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I just tested out the free trial of TIDAL after re-configuring my speakers & Crossovers in the basement drum recording room and was impressed enough to sign up for a HiFi service ($9.99/mo - free for 3 months until free offer expires).
I had noted that my PC desk speakers sounded raspy in the tweeters and once I logged into TIDAL and played the same songs that everything sounded so much better - I removed all the EQ I had previously applied while listening to SIRIUS/XM streaming and am quite pleased with the response.
Just thought I would share the experience here - disregard if uninterested.
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Wonder how that compares to the highest quality setting of Spotify?
No idea, KB - Look at the specs.
You can upgrade to a $19/mo version that is stupid high resolution with this TIDAL though - I have not heard a need to increase my plan yet . . .
How much is Spotify per mo?
I have heard good things about Tidal - I subscribe to Qobuz for high rez audio. Pretty happy with them.
Spotify has a free version with advertisements and limited resolution. Spotify Premium is $9.99 a month and I think the same resolution as TIDAL, but based on reviews may not be as good in practice. Not sure that TIDAL's premium is audibly better and I'm not sure the catalog at that resolution is very comprehensive. Also some minor differences in family plans if that matters.
Huge fan of Amazon music here.
I’ve been thinking of switching to Amazon, I’ve been using YouTube/google for some time now. We switched to google from Spotify some years back, Spotify may be a popular choice but limit of 10000 songs in your library was a joke, forced you to create playlists to capture all the music you like rather than simply “add album to library”. Google may have offered family plans in Canada before Spotify did as well. Google music is fine, but it’s not “hi res”. Now that I’ve built up quite a library, switching services will be a bit of a pain.
I’m not sure that Tidal is even an option in Canada, we’re fairly limited for options up here.
Amazon has great high -bitrate streaming, and what I really like about it is if I buy a CD off Amazon it is added as a streaming option.
I may have to check out Amazon. It looks like Tidal is certainly an option in Canada as well, at CAD$10/mo, or $15/mo for a family plan. Amazon pricing is the same.
At this points I'm actually leaning towards Tidal simply because they pay the artists way more than Amazon does.
I think it's $15 monthly but maybe not ...
I started with Tidal today. If you're a vet, they offer a 40% discount. $6.00/month for high quality music is a pretty good deal.
I also signed up with Tidal just a few minutes ago, it was time to make the switch from google, and the deal was $1 for the first 90 days so I've got plenty of time to get settled in with it. So far so good, haven't dove in too far but so far I've found all the music I've searched for. The app seems decent, works with chromecast, etc so I've a feeling it'll stick around.
I'm just grooving along on my latest speaker contraptions listening to Jeff Beck while sipping Pinot Grigio and doing some gun smithing in the basement - I find nothing lacking.
Check out the intro to "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower to test your tweeters response - low compression of this media is quite impressive on my coaxials crossed to 12" woofer speakers . . . Just a suggestion.
Clarity, definition and separation of "Too Rolling Stoned" by Robin Trower is quite impressive as well.
Thinking of trying Amazon Music Unlimited. We already have Amazon Prime so it's $7.99/ mo with a 30 day free trial. 75 million songs in "HD" (16 bit/44.1 KHz) and 7 million songs in "Ultra HD" (up to 24 bit/192 KHz).
I personally love my subscription. I found it the easiest of the services to create playlists, it allows you to download to your device for times you out of service area (helpful when flying), if you purchase CD's from Prime they are added to your streaming library. The desktop client is nice when you are on a real computer, and the apps in my Roku devices are superb. All in all, I enjoy it the most of any of the streaming services I have tried. YMMV.
I have the Amazon HD as well - very happy with it so far.
I use a free subscription of Pandora. I only use it at work. No idea what its sound quality is as I only use the headphones out jack on my HP laptop and my DIY 2.1 speakers aren't super high end. At about 70 dB it sounds fine to me.
Motivated by this thread I went and downloaded Tidal, transferred my playlists and canceled Spotify. (I switched from Amazon Music to Spotify a few years ago but couldn't remember why.) I went to setup Tidal as my default music service for Google Home and...Google Home does not integrate with Tidal or Amazon. I have 10 Google Home devices throughout the house where I can tell Google what to play and where to play it. (And each kid in the house has their family account (with no explicit lyrics!) and Google recognizes who is talking.) Cancelled Tidal (I think I get the 30 days still) and turned Spotify back on. I don't think Google will EVER integrate Amazon Music but hopefully they will Tidal.
After reading this thread, I signed up for a Tidal trial. After 2 songs, I could tell Tidal was better. Thanks for the advice.
Navigation is clunky compared to Spotify but the music is better. I will figure out the other stuff.
I'm a leecher, one friend added me to his Spotify family plan and another just today added me to his Tidal test.
I can add both to my LMS and use them straight forward.
I do not hear much of a difference.
To me , it sounded like the difference between AM and FM.
I just signed up for Tidal's 3 month trial. I'm not thrilled with Spotify's quality, even on Highest Quality. Now I need to set this up on my other machines and see if it will operate like Spotify - meaning stream to a spare laptop or my desktop computer system in the other room. If not, I'll be looking for a cheap streamer that won't be a security issue.
Tidal Connect is available on Volumio, so you can use a Rasperry pi and your favourite USB DAC as a streamer.
Volumio seems easy enough to install and I have a pi 3 B+ that I never got around to setting up on the 3d printer. I'll give this a shot - thanks!!
Well crap - I didn't realize Tidal Connect on Volumio is a subscription. They must not scape & sell enough user data to pay the bills. Still, I don't need another subscription fee. I have a HifiBerry DAC hat coming in the mail, so I'll try that OS. I've never really messed with code on a command line, so I may have some learnin' to do.
Oops, I didn't realize that it was a paid subscription either. That's lame, you can get Spotify connect for free, but have to pay for Tidal or Qobuz. Monthly fee just for that feature is a bit much IMO.
Without the pi, on a spare laptop or Deskop that you originally wanted to use, you should be able to use either as a streaming destination in the same manner by simply loading the desktop application.
No worries! From what I can tell, inter-desktop control is coming for Tidal...or so they say. Until then, I think the HiFiBerryOS solution will work, with a little work on the user's part.
Update - I never did get HifiBerryOS to work with the Tidal Connect patch. I just don't speak the language to follow all of the steps involved. The pi with Tidal connect using the Volumio premium trial sure sounds good. But...it spends most it's time stuck loading tracks. It was frustrating to no end, so I ordered an Arylic S50 Pro+ yesterday & it arrived earlier today! I have it feeding a SMSL Sanskrit 10th Anniversary DAC via the optical input. The 4Stream app is OK and the sound seems much improved compared to Spotify piped out of my laptop via USB. If I ever solve the issues with the pi, one the two will go into the shop system.