This picture is the JRiver interface over the Amazon HD interface. JRiver must be activated to play music on Amazon HD using JRiver's Wasapi output. JRiver does not open automatically but possibly it can through some settings? You cannot navigate through the JRiver interface (I just minimize it).
Thanks for starting this thread! My current setup: SPEAKERS = Definitive Tech D7's IA = Onkyo A-9010 DAC = Marantz HD-DAC1 OS = Windows 10 LAPTOP CONNECTION * = Laptop USB to DAC , Analog to IA * Currently Im getting the Internet off a stream from an Office Extend Wireless Access Point back to a network in Cali. Soon Ill have my media server up and running and this simplifies. I typically seem to get whatever the track quality is at within the confines of the Marantz DAC so if a track goes to 24/192 I'll get that and if its less I get that.
Can one of you using JRiver's driver play a non-24/192 file, and check what JRiver shows as the input format using: Player>Audio Path As I detailed in the main thread on this topic, the Windows stack intercepts audio from a web-browser (Chrome in my test) BEFORE the audio reaches the JRiver driver. So, despite playing a 16/44.1 file, I see the input to JRiver as 24/176.4, which is what I set the shared mode to for the purpose of this test. Is the same true for Amazon's HD Music desktop app?
New member here. 2017 iMac (hardwired to router), USB to Yamaha A-S801 integrated amp with built-in DAC to Wharfedale Diamond 10.7 speakers. Followed Amazon set up instructions, no problems, sounds really good at 24/192, etc.
Just signed up for the trial. Access using Bluesound Node2i, into Schitt Saga Pre, to Anthem MCA 30 power amp to KEF R500 floorstanders. It sounds great, but the Bluesound app does not show if an album or track is in HD until it is playing. Even when it is playing, I can't tell what the quality of the track is. The Bluesound App works better with Tidal and Qobuz in that regard, but I'll keep the 90 day trial in case they improve the performance of the app with Amazon.
I’ve tried Bluesound Node 2i connected to Benchmark DAC3 and Chord Qutest. Both DACs correctly show the sample rate (and bit depth on Benchmark) of the songs from Amazon Music. I’ve also tried Amazon app on a MacBook but then it always showed the setting from the Audio MIDI Setup on the MacBook. So if I set that to 24/192, the DAC would always show 24/192 for all songs.
It appears it's also true for the Amazon HD desktop app. In the example below I'm playing a HD track (which represents 16/44.1) through the JRiver driver and the audio path shows the input as 24/192. Shouldn't the input show 16/44.1? Can this be explained?
Because the Amazon app is working in shared mode, the Windows audio stack does its upsampling prior to making the data available to the JRiver driver. So, the JRiver driver is not really a solution unless (a) you want to use some of the DSP features in JRiver; or (b) you want to use JRiver to enable easy switching between different DACs. Many thanks for going to the trouble of testing.
So probably 95% of the music out there is actually 16/44.1 in realty(except for some 24 bit remasters of course). If it streams at 24/192, it is merely up sampling correct? My profile pic is offered at HD Tracks as a 24/48. Will it down sample to 48khz with JRiver? Maybe I should just try it out instead of being confused!!!
No, Amazon Music is available in a variety of resolutions from mp3 to 24/192. The problem is that the app is not able to take advantage of exclusive mode audio (which bypasses the Windows audio stack). As a result, all Amazon audio is converted to whatever format you have set under the Advanced tab for audio running in shared mode for that specific device (a USB DAC, for example). In exclusive mode, whatever resolutions Amazon streams in would be passed directly to the DAC. So, if you have the shared mode setting set to 16/48, for example, EVERYTHING gets converted to that resolution regardless of whether it is a lesser mp3, or superior 24/192 source. Similarly, if you set shared mode to 24/192, everything gets converted to that, even though the majority of source material is likely to be 16/44.1. This is a deal-breaker for some (many?) because it changes the audio -- not what you want in a High Definition system!
Marantz NA6006 streamer. Controlled via the HEOS app. The navigation isn’t the greatest, and you can’t really tell what’s in Ultra HD vs HD vs SD before you start playing it. But it sounds darn good once you find what you want!
