Anyone use Tidal (the streaming service)?

PragueAddick

I've signed up, and intend to stop my sub with Spotify. It looks like they have nearly all the music I listened to on Spotify (save for..er..Sandgaard ), and they pay artists more. That's a good enough reason for me. And they make it very easy to transfer over your existing Spotify library (although I am having trouble with iTunes. I always have many troubles with iTunes).

However my questions are around the other supposed advantage; higher quality audio files. Do people who use Tidal notice the difference? I'm especially interested if people play digital on their audio systems, maybe smart speakers but more especially (like I do) via a Sonos box connected to conventional hi-fi. I'm a bit suspicious that a file on an iPad that goes over Bluetooth to a Sonos box that is plugged into a conventional amp, will lose any extra quality Tidal claim to have provided. In the background is the ticking off I got from Mr Creek himself (maker of my amp) for wanting to connect up my wireless Bose headphones to his amp via Bluetooth. He was contemptuous of that way of listening to hi-fi music and claimed I was the first person who'd ever asked how to do this. That's what you get for buying British...

So I guess its a question for audiophile types mainly...

charltonkeston

I do. I like the master copies they have although Hi-Fi setting is still miles better than Spotify. I stream it directly through my amp, not using  Chrome cast or any other system that knocks the  rate down to mp3 level. 
There is a difference in quality to Spotify but I doubt anyone would notice listening on one of those Bluetooth speakers', which are great for listening to in the kitchen but are not serious Hi-Fi. I have quite a decent setup with some nice floor standers, (Acoustic Energy) with matching sub. Obviously it also depends on how good your ears are, age is a bugger for listening for highs. 

Mr Creek is correct. BOSE; Buy Other Stereo Equipment.  ;-)

I also have Spotify account, their playlists, I think, are better than Tidal. I tend use Spotify on the train and at work. 

PragueAddick

charltonkeston said:

I do. I like the master copies they have although Hi-Fi setting is still miles better than Spotify. I stream it directly through my amp, not using  Chrome cast or any other system that knocks the  rate down to mp3 level. 
There is a difference in quality to Spotify but I doubt anyone would notice listening on one of those Bluetooth speakers', which are great for listening to in the kitchen but are not serious Hi-Fi. I have quite a decent setup with some nice floor standers, (Acoustic Energy) with matching sub. Obviously it also depends on how good your ears are, age is a bugger for listening for highs. 

Mr Creek is correct. BOSE; Buy Other Stereo Equipment.  ;-)

I also have Spotify account, their playlists, I think, are better than Tidal. I tend use Spotify on the train and at work. 

Well Ok but Mr Creek was basically saying that if you wanna listen on headphones you need to be physically plugged in to his precious amplifier. Wireless is banned. 

Thanks for the other notes. What do you use to stream in to your amp?

cafcpolo

Streaming over bluetooth does have the potential to lose audio quality...It all depends on the codecs used by the devices you're using to stream from and to. If they can't find a common ground then they'll use a standard one in which audio loss will defo occur.

However, as CK said, with the equipment you've got it's very unlikely you'd be able to tell the difference between quality that Spotify & Tidal output.

ABX High Fidelity Test à la Tidal (digitalfeed.net)

Check the link out when you got a spare 15-20mins or so. You can test your equipment with compressed / uncompressed audio to see if you can indeed tell the difference. 

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Also, give the stevehoffman forums a try, they discuss these issues at length on there and know their stuff