[Bernard23]

I always use volume levelling, whichever app. Ultimately, it's impossible for amazon HD to be better than tidal on exclusive mode, simply because it gets resampled by the Windows kernel mixer. Any clever timing, low jitter etc performance of your external DAC is rendered pointless. Whether you can hear the difference or not is of course another issue, but technically amazon can not be as good, where the ultimate goal is defined as bit perfect.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Wow, that sounds almost like false advertising or bait-and-switch.

You've just characterized the exact thinking and operational (lack of) principles of scamazon.

Dynamic pricing depending on your browsing habits, region-based penalties for the exact same item for people who don't live in desirable countries, magical alteration of what the price was when you clicked Buy to what it is at the last possible moment before checkout, blame-shifting customer (dis)service. Just say no...

 

[monsieurfromag3]

If you're mainly interested in Ultra HD, Amazon sucks. They list a lot of albums as UHD that only have one song at that level.

I just gave it another try, after deciding against it, but the first UHD album I selected only had 2 UHD tracks. It happens to me constantly, not worth it.

That also happens with Tidal’s MQA-listed albums.

 

[Claypole]

I have the standard Tidal subscription, as well as the normal Amazon Prime music subscription. I've been considering upgrading to either Tidal HiFi, or Amzon Music HD, but I have a problem with Amazon Music at the moment.

I recently upgraded the Amazon Music software to the latest version on my iPad, iPhone, and Android tablet, and it seems they have seriously reduced the bit rate of their standard Prime Music subscription service. To me, it now sounds like it's well under 100kilobits/sec, and is essentially unlistenable. The Amazon music app on my Fiio M6 is an older version, and the quality is fine, in fact it sounds excellent.

It appears to me that Amazon have deliberately reduced the quality of their standard Prime Music service in order to push people into upgrading to either the Unlimited service (assuming that's not been hobbled too?), or to Amazon Music HD. It seems like a very shady practice to me. Plus, they want an extra £13 a month for the HD service, whilst Tidal is an extra £10 for the 'Hi Fi' service.

Would people say that Tidal Hi Fi is worth the extra money? I would mainly listening using a Fiio M6 with Westone UM Pro 30, would I notice the difference?

 

[Bernard23]

I have the standard Tidal subscription, as well as the normal Amazon Prime music subscription. I've been considering upgrading to either Tidal HiFi, or Amzon Music HD, but I have a problem with Amazon Music at the moment.

I recently upgraded the Amazon Music software to the latest version on my iPad, iPhone, and Android tablet, and it seems they have seriously reduced the bit rate of their standard Prime Music subscription service. To me, it now sounds like it's well under 100kilobits/sec, and is essentially unlistenable. The Amazon music app on my Fiio M6 is an older version, and the quality is fine, in fact it sounds excellent.

It appears to me that Amazon have deliberately reduced the quality of their standard Prime Music service in order to push people into upgrading to either the Unlimited service (assuming that's not been hobbled too?), or to Amazon Music HD. It seems like a very shady practice to me. Plus, they want an extra £13 a month for the HD service, whilst Tidal is an extra £10 for the 'Hi Fi' service.

Would people say that Tidal Hi Fi is worth the extra money? I would mainly listening using a Fiio M6 with Westone UM Pro 30, would I notice the difference?

For me it's worth the extra for the reasons I posted earlier. Unless Amazon include a WASAPI or ASIO update then it's a waste of money, Spotify will give you same results.

 

[snapandslide]

I always use volume levelling, whichever app. Ultimately, it's impossible for amazon HD to be better than tidal on exclusive mode, simply because it gets resampled by the Windows kernel mixer. Any clever timing, low jitter etc performance of your external DAC is rendered pointless. Whether you can hear the difference or not is of course another issue, but technically amazon can not be as good, where the ultimate goal is defined as bit perfect.

On volume levelling/normalisation - if you're using a Fiio player, you need to have this off for MQA to fire properly. But I'd suggest users should be playing Tidal through UAPP or whatever your poison is, the 'colourisation' or whatever the Tidal app seems to do with the music (note not an Android limiter thing) goes and it's much better listen.

I'm a fan Tidal - the discovery/suggestions isn't as good as Spotify but I do a lot of my own "crate digging" so not too fussed by this.

But I do think it's expensive. I'd love to see it at £15 a month which I think is the sweet spot.

