Tidal Lossless Streaming

[Sonic Defender]

^ I wouldn't sweat that, the 320 AAC sounds amazing. I at first had the lossless account, then moved down to lossy account and I couldn't hear the difference at all. Many others I know of feel the same way.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I gotta be honest though, if you're not gonna use the lossless feature, swap to Google. Features are way better.

 

[Cornan]

With the Touch I am using the same CCK then micro USB cable with my iPhone; inelegant, but i won't be sharing storage with other media.

Were an Android player to have Web connectivity (no phone) similar to a Touch, I could run offline Tidal content via their google play app and a USB to Ethernet adaptor run through a hub to load content only...A modified AK100(ii ?)would be great.

I know with the iOS I can Ethernet with an Adapter and hub for a wired connection; I would forgo WiFi and Bluetooth....to remove potential for noise.



I always play locally stored music downloaded from a stream service; $20/month is way cheap compared to what it would cost me to fill out my collection and to experiment with music new to me.

I saw this DAR link when searching for portable UPnP steamers: http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/09/ak-connect-turns-astellkern-portables-into-upnp-streamers/
Looks like the AK100 II do have the possibillity to be controlled via iPhone and the AK connect app. Just waiting for the Tidal compabillity as I understand it. Interesting!

I found this YouTube link https://youtu.be/9ykeI8GRqaU

Seems that Tidal do work with AK100 II with Bubble!

 

[Sonic Defender]

  I gotta be honest though, if you're not gonna use the lossless feature, swap to Google. Features are way better.

I don't know, I'm really pleased with Tidal. I even find the curated content quite interesting. Each to their own right? I'm going to try Google mind you.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  I don't know, I'm really pleased with Tidal. I even find the curated content quite interesting. Each to their own right? I'm going to try Google mind you.

 
I'm not insulting Tidal's curation, mind you, but Google's playlists/radio features (plus the locker) really are stellar. IMO Tidal's primary draw is the lossless streaming, and other things feel largely like extras. It has literally zero personalized recommendations, the new page never seems to update, the playlists are good but there aren't enough of them. Tidal doesn't seem to care what I listen to in the sense that all my favorites and stars don't make them help me find new music (not to mention the related artists page can be very lacking with indie bands), but what it does is make sure your music sounds as good as it can and they do have a HUGE library.
 
IMO it comes down to what a listener does with their music. If you're not someone who needs help finding new music and chiefly want access to a massive catalog of lossless music? Tidal. If you have a ton of your own music and really like radio stations? Google. If you're social with your music and want as much help as possible finding new music? Spotify. 

 

[Cornan]

Here is a tip! If anybody is using a Uptone Audio USB Regen be sure to check out Elijah Audio Kovertible Lite 160 Regen Link (155mm lenght). I have recently got one for audition and are amazed of the improvement it brings to the table. Better and punchier bass performance, better 3D, more air, smoother, natural sounding, more precense, better instrument placement...well better of everything. The improved sq gives me shivers and makes my toes tapping big time. Not even a comparison to the solid adapter!
My problem is that I now have to sell of my beloved Vertere Acoustics Pulse D-Fi v2 USB cable and buy myself a Kovertible Lite 500 as well. Love/hate when that happens! :-\

 

[Angular Mo]

I did not see the cable on Elijah Audio's Web site, can you paste a URL that shows the cable and the price?

 

[Cornan]

I did not see the cable on Elijah Audio's Web site, can you paste a URL that shows the cable and the price?

It is a brand new cable and will be added to www.elijahaudio.com any day soon. You can also contact michael@elijahaudio.com directly as I did. The Kovertible Lite 160 is $110 excl freight and will work w/o power on DAC that needs the handshake. The only one I know of. Just unplug the 5vbus wire when the handshake is done. Brilliant...but the most amazing thing about this cable is the sound. Without a doubt the best one I have ever heard!
BTW. The blue shorting plug is inserted to the unused female DC plug when the 5vbus wire is removed and will halt any stray 5v waves in the path. I does make a very noticable improvement.

 

[Billheiser]

...
BTW. The blue shorting plug is inserted to the unused female DC plug when the 5vbus wire is removed and will halt any stray 5v waves in the path. I does make a very noticable improvement.

The 5v is DC, not AC, so what stray 5v waves are there?

 

[Cornan]

...

BTW. The blue shorting plug is inserted to the unused female DC plug when the 5vbus wire is removed and will halt any stray 5v waves in the path. I does make a very noticable improvement.

The 5v is DC, not AC, so what stray 5v waves are there?

