Tidal HiFi now $9.99

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by winged creature, Nov 17, 2021.

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  1. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Thanks for the heads up! I was paying for crap I wasn't using. Just downgraded.
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  2. woodpigeon

    woodpigeon Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Has anyone done an objective comparison between Tidal CD quality tier and Qobuz? I feel like the latter might have a slight sonic edge but that could just be expectation bias. If the sound quality is the same then Tidal is hands down the better UX of the two services.
     
    vinnn likes this.
  3. woodpigeon

    woodpigeon Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Looks like there might be a few glitches to iron out. “The Future” by Leonard Cohen on Tidal should be playing in CD quality over Tidal Connect on the Bluesound Node 2i, with a Hifi CD quality tier subscription.

    But the Bluesound app and my DAC are reporting 88.2KHz MQA rather than 44.1/16 — contradicting the iOS app, which reports “Hifi”, which I though was the Tidal term for 44.1/16.
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2021
    gabbleratchet7 likes this.
  4. displayname

    displayname Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas
    I was on an annual billing cycle with Tidal, and I chose not to renew after Spotify announced that Hifi was coming in 2021.

    I’m waiting, but started to get frustrated. If they don’t deliver by the end of the year, I may add Tidal Hifi back into the mix.
     
    kings81, Tim 2 and Billy Infinity like this.
  5. cdash99

    cdash99 Senior Member

    Location:
    Mass
    An annual subscription through Best Buy costs roughly 50% of paying monthly through Tidal.
     
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  6. phantasmagoria

    phantasmagoria Lost Child

    Location:
    Vale of Glamorgan
    I've been happy with the 12 months I've had so far on my Tidal sub. I have a free 4 month Apple Music trial on the go at the moment, but I don't find the UI so appealing and I prefer that Tidal will connect directly to the BluOS MDC card on my NAD C388 amp. I've tried Amazon HD and Spotify - neither impressed me as much as Tidal and can't match the £4.99 per month I'll pay for the new HiFi plan on my student rate (I'm a very mature student studying a second degree online part-time!). I'll check Spotify out again when they finally introduce lossless into the mix.

    I chose to downgrade to HiFi rather than stick with the "upgraded" HiFi Plus, as I only stream for discovering new stuff and casual/background listening - I prefer my records for a proper session - so MQA is of little concern to me.
     
  7. Stereosound

    Stereosound Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Qobuz uses non MQA files period. Tidal even on the lower cost tier still uses MQA files if that what the album is available in. If there is more than one version available in Tidal in order to hear the non MQA version you have to make sure you select the non MQA version however sometimes only the MQA version is available so you’re screwed. I don’t recommend Tidal at all unless they stop doing business with MQA. Either way I still find Qobuz to be the better sounding of the two services. I do think other features of Tidal are better than what Qobuz currently offers but Qobuz will now have to react to Tidal’s new move as will Deezer and hopefully Spotify. The main thing being price and the pay per stream announcement as I’m sure most people would prefer to see their money go towards who they are listening to instead of the top of the charts of the month unless they also listen to whoever that may be. Just realize unless a musician owns their masters the money still goes to the label(s) first then gets divided up according to whatever contracts the musicians have with their labels. Still better than a pro rata system I think as I prefer to try and pay who I like to listen to myself.
     
    jonwoody, Robert C, realgone and 3 others like this.
  8. woodpigeon

    woodpigeon Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Zealand
    That’s a shame. I got the impression that the new plan tier on Tidal was CD quality, rather than MQA. But the Bluesound app and your post (and my ears) confirm that’s not the case. Back to Apple Music and Qobuz… one of these services will nail it soon, hopefully Spotify if they are still planning to go lossless.
     
    realgone likes this.
  9. DancingSea

    DancingSea Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maui, Hawaii
    I agree. With Quboz at $10.83 per month which includes their entire genuinely high res library, I see few compelling reasons to subscribe to Tidal and their MQA baloney. I guess if you really need either Prince or Tidal Connect, then Tidal might make some sense.

    I’ve given up on Spotify HiFi.
     
    realgone likes this.
  10. displayname

    displayname Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas
    That’s what I had. Just canceled at renewal time because Spotify announced lossless coming this year. But at some point I’ll go back to Tidal if they can’t deliver.
     
  11. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    We couldn't live without MQA, it's much better when done right. Staying with Tidals top tear till I hear something better.
     
