[rlw6534]

I was happy with my old device, and did not need any new updates or “features”. Why cripple an older version that was working just fine?

I totally get your frustration. The iPhone 4s is, however, 9 years old, which is an eternity for modern electronic devices. At least it wasn't an Android device where issues develop much sooner (see Astell&Kern)...

 

[waveSounds]

As of yesterday Tidal drops the Windows system volume (from 100 to 52) whenever a track starts playing. Manually moving it back up only lasts until the next song starts at which point it drops to 52 again. It doesn't matter if the DAC is set to use exclusive or not, the same drop always happens. Is anyone else getting this? It's bloody annoying.

 

[caleb66]

Turn the "Normalizer" off in Tidal's settings.

 

[waveSounds]

Turn the "Normalizer" off in Tidal's settings.

LOL. Thank you. It's one of the first settings I turn off so didn't even think to check it... I'll make sure I remember that on the next update.

 

[wwyjoe]

With now Apple Music available in lossless for Android (via installing Apple Music beta apk), downloads are up to 24 bit/ 48 khz (Lossless) and 24 bit/ 192 khz (High Resolution Lossless). Does this mean Apple Music is technically superior compared to Tidal's 16 bit/ 44.1khz (Hifi) and 24 bit/ 96 khz (MQA)? Anyone did a sound comparison and found any difference? Just gathering some feedback...

 

[visanj]

With now Apple Music available in lossless for Android (via installing Apple Music beta apk), downloads are up to 24 bit/ 48 khz (Lossless) and 24 bit/ 192 khz (High Resolution Lossless). Does this mean Apple Music is technically superior compared to Tidal's 16 bit/ 44.1khz (Hifi) and 24 bit/ 96 khz (MQA)? Anyone did a sound comparison and found any difference? Just gathering some feedback...

Can you tell me how you did? for me I am not getting Lossless option available even in iphone

 

[wwyjoe]

Can you tell me how you did? for me I am not getting Lossless option available even in iphone

Apk download for Android (3.6.0 beta released on 15 June): https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/apple-inc/apple-music/apple-music-3-6-0-beta-release/

After installation, open the app. Go to Settings > Audio Quality

 

[SilverEars]

With now Apple Music available in lossless for Android (via installing Apple Music beta apk), downloads are up to 24 bit/ 48 khz (Lossless) and 24 bit/ 192 khz (High Resolution Lossless). Does this mean Apple Music is technically superior compared to Tidal's 16 bit/ 44.1khz (Hifi) and 24 bit/ 96 khz (MQA)? Anyone did a sound comparison and found any difference? Just gathering some feedback...

I run Tidal through USB Audio Player Pro for bit-perfect or direct to DAC stream. Android apps generally has the data stream going through Android OS or it's mixer. I don't even use Android Tidal app.

I don't like what Apple hardware does to the original content. They tend to mess with it through their hardware. I don't use Apple TV for this reason. I would rather use a Firestick 4k as it seems like the content isn't messed with.

Until we can get bit-perfect stream from Apple, I could care less about 24/192, etc.. Amazon has 24 bits as well, but it's not bit-perfect and I generally find Tidal to be the best sounding streaming service. It maybe the mastering collection that they have, but I can tell Tidal streams sound better with high-end gear. I've also compared a mastering with Qobuz, and Qobuz sounded inferior in quality as well.

I generally don't care about 24 bit content anyhow. 16/44 sounds really good to me, and a lot of 24 bit stuff are probably stuff that was mastered well to begin with, and the sound quality is due to the better mastering, not the bit depth.

Mastering makes much greater difference than the bit-depth and sampling frequencies. If you get a high quality recording and compress it, it will still sound really good.

 

[rlw6534]

I run Tidal through USB Audio Player Pro for bit-perfect or direct to DAC stream. Android apps generally has the data stream going through Android OS or it's mixer. I don't even use Android Tidal app.

