[JohnnyOps]

Hi-

So I’ve read in a bunch of places that lots of people are frustrated that you can’t use your iOS / Android app to control your desktop instance of Tidal (like you can on Spotify Connect). However, I was reading a Tidal faq and it seems like they acknowledge that this is a feature they need and are working on it. Does anyone note if there’s a way to know where this is on the roadmap / backlog? I really really want this feature for my listening room, and would even be really useful the way I have my headphones set up. Like a lot useful. Like enough to not subscribe until it is in place. Or at least to grumble about it a lot. “Coming soon!” How soon?!?

https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004565898-How-to-Use-TIDAL-Connect

“ Can I play music on my desktop app from my mobile app?

At the moment, you can’t control your desktop app, but this feature is coming soon!”

 

[gimmeheadroom]

This is available on other platforms already. Spotify seems to have done it first, it appears Tidal is copying Spotify.

I can use the Tidal desktop app on Windows and send music to my Bluesound node 2i. Which is pointless, since BluOs already provided that. But for non-Bluesound devices, yeah I guess it is good since you no longer need directly connected devices i.e. you don't have to have the DAC plugged into your PC via USB etc. and you can still play on whatever you have on your network. I think...

 

[JohnnyOps]

In the last week I basically experimented with Roon, trialed it, bought a NUC and set up a ROCK, and dusted off my old squeezeboxen for a couple extra zones I hadn’t had before. All is well in the world. Only using Tidal app right now outside the home.

 

[Deolum]

So far i'm using Tidal via Mconnect which works too for streaming but has some drawbacks like an own app which of course has a worse layout than Tidal itself. What comes closest to Tidal Connect is if you stream Tidal via Bubble UPnP. You can go on your normal Tidal App, pick an album and then use the share function to send it to the bubble UPnP app. This doesn't work for all playlists though.

But BlueOS has just by far the best layout for streaming and it includes Amazon Music. Sadly there is only the Node 2 as a standalone streamer which isn't really appealing sonically in my experience. But there are some heavily modded units on ebay with a different PSU. Maybe i'll try those.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I was extremely happy with my node 2i but I run it off a speaker rig and I haven't listened to it critically. But, Bluesound recently broke Tidal so that it keeps losing your logon. This is the first software glitch in probably 3 years I owned mine, before that the quality of the ecosystem was amazing.

 

[Deolum]

I was extremely happy with my node 2i but I run it off a speaker rig and I haven't listened to it critically. But, Bluesound recently broke Tidal so that it keeps losing your logon. This is the first software glitch in probably 3 years I owned mine, before that the quality of the ecosystem was amazing.

What happened? I'm also really careful about those ecosystems because once they won't get updated anymore the whole device is broken.

I made a very critical comparison between node2i and Sotm Sms 200 with Sbooster and in end i prefered the Sotm by a great margin. But maybe it's not really reliable because the Sotm has only Usb out while the Node only has Coax/Opt out. So i had to compare two different input ports on my Dac (i think it was a Chord2Qute) and as far as i know the 2Qute has a very vell implemented usb in.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

What happened? I'm also really careful about those ecosystems because once they won't get updated anymore the whole device is broken.

I made a very critical comparison between node2i and Sotm Sms 200 with Sbooster and in end i prefered the Sotm by a great margin. But maybe it's not really reliable because the Sotm has only Usb out while the Node only has Coax/Opt out. So i had to compare two different input ports on my Dac (i think it was a Chord2Qute) and as far as i know the 2Qute has a very vell implemented usb in.

All of a sudden the Bluesound desktop app started to lose the Tidal login. Sometimes Tidal shows up on the list at the left where all your signed-in music services are shown. But when you go to Tidal in the Bluesound app there is no music, all your playlists and favorites are blank. You have to sign out from Tidal in the Bluesound app and sign in again and everything works. Sometimes Tidal is completely gone from the listing of your music services but if you go to Tidal in Bluesound it shows you're signed in. You have to sign out and sign in. This has been going on at least a month. Before that, zero problems.

I am using the analog outs on my node 2i because I bought it specifically for the MQA support for Tidal. So my use case is not the same as yours.

