I Must Say...Tidal’s Blowin’ My Mind!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Khorn, May 24, 2020.

  1. motionoftheocean

    motionoftheocean Senior Member

    Location:
    Circus Maximus
    That’s actually a pretty good deal. It’s a shame they already scrapped it.

    I think Tidal’s HiFi offerings so good enough as streaming goes. The app isn’t great, and that the desktop version doesn’t have UPnP is just silly, but it’s a whole hell of lot better than Qobuz’s desktop app.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2020
    Tim 2 likes this.
  2. Just Walking

    Just Walking Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I access Tidal through Logitech Media Server, via Ipeng to my old skool Logitech Transporter. Not the easiest route, but the long obsolete Transporter is a stunning piece of kit and worth the configuration pain and grief to make it all work. Before the virus kerbed everyone's social stuff, a friend came around and wired up his own and extremely expensive digital front end - Naim this and that with additional supplies with reclocking add-ons, yadda yadda. He left very disillusioned - the Transporter sonically destroyed his stuff, which sounded cold and hard by comparison.

    Over here, Tidal HiFi is not cheap. UKP19 per month after you get through the honeymoon period. Or roughly a new vinyl record a month. And of course you own nothing at all - the payment is simply to access the music streamed from their servers. But is it convenient? Yes. Is the SQ excellent? Yes. Does it encourage you to listen to new music? Yes. So on balance it is money well spent.
     
  3. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    The way streaming is paid out is much more complicated than that because the numbers aren't set rates -- they're typically proportional, so they're based on what percentage of listeners listening in a given period are listening to X, and what percentages are listening to Y, they're not one-to-one on a per stream basis. There are also different rate for payments based related to ad-supported listening vs. paid subscription listening (so until recently Tidal had no ad-supported tear so all it's payments were at the paid-sub rate which is higher than the ad-supported rate). There are also multiple kinds of payments -- licence payments for the use of the recordings to record companies that artist may share in according to their contracts, those rates are negotiated between the record companies and the streaming platforms; and songwriting royalties -- those rates, at least in the US, are set by the government. And then schemes and rates (and ad-rates and subscription fees) are different in different countries. If you see these flat, per-stream numbers, and cross platform comparisons, someone has come up with some kind of blended-rate average across markets and methods to point to and say this is what X pays per stream and this is what Y pays per stream. But it's not really a hard number. When folks do these calculations though, Tidal does seem to always be near the top of some kind of average pay out per stream. And I have seen that 1.2 cents number quotes by various calculators.
     
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  4. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    Barrett .50 bmg
     
  5. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    So if I understand, you would prefer they use native hi-Rez?
     
  6. Dream On

    Dream On Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    What sound quality could one expect if streaming from say their phone to a DAC that has Bluetooth 5.0 APTX-HD? I have read that Bluetooth is not a good option for great sound quality, but I have also read that APTX-HD is really very good. So not sure what to believe. I see that the DAC @Khorn is using has this, but not sure if he's streaming via Bluetooth.

    The Musical Paradise DAC seems like a nice, inexpensive way to try out hi-res streaming via Bluetooth.
     
  7. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    On my wishlist. Already collecting ammo!
     
  8. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    + support crew to help carry it!
     
    BayouTiger likes this.
  9. Slimwhit33

    Slimwhit33 Forum Resident

    Location:
    N America
    I use an Auralic Vega G1 to stream Tidal through Roon.

    There is a definite difference when listening to tracks with MQA and without. The fully unfolded MQA sounds amazing to my ears. The setup has honestly ruined vinyl for me a bit.

    As for the interface, I can't get enough of the Tidal/Roon combination. Best money I have spent in this hobby. Playlists are fantastic, I find new artists constantly using the Roon Radio functionality.

    I tried a free trial of Qobuz and thought it was similar in sound to Tidal so I didn't switch.
     
    Bevok, Khorn and Tim 2 like this.
  10. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Sorry for the simple question here but just dipping my toes in. So for those of us using JRiver, I guess there is no direct interface with Tidal. If I use the desktop app Tidal provides, will it provide a WASAPI event style stream through Windows 10? Thanks!
     
    quicksrt likes this.
  11. Robsonschoice

    Robsonschoice Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ipswich UK
    I've tried all (bar iTunes and Spotify as no Hi Res or wasn't when I tried) and have finally signed to Quboz. Through my system the Quboz sounded the best from Amazon HD, Tidal, Deezer.....the selection of new albums and variety is best IMO....how long I will keep signed up ? Who knows as I still like to buy hard copies and have them in my hands so to speak, but I do enjoy listening to artists i've never heard of before so that must be a plus. I usually buy a magazine dedicated to Hi Fi if not every month then every other month which always has a few pages assigned to all types of albums and the quality that they offer giving marks of up to 100%.....also in the lab tests of new equipment are tracks played which the reviewer gave thoughts on how they sounded through this or that speaker/Amp etc etc , some high end equipment on review so the tracks mentioned I often trace on Quboz to see how they sound on my system, so I am enjoying that side of streaming now i'm signed up. One album caught my attention which I first listened to via headphones was Friday Night in San Francisco Al Dimeola John McLaughlin Paco Delucia....maybe not everyone's cup of tea but the speed of guitar playing is superb.
     
    coffeetime likes this.
  12. Brenald79

    Brenald79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Any opinions on this DAP that works with Tidal?

