--and Qobuz are going to need to drop the prices on their hi-fi tiers to compete.
Yep - Roon integration is a must. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have the APIs for it and Roon may not have the leverage to get Amazon to allow integration. My worry is Amazon's pricing puts Tidal and Qobuz out of business, leaving Roon flapping in the wind with no adequate substitute. In the short term, though, Tidal--which is purportedly already bleeding money--and Qobuz are going to need to drop the prices on their hi-fi tiers to compete.
Yep - Roon integration is a must. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have the APIs for it and Roon may not have the leverage to get Amazon to allow integration. My worry is Amazon's pricing puts Tidal and Qobuz out of business, leaving Roon flapping in the wind with no adequate substitute. In the short term, though, Tidal--which is purportedly already bleeding money--and Qobuz are going to need to drop the prices on their hi-fi tiers to compete.
I don’t think big corporate are going to allow 3rd party to get access to their files. However I hope they study market and listen to the need of those who care about hi res files and integrate with Roon or Audirvana in coming months.
Also it depends on the sound quality on offer. So we can’t say Amazon is clear winner. The crowd of Hi Res music is very picky
I think Qobuz has the best sound quality of the lot, so I'll stick with them. I have hung onto Tidal too given their selection is larger and there are some albums I am loathe to give up. I have noticed that Qobuz's catalog is expanding and that every week I've been able to replace some Tidal albums with Qobuz. Most likely though, I'll replace Tidal with Amazon. I wonder if Apple will jump into the lossless fray now?
This is exactly how I see it. Amazon doesn't sound as good as Qobuz, but it has market reach. It will do more than anyone else to boost high-res content and awareness, so it's a super important player. I also like, personally, that the first major into the high-res fray isn't doing MQA.
This is a big deal, even if the SQ isn't up to Qobuz. I just hope Qobuz survives.
I don’t think big corporate are going to allow 3rd party to get access to their files. However I hope they study market and listen to the need of those who care about hi res files and integrate with Roon or Audirvana in coming months.
Also it depends on the sound quality on offer. So we can’t say Amazon is clear winner. The crowd of Hi Res music is very picky
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
