What streaming service do you use?

[Monster]

Before you cancel, why don't you try to compare the two volume matched and un-sigthed.

I have tried to do that, or should I say we have. My wife and I listened to the same tracks, as far as possible volume matched, streaming FLAC files from our CD collection over the LAN, Spotify Premium and Amazon Music Unlimited. Unfortunately, my wife isn't overly familiar with the setup, so I had to 'drive' the test while she listened to the music.

Now I think I can hear a difference but I am aware of things like confirmation bias and similar artefacts. She has better hearing than I do but tends to be less critical of sound quality. However, in that test she could hear a clear difference too. To us both, Amazon Music Unlimited HD and Ultra HD is indistinguishable from the FLAC files from our CDs. Spotify Premium was perceived as inferior to both. It is a shame, because the Amazon apps on both Windows desktop and Android are pretty awful, whereas the Spotify apps are pretty good. But, at the end of the day, you do not subscribe to a music streaming service for the quality of the apps.

Hopefully, Spotify will, one day, start their Spotify 'HiFi' service and make that available at a competitive price. But I understand that Spotify have been promising this service for some time. However, for me as an Amazon Prime subscriber, Spotify Premium would already be more expensive than Amazon. So Spotify would have to include CD quality streaming at, or around, the same price as the current Spotify Premium to be a good value proposition.

 

[abm0]

Other / None - always my files through a minimalist phone app-friendly OS.

This^. No streaming. Death to streaming-only services.
Only local files of known quality that never varies with the stability of my Internet connection. Also, only DRM-free files that I can copy to other devices and play with whatever player I want.

BTW, https://www.defectivebydesign.org/guide/audio

 

[ronniebear]

Current paid subscriptions to Qobuz and Spotify, free subscription to Idagio, and free trial to Pandora Premium. (Pandora Premium sounds a bit better than Pandora Free but sound quality isn't competitive). Much of my listening is using a Windows desktop PC. The Qobuz for Windows app performs poorly on my PC, it periodically breaks up and sputters while playing; by contrast, Qobuz on the web and Qobuz for Android work well. I've recently discovered Spotify, and I like much about the service but my reaction to the sound quality is mixed. Qobuz sounds a bit better to my ears, or at least I think it does.

The real sleeper here is Idagio Free a service limited to classical music only. I have been surprised at the sound quality of Idagio Free from their desktop app, though its MP3 at 192kbps, same bitrate as Pandora Premium (which is not in the same league sonically). Idagio Free using their Android app has limitations not present on the PC app, as it functions more like Radio and omits on-demand functionality. If I keep Spotify (mulling this over), I may drop Qobuz and add Idagio Premium which provides CD-quality sound and none of the tastefully-done adverts which are inserted between certain movements on Idagio Free.

 

[Jflijohn]

Everything streams through my Bluesound Node. I pay for Spotify and Qobuz. The Node does Radio Paradise for free and I also donate to TheRoots.FM (Free classic rock from St Louis). All are listed as lossless except Spotify.
Spotify has Quite a few convenient features and sounds OK… until you fire up one of the lossless services. I run everything through Roon to the Node, the Qobuz is glitchy on everything except Roon/ Node. I’m on fiber so it’s not a bandwidth issue. I’m actually pretty satisfied with both Roon and Qobuz for quality.

 

[GaryY]

After having miniSHD, I had changed stream service from Tidal to Spotify because Volumio works better with spotify
....and 3 days after, I came back to Tidal today.
Features in spotify are just confusing which look just useless to me. Gapless playback, cross fade and so on. Also, I couldn't figure out why all tracks lose the 1st second when it's casting to other device.

 

[Mikig]

TIDAL, Qobuz via Roon

 

[MRC01]

Qobuz for 10 years or so.
Was the first to stream in CD quality.
Works well with Blueos or from my Android smartphone.
No MQA nonsense either.
Quite a few friends see their albums on Qobuz as well, and Qobuz is renowned to be the streaming service paying the most to artists.

Also: Qobuz is the only streaming service that streams bit perfect in a browser. No lossy compression, nor resampling. The other services may stream in a browser but they squash it, and you only get bit perfect with their proprietary apps.

 

[Timcognito]

Also: Qobuz is the only streaming service that streams bit perfect in a browser. No lossy compression, nor resampling. The other services may stream in a browser but they squash it, and you only get bit perfect with their proprietary apps.

A lot of new and lesser known artists as found on Soundcloud, Bandcamp and college radio stations. If you like eclectic, and HQ also world then Qobuz is a very good choice.

 

[Anton D]

While I am still Tidaling, my wife went with the Spotify you pay for. She prefers their interface and listens mostly via the TV sound bar or the little crappy Google thing on the kitchen counter. She likes the crap Google thing because she can say, "Hey, Google, play St. Vincent's "New York," or, "Hey, Google, play Martin Briley's "Salt in My Tears" and it does it without the ads she'd get on regular Spotify.

