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[Music] Music Streaming Services...Which one do you use?







1066familyman

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,233
Is it PotG? said:
Found this interesting and informative.

The fact that bluetooth speakers/headphones are not yet supported is probably a bonus since the sound quality might suffer anyhow.

I shall stick with my stored flac/wav files for the time being.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/mqa-best-high-resolution-file-format-htc/
Click to expand...

Godlstone1976 here provided some interesting personal experiences of MQA on the hi res streaming thread. I'm particularly interested in his/her experiences because of the quality of gear she/he is listening on and the fact that she/he mentioned the barely audible difference between 16 and 24 bit to her/his ears. This is also where I'm at with 16 vs 24 bit and one of the main reasons I'm happy to stick with 16 bit flac and not buy into the 'hi res' marketing.

From what I've read elsewhere it seems the very best MQA experience is to be had when you've got a MQA compatible DAC that can fully 'unfold' everything. It's an area I'm interested in, but one I'm not likely to experience in the near future given the budget I have for sources to play it on. I'll give that article a read though, thanks :thumbsup:



I
 


1066familyman

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,233
That digital trends piece is a good introduction. However, this bit particularly gets my goat as I'm seeing it quite a lot....

.....The first unfold (“A” in the diagram below), which you can hear on any device that can run the MQA Core Decoder software (like an iPhone with the Tidal app), delivers CD-quality sound. MQA claims it’s actually better-than-CD-quality because of the reduction of time-smearing we discussed earlier.

To only mention iPhone and Tidal in brackets like that is either lazy journalism or journalism with an agenda. Granted, they did also say...[any device]....but why not also mention a service like Qobuz. It's one of the reasons I'm being put off of even trying a Tidal free trial. They seem exactly the same as Apple in their marketing tatics and I've read numerous articles, from people who should know better, that would have you believe 'hi res' streaming begins and ends with Tidal. Why is that I wonder?
 


M

METALMICKY

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2004
6,823
Streaming luddite here. Just bought new TV and got 6 months free spotify. Some points to qualify is that I prefer to listen to my music on my old trusty IPod nano 4 and not so much on my mobile. I'm also not really a digester of new stuff other than one of my established favourite artists releases something new. In addition there are a few live albums I would like.

If I got the premium edition I'm aware that you can download music to be able to play offline. However, on the basis that not convinced I can justify £9.99 monthly is there a way to retain any of the offline stuff to be able to convert it to MP3 to then retain permanently ?
 


Is it PotG?

Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
25,453
Sussex by the Sea
METALMICKY said:
If I got the premium edition I'm aware that you can download music to be able to play offline. However, on the basis that not convinced I can justify £9.99 monthly is there a way to retain any of the offline stuff to be able to convert it to MP3 to then retain permanently ?
Click to expand...

Not legally, no.
 




1066familyman

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,233
METALMICKY said:
Streaming luddite here. Just bought new TV and got 6 months free spotify. Some points to qualify is that I prefer to listen to my music on my old trusty IPod nano 4 and not so much on my mobile. I'm also not really a digester of new stuff other than one of my established favourite artists releases something new. In addition there are a few live albums I would like.

If I got the premium edition I'm aware that you can download music to be able to play offline. However, on the basis that not convinced I can justify £9.99 monthly is there a way to retain any of the offline stuff to be able to convert it to MP3 to then retain permanently ?
Click to expand...

Short of recording it in real time on something like a CD recorder and then ripping it, no. I believe the downloaded stuff to be played offline in any of the streaming services will only be able to be played back within the app, presumably all the while you have a subscription and not just using the free version. At least I assume that's how it will work with Spotify too (I've never subscribed to Spotfy myself). You won;t be able to transfer the files outside of the app for playback as they will be encoded to prevent that very thing, I think.

Short answer, if you want permanent access to the music you've downloaded, subscribe. I think a tenner a month for pretty much unlimited access to a massive library of music is fantastic value tbh.

P.S. Consider one actual cd album would be about a tenner to buy, much more in vinyl. For that tenner a month you can get access to countless of the buggers via a streaming service. In any language, that has to be fantastic value for money, surely? A couple of extra pints a month or access to a massive music library. I know which one I'd chose.
 








1066familyman

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,233


1066familyman

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,233
1066familyman said:
That digital trends piece is a good introduction. However, this bit particularly gets my goat as I'm seeing it quite a lot....

.....The first unfold (“A” in the diagram below), which you can hear on any device that can run the MQA Core Decoder software (like an iPhone with the Tidal app), delivers CD-quality sound. MQA claims it’s actually better-than-CD-quality because of the reduction of time-smearing we discussed earlier.

To only mention iPhone and Tidal in brackets like that is either lazy journalism or journalism with an agenda. Granted, they did also say...[any device]....but why not also mention a service like Qobuz. It's one of the reasons I'm being put off of even trying a Tidal free trial. They seem exactly the same as Apple in their marketing tatics and I've read numerous articles, from people who should know better, that would have you believe 'hi res' streaming begins and ends with Tidal. Why is that I wonder?
Click to expand...

In the interests of fairness and accuracy. Correction. I'm wrong about Qobuz also offering MQA files. It appears they don't, so apologies on my part. :blush:
 






Nitram

Nitram

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2013
2,265
1066familyman said:
No, same flac files available via mobile on Deezer now too.
Click to expand...

Thanks I just signed up for the free HiFi 30 day trail.
It’s definitely clearer than Spotify but not as good as when I play vinyl through a Linn Sondek.
Comparing Get it on by T-Rex off Electric Warrior. Thanks for your help and patience.
 


1066familyman

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,233
Nitram said:
Thanks I just signed up for the free HiFi 30 day trail.
It’s definitely clearer than Spotify but not as good as when I play vinyl through a Linn Sondek.
Comparing Get it on by T-Rex off Electric Warrior. Thanks for your help and patience.
Click to expand...

Good stuff.

And to vinyl on a LInn Sondek? :thumbsup:
 






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