[gimmeheadroom]

I did answer it https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tidal-masters-mqa-thread.838888/post-16073910

Roon, Audirvana, Jriver etc. don't have any music. They just let you listen to your own music or streaming subscriptions for some services you might already have. I think they're a huge waste of money but it's your wallet.

 

[Bernard23]

I did answer it https://www.head-fi.org/threads/tidal-masters-mqa-thread.838888/post-16073910

Roon, Audirvana, Jriver etc. don't have any music. They just let you listen to your own music or streaming subscriptions for some services you might already have. I think they're a huge waste of money but it's your wallet.

Yes, I saw that afterwards. I agree, having a consolidated streamer app should be unnecessary. I would only consider it if Amazon signed up, and it fixed the Amazon HD problem that I have, and Amazon HD maintained its price advantage etc etc.

 

[linknet]

...Immediate impressions are similar I think to a few others experience; the treble is less prominent, and the bass less so, but I found the effect to be a bit lifeless, I kept coming back to Tidal and preferring it's slightly brighter sound that makes it more livley and greater impact. Bear in mind I'm in mid 50s...

I agree with your sound description (thanks for it) but, for me, it's precisely why i'm happy now with Qobuz!!! As bass and treble are "less prominent" i hear more details and texture in the mids!!!
Ps. I'm also in my 50s

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Yes, I saw that afterwards. I agree, having a consolidated streamer app should be unnecessary. I would only consider it if Amazon signed up, and it fixed the Amazon HD problem that I have, and Amazon HD maintained its price advantage etc etc.

Amazon HD here costs more than Tidal Hifi. Really not worth it to me until they get bitperfect working on Windows.

 

[Bernard23]

Amazon HD here costs more than Tidal Hifi. Really not worth it to me until they get bitperfect working on Windows.

Interesting. Here in the UK it's around 2/3 the cost of Tidal. It seems that the bit perfect issue isn't coomon to everyone, some users are not getting exclusive control to work (like me and you by the sound of it) whilst others are seeing it work. If it worked for me, I'd switch back and not need a 3rd party like audivarna

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Interesting. Here in the UK it's around 2/3 the cost of Tidal. It seems that the bit perfect issue isn't coomon to everyone, some users are not getting exclusive control to work (like me and you by the sound of it) whilst others are seeing it work. If it worked for me, I'd switch back and not need a 3rd party like audivarna

There isn't even an option to pay it in our currency, we have to pay in USD which makes it cost even more. I didn't sign up for it.

My comment about lack of bitperfect is from reading the amazon HD music thread here, not from having it. I'm not interested in signing up for any music service now unless it's hires and has bitperfect support on Windows.

I don't think there is any disagreement that the amazon app on Windows does not do bitperfect.

 

[Bernard23]

I don't think there is any disagreement that the amazon app on Windows does not do bitperfect.

I thought that too, but it turns out some folks are seeing it work in exc mode in W10. The sample rate is visibly changing with the native file on the indicator or display on the dac, and other apps eg YouTube cannot render audio whilst the AHD app is streaming. There doesn't appear to be a consistent factor to determine why it works for some, but not others.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I think if you can select the output device from the app and the device is set in windows audio control panel as exclusive then it will be bitperfect.

If the amazon music app uses the windows default device and has no provision to select the device you want then it won't be in exclusive/bitperfect.

If you can link to some posts I'll see if I can understand what they're saying.

 

[Bernard23]

I think if you can select the output device from the app and the device is set in windows audio control panel as exclusive then it will be bitperfect.

If the amazon music app uses the windows default device and has no provision to select the device you want then it won't be in exclusive/bitperfect.

If you can link to some posts I'll see if I can understand what they're saying.

Here are some links that are highlighting the issues:

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/amazon-music-hd-unable-to-play-ultrahd.881405/

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-lossless-high-res-music-service.9033/page-32 (post #639 - 647)

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/amazon-music-hd-is-still-lossy-r953/

https://www.amazonforum.com/s/quest...mazon-music-hd-important-exclusive-mode-issue

The assumption is that all users know how to set up the windows output sound settings for exclusive mode, and have installed the appropriate drivers for their dacs etc. There is a thread in What HiFi also on this, and a couple of W10 users notice same issue I did, and for some it worked fine. The response from Amazon tells you all you need to know how seriously they take the issue, so I didn't bother asking them, so stopped my sub and switched back to Tidal.

 

[Claypole]

I currently have the regular Tidal subscription, but have been wondering whether it would be worth it to upgrade to a 'HiFi' subscription.

Using a Fiio M6 and Westone UM Pro30, wounl I really notice a benefit with the higher quality streaming and Masters stuff?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Here are some links that are highlighting the issues:

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/amazon-music-hd-unable-to-play-ultrahd.881405/

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-lossless-high-res-music-service.9033/page-32 (post #639 - 647)

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/amazon-music-hd-is-still-lossy-r953/

https://www.amazonforum.com/s/quest...mazon-music-hd-important-exclusive-mode-issue

The assumption is that all users know how to set up the windows output sound settings for exclusive mode, and have installed the appropriate drivers for their dacs etc. There is a thread in What HiFi also on this, and a couple of W10 users notice same issue I did, and for some it worked fine. The response from Amazon tells you all you need to know how seriously they take the issue, so I didn't bother asking them, so stopped my sub and switched back to Tidal.

Thanks. The stevehoffman forum discussion clearly shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode.
audioscientology discussion clearly shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode.
audiophilestyle article shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode, just one confused guy making an unsubstantiated claim
scamazon forum shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode, just a few confused people who don't understand the difference between DAC setup and amazon desktop app setup.

No go.

 

[Bernard23]

Thanks. The stevehoffman forum discussion clearly shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode.
audioscientology discussion clearly shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode.
audiophilestyle article shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode, just one confused guy making an unsubstantiated claim
scamazon forum shows there is no bitperfect and no exclusive mode, just a few confused people who don't understand the difference between DAC setup and amazon desktop app setup.

No go.

That was my conclusion too. Ultimately, if i can hear a youtube video audio over the app streaming with the exc mode toggled on and the output settings in W10 to allow exc use of the output device, then you know it's not working! That and every track I played in amazon streamed at whatever the shared sample rate setting was set to in W10, I can see that on my DAC. I accept that there is some validity in the argument that you might not be able to hear the effect of the windows k mixer, but that's not the point if you want to achieve a bit perfect output.
One thing that seems apparent the more I read, and only partly understand is that the output from Tidal, Qobuz etc etc is also not bit perfect, there is deviation from redbook, hence the whole debate about the validity of MQA and it's implementation in non MQA certified hardware. The fact that many people are hearing difference between players suggests that bit perfect streaming is not being achieved in many systems, despite supposedly being configured to do so.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Tidal is absolutely bit perfect. The proof is that any alteration to an MQA bitstream will break MQA.

Bitperfect is not connected to deviation from redbook. It means that what the device receives from the source is unaltered.

I don't have quboz so I can't test it.

 

[Bernard23]

Tidal is absolutely bit perfect. The proof is that any alteration to an MQA bitstream will break MQA.

Bitperfect is not connected to deviation from redbook. It means that what the device receives from the source is unaltered.

I don't have quboz so I can't test it.

Interesting. Technically I guess it's deviation from the source, but if the source is corrupted what's the point? I'm not stating it is, but how do you check that?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Interesting. Technically I guess it's deviation from the source, but if the source is corrupted what's the point? I'm not stating it is, but how do you check that?

I don't know what you mean. What is a deviation from the source?

MQA? No, the albums are approved by the production companies and remastered with MQA. They are not the redbook CD, but they are an official version.