Thanks for the WDM in JRiver trick. It helps a lot, now it really sounds like lossless. I actually prefer it over Tidal right now. The downside is that You have to change the sampling rate every time to match the track.
Greetings from new member—began streaming just one day (Tidal) before Amazon announcement. Here is the sequence: Downloaded Amazon app and signed up for 90 days hd trial Connected new Mac Pro to Luxman D N150 CD player/DAC, usb cable Audioquest Connected DAC to Luxman Sq n10 el84 amp bought some years back but seldom used, Aodioquest rca Amp to Heritage 3 Nordost cables Set Mac midi t0 24/192 after DAC was recognized by the computer, Total time 15 min or less Works fine, sounds great, fun to play with, just streaming, no downloads, no frustrations, DAC displays all the Res numbers Newbie Luck? Seems like I should do more, but don’t know any more As an aside—on a glass shelf the Mac and two Luxman components look like they were made by the same company, same size, color, fit and finish, etc, looks like Luxman made the Mac or Apple made the Luxmans, very charming Matching trio
Changing the sample rate every track? No way. If you really want to hear how good Tidal can sound get the trial version of Audirvana+ player and stream Tidal through it. It uses Wasapi exclusive mode and takes pains to maximize sound quality by minimizing processor activity when you are streaming.
27" Retina iMac -> USB -> Topping D10 -> Analog out to an old Marantz AVR The only annoyance is that I have to change the Mac's Audio MIDI to match the resolution of whatever I am playing from Amazon, otherwise it will be up or downscaled before going to the D10. I do like that the D10 shows what it is receiving. When I use JRiver for playback of my own hirez content, it bypasses AudioMIDI and keeps things bit perfect, but I am not sure how I would do that for AmazonHD. I am also not sure I care. I will probably not renew after the trial. I just wanted to play around with the new D10.
The TIDAL desktop app has Exclusive Mode built in (it is controlled under ...>Settings>Streaming>Sound>Sound output (more settings) for selected DAC). No need for Audirvana unless you want it for other purposes too.
I have had Qobuz and Tidal on Win 10 Pro. Qobuz edges out Tidal for sound quality, and both sound better played through Audirvana+. Qobuz in particular is prone to skips using their own app which was very buggy when first introduced but has greatly improved. I was one of their beta testers. Audirvana+ has always been rock solid with better imaging, wider and deeper sound stage. I think it has to do with the way Audirvana+ manages resources and reduces noise. Definitely worth the $75 to me. Someday I will go to a dedicated streamer like the Salk StreamPlayer III. Audirvana+ is free to try, if you don't hear a difference in your system nothing lost but some time. I doubt I will ever pay Amazon past the free trial if they don't let Audirvana or Roon access their API.
If an application is delivering better imaging, wider and deeper sound stage then I'll pass on that as it means it's in some way modifying or changing the source . I also wonder if that isnt a bit of confirmation bias from you but again people like what they like which doesn't make it right or wrong but rather just a choice you are making.
HP Pavilion desktop, stock audio driver, Sony MDR-V6s, Amazon Music HD desktop app,hi-res working flawlessly.
It could also mean the application is truer to the source, more transparent. I would not spend the extra $ monthly for Qobuz (and Audirvana+) if Amazon Music HD presented the same sound quality. I don't see Amazon taking many customers away from Qobuz. I am also fortunate to be able to enjoy listening with a very revealing system.
Just downloaded Amazon Player with trial...listening to Abby Road (Super Deluxe Edition) says 24bit/96kHz says released today Windows 7 -HDMI cable to Yamaha RX-A2020..... track 16 The End just switched to 16/44 now back to 24/96.....maybe a hiccup in my internet connection Sounding pretty good!
Looking at all these posts, I guess you can say that users have arrived at 'successful' setups for Amazon HD streaming in terms of getting things working at a satisfactory level. But given that bit-perfect streaming appears impossible at this stage (even the JRiver workaround solution failing on that count), and that being a critical requirement for me, I'm leaning toward holding out on seriously considering this new service Amazon is offering.