The very reson for removing the 5vbus power is due to the capasitive coupling along the lenght of the wire. Mixed frequances voltages are created accidentally. IF you want to dig deeper here is one of many links in the subject http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/alternating-current/chpt-7/mixed-frequency-ac-signals/

Edit: The electrical energy travelling in a cable radiates outwards approx. 4 times the diameter of the cable. For the 0.72mm Audience wire used for 5V and Gnd in the Konvertible Lite 160 – 3.5mm distance negate any effect – and with the design, the gap varies from 5mm at the plug end to 60mm at the centre. That is one of many reasons why it sounds so good.

 

[Sonic Defender]

The very reson for removing the 5vbus power is due to the capasitive coupling along the lenght of the wire. Mixed frequances voltages are created accidentally. IF you want to dig deeper here is one of many links in the subject http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/alternating-current/chpt-7/mixed-frequency-ac-signals/

Edit: The electrical energy travelling in a cable radiates outwards approx. 4 times the diameter of the cable. For the 0.72mm Audience wire used for 5V and Gnd in the Konvertible Lite 160 – 3.5mm distance negate any effect – and with the design, the gap varies from 5mm at the plug end to 60mm at the centre. That is one of many reasons why it sounds so good.

What evidence do you have that any of that is even remotely meaningful in terms of audibility? Measureable and audible are very different things. I'm not trying to be a dink, but it seems like people are just spewing figures outside of any context that establishes if they are audible or not.

 

[Cornan]

The very reson for removing the 5vbus power is due to the capasitive coupling along the lenght of the wire. Mixed frequances voltages are created accidentally. IF you want to dig deeper here is one of many links in the subject http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/alternating-current/chpt-7/mixed-frequency-ac-signals/


Edit: The electrical energy travelling in a cable radiates outwards approx. 4 times the diameter of the cable. For the 0.72mm Audience wire used for 5V and Gnd in the Konvertible Lite 160 – 3.5mm distance negate any effect – and with the design, the gap varies from 5mm at the plug end to 60mm at the centre. That is one of many reasons why it sounds so good.

What evidence do you have that any of that is even remotely meaningful in terms of audibility? Measureable and audible are very different things. I'm not trying to be a dink, but it seems like people are just spewing figures outside of any context that establishes if they are audible or not.

Real life experiance. I own that cable and compared it to several other. This is not new science. Capasitive coupling is well docemented for many years. It is just the audio business is catching up slowly in some areas. This cable is just the first one that fully deal with common knowledge. It is just common sense in a problematic area!
USB cable manufactorers are desperately trying to shield the capasitive coupling which affect the data signals negatively instead of keeping the data wires unshielded on a safe distance from the 5v & GND which allows the signal to flow without the negative affects of shielding and capasitive coupling.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Real life experiance. I own that cable and compared it to several other. This is not new science. Capasitive coupling is well docemented for many years. It is just the audio business is catching up slowly in some areas. This cable is just the first one that fully deal with common knowledge. It is just common sense in a problematic area!
USB cable manufactorers are desperately trying to shield the capasitive coupling which affect the data signals negatively instead of keeping the data wires unshielded on a safe distance from the 5v & GND which allows the signal to flow without the negative affects of shielding and capasitive coupling.

Well, despite being a sceptic, I'm also an optimist and until I know something doesn't work I guess I have to hope for the best for people who decide such a product is right for them. It would be great to actually get to test something like this out myself. The one time I told a manufacturer of a specialty USB cable I would try it only under the condition I could get a full refund if it didn't make a difference they never replied back.

 

[Cornan]

Real life experiance. I own that cable and compared it to several other. This is not new science. Capasitive coupling is well docemented for many years. It is just the audio business is catching up slowly in some areas. This cable is just the first one that fully deal with common knowledge. It is just common sense in a problematic area!

USB cable manufactorers are desperately trying to shield the capasitive coupling which affect the data signals negatively instead of keeping the data wires unshielded on a safe distance from the 5v

Well, despite being a sceptic, I'm also an optimist and until I know something doesn't work I guess I have to hope for the best for people who decide such a product is right for them. It would be great to actually get to test something like this out myself. The one time I told a manufacturer of a specialty USB cable I would try it only under the condition I could get a full refund if it didn't make a difference they never replied back.

Elijah Audio have a 60 day satisfaction guarantee on all their products. I would say it is pretty safe as long as you are careful with the product. If you want to know the exact terms for that guarantee I suggest you contact michael@elijahaudioaudio.com.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Elijah Audio have a 60 day satisfaction guarantee on all their products. I would say it is pretty safe as long as you are careful with the product. If you want to know the exact terms for that guarantee I suggest you contact michael@elijahaudioaudio.com.

Thanks, I might just do that someday soon. Like I said, despite being a skeptic, I am open-minded and unless something is so obviously crazy I am often willing to try. If I did I would get a few test subjects with me to try some listening tests where nobody knew what cable was being used. In my mind it would be awesome if such things made audible, positive differences. Cheers.