 

[Bernard23]

On volume levelling/normalisation - if you're using a Fiio player, you need to have this off for MQA to fire properly. But I'd suggest users should be playing Tidal through UAPP or whatever your poison is, the 'colourisation' or whatever the Tidal app seems to do with the music (note not an Android limiter thing) goes and it's much better listen.

I'm a fan Tidal - the discovery/suggestions isn't as good as Spotify but I do a lot of my own "crate digging" so not too fussed by this.

But I do think it's expensive. I'd love to see it at £15 a month which I think is the sweet spot.

Don't know what UAPP is, but I'm using a CA dacmagic XS on my PC, on mobile just straight from the app, I'm not bothered too much about perfection from that source, the Quad dac in the LG V30 is pretty good.
Re price; if it's true that Tidal pay more per track to the artists, then I have no real issues paying for the service. We always want things cheaper, but you usually get what you pay for, and never anything for free.

 

[snapandslide]

Don't know what UAPP is, but I'm using a CA dacmagic XS on my PC, on mobile just straight from the app, I'm not bothered too much about perfection from that source, the Quad dac in the LG V30 is pretty good.
Re price; if it's true that Tidal pay more per track to the artists, then I have no real issues paying for the service. We always want things cheaper, but you usually get what you pay for, and never anything for free.

Do you use any software on your PC, or play straight through Tidal?

UAPP is a software for Android, but I agree on mobile (on my iphone it's pretty much all true wireless and max 320k). I use my DAP at home, so though it is a paid app, definitely worth trying.

 

[Bernard23]

Do you use any software on your PC, or play straight through Tidal?

UAPP is a software for Android, but I agree on mobile (on my iphone it's pretty much all true wireless and max 320k). I use my DAP at home, so though it is a paid app, definitely worth trying.

On my desktop, nothing like Audirvana, so Tidal is streaming through to the output device. Not tried anything on my phone

 

[Digeeedad]

For me it's worth the extra for the reasons I posted earlier. Unless Amazon include a WASAPI or ASIO update then it's a waste of money, Spotify will give you same results.

Amazon is including an "Exclusive Mode" option, which you have to activate/choose if you want to use it, each time you use the Amazon desktop player. Is their "Exclusive Mode" not WASAPI or ASIO?

 

[Bernard23]

Amazon is including an "Exclusive Mode" option, which you have to activate/choose if you want to use it, each time you use the Amazon desktop player. Is their "Exclusive Mode" not WASAPI or ASIO?

Does it? I can't find that option anywhere in the settings when I looked, and other forums suggest otherwise...

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/post-your-successful-hi-res-amazon-hd-setup.883613/page-2

Post #36 summarises it nicely. Maybe it's been updated, but I didn't think so.

EDIT: OK I can see there as an exclusive mode toggle, but it doesn't work. Mine is switched to exclusive mode, and I can play a youtube track in chrome over amazon. Exclusive mode would mean only the amazon app can use the souncard when it is streaming, so clearly the stream is being processed by the windows mixer first before streaming to the DAC.

 

[Bernard23]

This is the error message when trying to play the same you tube video whilst tidal is playing in exclusive mode, so it's working as it should do! Amazon app is not doing this, so it's not working as it should. No idea why though....

 

[jeremymayf]

Amazon Hd---go to sound device properties in windows X and check allow apps to take exclusive control of this device--then turn on exclusive mode in A-hd, hope this helps
Jeremy

 

[Bernard23]

Amazon Hd---go to sound device properties in windows X and check allow apps to take exclusive control of this device--then turn on exclusive mode in A-hd, hope this helps
Jeremy

I know how to set the W10 sound settings as you describe, it still doesn't work! I've been discussing this in ASR and it seems that it only affects some, not all users. I've found a few forums with threads full of users that can't get it to stream in exclusive mode, whatever they try.

 

[jeremymayf]

Bernard, motherboard related perhaps? I'm going analogue out to headphone amp, so my CH7 motherboard is decoding--still sounds pretty good though. Are you going digital out to a DAC? It shouldn't make a difference as you would just change the properties to that device as well, but just trying to note any setup differences. I haven't tried digital out yet but plan to---want to connect to Denon receiver to see if passthrough would work from pc. Been using Heos on the receiver--great sound, not the most nimble app though