    HiBy R3
     
  13. Stereosound

    Stereosound Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Yes, definitely!
     
    wgriel, Billy Infinity and Jaap74 like this.
  14. guitarguy

    guitarguy Tone Meister

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    I want to visit them next time I am in Florence....they make some great stuff!
     
  15. Kristofa

    Kristofa Enthusiast of small convenient sound carrier units

    Location:
    usa
    I don’t have experience with a DAC to loudspeakers using APTX-HD, but my Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones use it.

    sound quality—whether great or really very good—is so subjective, it is difficult to answer your question. A rule of thumb could be that Bluetooth will not provide you the highest sound quality that the sound file can produce. But APTX-HD is the best that this type of wireless protocol is at the moment.

    for what it is worth, my subjective opinion is that it sounds great on my headphones and the sonic gains I get from using the cord are too insignificant for me to keep the cord in. If I want to have the highest fidelity I can, I don’t use my headphones or listen on my CD room system. I will go to my main system if the best sound I can achieve is what I need at that moment. If I just want great sound of some great music, I will not hesitate in grabbing my Sony Bluetooth headphones using APTX-HD.

    YMMV
     
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  16. guitarguy

    guitarguy Tone Meister

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    It is actually BETTER now - I signed up for a 4 month trial today for $4!!
     
  17. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian Thread Starter

    I’m sitting hear flabbergasted by the DS-10’s ability to transport one into the music. I’ve been spending my last couple of days downloading my favourites from Tidal and almost everything sounds better than it ever has before.
     
  18. guitarguy

    guitarguy Tone Meister

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    This thread piqued my interest sufficiently that I went ahead and grabbed a 4 month trial of HiFi for $4. What the heck...I spent more on my Venti Almond milk Chai this morning!

    I downloaded the app to my 2019 MacBook Pro and gave it a listen through my office system: Audient ID4 > Tannoy VXP6 and Klipsch sub. Ethernet-wise I had a wired connection so no issues.

    It DEFINITELY sounds better than the same tracks that I’ve ripped lossless from CD or via Apple Music. What I noticed right away was clarity in the HF - where normally with Apple Music there is what sounds like phase smear and a lot of “fizz”. Tidal was much smoother. It took me a couple of tracks to let my ears adjust. There were some definite quirks to the interface...issues with Airplay, etc but I’ll dig into that some other time. I had the office to myself today so no problem just letting it play.

    I’m not sold on the interface and I can’t say that I liked having a bunch of music pushed at me from Genres and artists I have no interest in. (Kanye / JayZ / CardiB - whatever...I realize that JayZ is a founder / investor but I have no interest in his music or being force fed...sorry if that makes me small-minded.) Especially after taking the time to select artists that I am interested in....why would they still try to force crap down my throat? It was kind of annoying actually.

    I could see this being useful for having high quality demo tracks to use for system demos and for personal listening in my office. The fact that it will not mesh with my existing library...dunno yet. We’ll see how it goes after 4 months.
     
  19. guitarguy

    guitarguy Tone Meister

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Hmmm - I wonder if they do “industry accommodation” deals....
     
  20. vinylshadow

    vinylshadow Forum Resident

    Location:
    The south
    Hmm. Well, it does sometimes too show Master on my Motorola G Power. But I've been told that almost all Androids are not capable of unfolding even the first MQA unfolding(except LG's but only from their headphone jack). I don't know if that is true. about Androids... Then supposedly head units DACs are inferior for any MQA Masters. Both of course not being MQA devices. But a fellow owner of the Sony XAV-AX 5000 showed me literature showing the Sony does play 96/24 so I don't know?:confused:

    That is why I keep bringing up UAPP. I was told the app does something great to cell phones sonic output to help with MQA in some manner.
     
    Brenald79 likes this.
  21. Stereosound

    Stereosound Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    The master files will play but not at full resolution.
     
    Brenald79 likes this.
  22. Stereosound

    Stereosound Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    787 pages and counting but if you want to know how it is supposed to work but how “wrong” MQA actually is: MQA is Vaporware
     
    quicksrt and punkmusick like this.
  23. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    That's what I use, except phone is not an iPhone anymore.
     
  24. Dream On

    Dream On Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Thanks, that helps. At some point in the near future I will probably grab the Musical Paradise DAC. For the money the risk is quite low, and their components seem to be liked by many. I'd like to try streaming a bit more seriously than how I use it now (which is rarely, and not on the main system). As long as the sound quality doesn't take a big hit then I will probably be fine with it. Physical media is still around, so for albums I really dig I always have that option.
     
  25. vinylshadow

    vinylshadow Forum Resident

    Location:
    The south

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