 

[Deolum]

All of a sudden the Bluesound desktop app started to lose the Tidal login. Sometimes Tidal shows up on the list at the left where all your signed-in music services are shown. But when you go to Tidal in the Bluesound app there is no music, all your playlists and favorites are blank. You have to sign out from Tidal in the Bluesound app and sign in again and everything works. Sometimes Tidal is completely gone from the listing of your music services but if you go to Tidal in Bluesound it shows you're signed in. You have to sign out and sign in. This has been going on at least a month. Before that, zero problems.

I am using the analog outs on my node 2i because I bought it specifically for the MQA support for Tidal. So my use case is not the same as yours.

Lol. I was really surprised that everything worked without problems.

I also tested the Dac of the 2i but as you expect the 2qute was clearly better. However for the price the 2i is a very nice package with the Dac and the difference wasn't night and day.

 

[JohnnyOps]

Roon via ROCK, RoPieee on my main system, Sonos, AppleTVs, even dusted off my old squeezeboxes. All so much better in the world.

 

[Deolum]

Can somebody tell me please is there any ****ing way to stream Amazon Music except with those 3 or 4 streamer models with BluOS?

 

[JohnnyOps]

Can somebody tell me please is there any ****ing way to stream Amazon Music except with those 3 or 4 streamer models with BluOS?

Head over to the Roon forums... there's so much complaining / practical advice / trolling / hating / etc - it's really fun. But I also think there are some folks who've figured it out (just not on Roon)

 

[Deolum]

I've never really understood roon. I think it's because it doesn't make sense in my system?

My whole chain is streamer -> dac -> amp.

No multiroom, no different setups and all music is played directly via streaming service. I don't have any stored files.

Would roon make any sense in that setup?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Roon is basically a GUI to your music. I don't think it helps unless you're bored and have too much extra money to burn

 

[JohnnyOps]

But yes, it is useful to a bunch of members in a truly single endpoint mode where the steamer is directly connected to the endpoint (or really, the endpoint is the core in Roon-speak). @gimmeheadroom is right that it is about organizing / learning about, discovering music, and adding to your library. It’s really about “discovery and collecting”. My advice is to try the 2 week trial sometime when you have a bunch of time on your hands to begin to play with it properly. If you find it a hassle, bin it. But, if like me, you find yourself listening to things you couldn’t recall you had, or enjoying listening to digital in the same way you did when you were paying through piles of cd cases and “stumbling on something” and reading inserts, and running out to “buy” something you heard about in another album’s liner notes, then it’s absolutely worth it.
however, I would say that a subscription to either Tidal or Quboz is a part of the price of entry to actually take advantage of it. So the cost is non-trivial.
- $120/year Roon license cost
- hardware for Roon core (if you don’t have something lying around); budget $600 for a NUC if you want to build a ROCK on something that will be zippy
- $120/year (least expensive Tidal subscription through Best Buy)

ie a bit of a hobby in and of itself (check out the Roon forums if you don’t believe me)! But one which makes music way more about the music itself than about the digital transport again. I love it, many hate it.

 

[Deolum]

But yes, it is useful to a bunch of members in a truly single endpoint mode where the steamer is directly connected to the endpoint (or really, the endpoint is the core in Roon-speak). @gimmeheadroom is right that it is about organizing / learning about, discovering music, and adding to your library. It’s really about “discovery and collecting”. My advice is to try the 2 week trial sometime when you have a bunch of time on your hands to begin to play with it properly. If you find it a hassle, bin it. But, if like me, you find yourself listening to things you couldn’t recall you had, or enjoying listening to digital in the same way you did when you were paying through piles of cd cases and “stumbling on something” and reading inserts, and running out to “buy” something you heard about in another album’s liner notes, then it’s absolutely worth it.
however, I would say that a subscription to either Tidal or Quboz is a part of the price of entry to actually take advantage of it. So the cost is non-trivial.
- $120/year Roon license cost
- hardware for Roon core (if you don’t have something lying around); budget $600 for a NUC if you want to build a ROCK on something that will be zippy
- $120/year (least expensive Tidal subscription through Best Buy)

ie a bit of a hobby in and of itself (check out the Roon forums if you don’t believe me)! But one which makes music way more about the music itself than about the digital transport again. I love it, many hate it.

The Core/Nuc etc system was always the factor holding me down. Because as far as i know i couldn't use the 2 week free trial without buying a 500€ extra device?