  12. displayname

    displayname Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas
    I’ve never been massively impressed with MQA. Even in a few 6 figure systems I’ve heard it used. Just my personal experience. Add that to not having an MQA dac in my system currently, it’s just not a priority for me.
    Maybe if I used MQA enabled streamers and Dacs I’d feel differently, but it’s not a feature I look for in my gear.
     
  13. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    You do require a good MQA DAC or your waisting your time.
     
    mikedifr0923 and SandAndGlass like this.
  14. DancingSea

    DancingSea Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maui, Hawaii
    MQA made some degree of sense to me back when high res streaming was in the early stages and bandwidth came at a premium. The notion of having quasi high res quality to suit the internet infrastructure was reasonable. But now bandwidth is no longer an issue. Thus I don't understand why MQA even exists given one can just as easily stream actual 24/192?

    Audiophiles make such a fuss about hearing everything in its most pure state. Doesn't MQA take recordings yet a few more steps away from purity just by virtue of MQA's existence in the chain?
     
    Robert C, Kyhl, gakerty and 2 others like this.
  15. displayname

    displayname Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas
    Are you saying that I would be wasting my time listening to Tidal without MQA, or that listening without MQA is a waste of time period?
     
    Billy Infinity likes this.
  16. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I'm sure that's true but when using my iPhone or Sony DAP MQA files are really not that impressive. The Allman Brothers "The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings" Master version has several songs with obvious distortion when played loud.

    I got the deal from Best Buy last year for an annual subscription to Tidal for $89. Within a month or two a majority of Neil Young's music was not available and then Mark Knopfler's music the same. So I cancelled the resubscription and will be looking at Qobuz. The fact that the music of two of my favorite artists is not available is unacceptable.
     
  17. Jiginada

    Jiginada Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    You will rarely see me say this because I love good deals but these prices are just absurd (in favor of the customer) can the industry continue doing this without killing off a ton of talent/up and coming artists??? $10 a month for almost every modern song ever made in lossless quality is a deal so good that I imagine it's actively hurting the industry at this stage.

    No wonder Spotify runs at a Net Loss.
     
    Robert C and BZ58 like this.
  18. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Those albums will likely be back soon, I've noticed that on the rare occasion certain music will disappear for a time.
    On another SHF thread we found out if they don't pay there royalties on time they lose the right to offer it.
    I've only found this to happen a couple times in three and a half years, otherwise I'm super happy.
    No Qobuz available in Canada.
     
  19. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I tend to doubt that. Neil Young's music has been gone for close to a year and Mark Knopfler's for about six months. If there was an issue with payment of royalties that would have been resolved a long time ago. From what I've read the issue with Neil Young was how Tidal used the "Master" designation. Whether he thought it was misleading that master tapes were used or some other reason. As far as Mark Knopfler I've never heard of a reason given for removal of his music.

    These are two artists that are well known and have a large following. It's not like they are artists not familiar to many and would not be missed if their music was removed. That's not the case here and cause for me to look elsewhere for a streaming service.
     
  20. DancingSea

    DancingSea Forum Resident

    Location:
    Maui, Hawaii
    And yet the industry is all in as streaming accounts for 84% of all USA revenue. The torrent crowd brought the powers that be to their knees. It became a choice between music being mostly free, or have these streaming services. To my understanding, while the streaming services struggle to make a profit, and most artist receive very little, the big music rights holders are doing well.

    The whole thing has turned into the Grateful Dead model, make the music nearly free and cash in on touring and merchandise.

    https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Mid-Year-2021-RIAA-Music-Revenue-Report.pdf
     
  21. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian

    I always compare masters if there’s a choice. I pick the best sounding master to me and yes sometimes the MQA wins. I’m glad that I have a decent MQA Dac/Streamer as Tidal is my best choice at this point for a service.
     
    Tim 2 likes this.
  22. rill

    rill Well-Known Member

    Location:
    PA
    I have plenty of Mark Knopfler on my Tidal...
     
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  23. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    Not sure how your searching but I just found 37 Mark Knopfler albums and about the same with Neil Young. It's certainly not all but it's more than enough Knopfler and Young for us.
    Makes me wonder if there not getting enough hits on certain albums will they stop paying the royalties ?
    I'm certainly getting my moneys worth and much more.
     
    mikedifr0923 likes this.
  24. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    For Neil Young a quick search shows 5 albums (Trans/Everybody's Rockin/Old Ways/Landing on Water and Life). He pulled all of his catalog (the releases that he controls) off TIDAL a while back over a dispute with the "Masters" designation.
     
  25. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    I checked a few moments ago and found over 30.
     
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