I don't like what Apple hardware does to the original content. They tend to mess with it through their hardware. I don't use Apple TV for this reason. I would rather use a Firestick 4k as it seems like the content isn't messed with.

Until we can get bit-perfect stream from Apple, I could care less about 24/192, etc.. Amazon has 24 bits as well, but it's not bit-perfect and I generally find Tidal to be the best sounding streaming service. It maybe the mastering collection that they have, but I can tell Tidal streams sound better with high-end gear. I've also compared a mastering with Qobuz, and Qobuz sounded inferior in quality as well.

I generally don't care about 24 bit content anyhow. 16/44 sounds really good to me, and I think a lot of 24 bit stuff are probably stuff that was mastered well, and the sound quality is due to the better mastering, not the bit depth.

I'm getting bitperfect from Apple Music from my iPhone using an external DAC (BTR5) up to 24/192. Am I misunderstanding something?

 

[SilverEars]

I'm getting bitperfect from Apple Music from my iPhone using an external DAC (BTR5) up to 24/192. Am I misunderstanding something?

How do you know you are getting bit-perfect? USB Audio Player Pro is an app that was developed to bypass Android software, and stream direct to the DAC. Is your software bypassing the IOS mixer? I could run MQA through Tidal app to an external DAC at 24 bit, but it's not bit-perfect. LIke I said, I have to use USB Audio Player Pro for the bit-perfect stream. I don't use Tidal App. Bit-perfect >>>> 24bit

Main reason why Tidal has been popular for audiophile from the start is it's bit-perfect stream.

 

[boxster233]

With now Apple Music available in lossless for Android (via installing Apple Music beta apk), downloads are up to 24 bit/ 48 khz (Lossless) and 24 bit/ 192 khz (High Resolution Lossless). Does this mean Apple Music is technically superior compared to Tidal's 16 bit/ 44.1khz (Hifi) and 24 bit/ 96 khz (MQA)? Anyone did a sound comparison and found any difference? Just gathering some feedback...

I compared and still prefer Tidal sound but prefer Apple’s price.

 

[rlw6534]

How do you know you are getting bit-perfect? USB Audio Player Pro is an app that was developed to bypass Android software, and stream direct to the DAC. Is your software bypassing the IOS mixer? I could run MQA through Tidal app to an external DAC at 24 bit, but it's not bit-perfect. LIke I said, I have to use USB Audio Player Pro for the bit-perfect stream. I don't use Tidal App.

I was going by the display on the BTR5 which shows the sample rate when playing music, which is matching what Apple Music lossless and hi-res is displaying.

 

[SilverEars]

I was going by the display on the BTR5 which shows the sample rate when playing music, which is matching what Apple Music lossless and hi-res is displaying.

That doesn't mean the that the stream wasn't resampled. All that's showing is what bit and sampling being put out to the DAC.

 

[caleb66]

With now Apple Music available in lossless for Android (via installing Apple Music beta apk), downloads are up to 24 bit/ 48 khz (Lossless) and 24 bit/ 192 khz (High Resolution Lossless). Does this mean Apple Music is technically superior compared to Tidal's 16 bit/ 44.1khz (Hifi) and 24 bit/ 96 khz (MQA)? Anyone did a sound comparison and found any difference? Just gathering some feedback...

24/192 from technical point of view is higher quality than lossy MQA. The question is if the MQA masters are not mixed/mastered different to make the format "sound better".
Also the question is how much of "your" music Tidal has to offer in MQA and how much AM has to offer of what you like to listen to.

That doesn't mean the that the stream wasn't resampled. All that's showing is what bit and sampling being put out to the DAC.

What would be the purpose for Apple of downsampling music and then upsampling it back to 192 kHz?

 

[JelStIy]

That doesn't mean the that the stream wasn't resampled. All that's showing is what bit and sampling being put out to the DAC.

iOS doesn’t do anything to the audio stream that goes out to external DACs. This is true for any app.