If she happy, me happy!

 

[pablolie]

While I am still Tidaling, my wife went with the Spotify you pay for. She prefers their interface and listens mostly via the TV sound bar or the little crappy Google thing on the kitchen counter. She likes the crap Google thing because she can say, "Hey, Google, play St. Vincent's "New York," or, "Hey, Google, play Martin Briley's "Salt in My Tears" and it does it without the ads she'd get on regular Spotify.

If she happy, me happy!

I answered to the topic before. But yes - Spotify is my home - great library, great suggestions, and SQ is totally satisfactory for my music enjoyment.

I have a large library of home-server resident FLACs and playlists... and I find myself simply playing my curated Spotify lists more and more. The library is the largest, the suggestions based on your preferences are often very good. The UI is friendly albeit inconsistent (for obvious business reasons).

 

[Mikig]

I'm starting to take my first steps with Roon's parametric EQ. I find it interesting, only problem, the volume seems higher to me, when it's on there seems to be a gain somewhere...

I really like Roon, I find it really complete!

 

[Peterinvan]

I could not justify the cost for Roon just for the playlists and the parametric EQ.

After 7 years of enjoying curating my playlists on Tidal (MAX) it is now pretty good at offering up suggestions I like. The only genre I don't like is HipHop and related Pop. It no longer tries to get me interested It sometimes offers two versions of a track (expletive and non-expletive.) I find expletives distracting.

I am happy with the progress in the transition from MQA to HiRes FLAC.

Latest chain: Tidal > Win11 > iUSB power > FiiO K17 > 4.4mm > Meze 109Pro. This new dongle works really well with no EQ needed.

 

[coonmanx]

My "streaming service" is called free internet radio. Lots of choices...

 

[Timcognito]

My "streaming service" is called free internet radio. Lots of choices...

Except which songs they play and skipping songs.. I use too, to find music and the two song rule: two bad songs in a row switch stations.

 

[Brian Hall]

I have too many streaming services. I wanted to try them all and also make sure I had access to every album/group I care about. It is time to trim them down to avoid multiple playlists / collections.

Tidal
Qobuz
Amazon Music Unlimited
Spotify

I canceled Tidal a few days ago because their app thinks my Chromebox is a robot and has it blocked. Tidal support was useless and just said I needed to change my IP address. No benefits over Amazon other than being supported by Roon.

I have a one year sub to Qobuz so can't cancel it yet so I will use it with Roon for now. Qobuz is missing quite a few albums/groups I like so I won't be renewing it after the year is up.

Spotify sounds good at their highest level, but really offers no benefits over Amazon other than a bit nicer app. Their Spotify Connect option was nice, but I get the same benefits with Alexa cast on Amazon. I have kept Spotify till now because I like their app and they had every album I cared about. I just canceled it because I have learned that Amazon has all of the albums/groups I like.

I have the Roon service (also 1 year sub) and like it, but they don't support Amazon, only Qobuz and Tidal. I will be canceling it after the one year sub if they don't add support for Amazon Music.

I've decided to just stay with Amazon Music Unlimited. They have at least CD quality on everything and are adding a ton of Atmos music.

What streaming service(s) do you use and why?

 

[Daverz]

I'm using Qobuz because it works well with LMS, is lossless, and has a good classical selection (though maybe spotify or Amazon have a better selection; I haven't compared).

Could you describe your Amazon setup (hardware and software used for playback and control)?

 

[Brian Hall]

I'm using Qobuz because it works well with LMS, is lossless, and has a good classical selection (though maybe spotify or Amazon have a better selection; I haven't compared).

Could you describe your Amazon setup (hardware and software used for playback and control)?

I haven't found any classical or other albums that Qobuz has that Amazon does not have. Amazon does have a lot that Qobuz does not.

Amazon and Qobuz both serve lossless music. At least CD quality, most "HiRes", so same sound quality, except Qobuz has no Atmos that I know of.

To stream Atmos music on Amazon, I use the Amazon Music app on a Fire TV Cube with HDMI going to my AVR system with discrete Atmos speakers (not a sound bar). It sounds great, but I really have to turn up the volume to get a normal listening level. I don't have to do that for normal music.

In my office, I have a Wiim Pro Plus. I have an Eversolo DMP-A6 on my main system for streaming non-Atmos music.

In my bedroom, I have a pair of Echo Studios (in paired mode) with an Echo sub. Those can be controlled from the Amazon app, the Alexa app or by voice. Can play Atmos music or regular.

I can control the Wiim Pro Plus with the Wiim Home app, or Roon (for Qobuz or my local ripped CD collection) or with the Amazon Music app using Alexa Cast (Amazon's version of Tidal Connect or Spotify Connect) or with voice control from Alexa.

I can control the DMP-A6 with the Eversolo app or Roon (for Qobuz or my local ripped CD collection). I'm about to head in there and see if the Alexa Cast option works on it like it does on the Wiim. I'll report back on that later.

The Amazon app runs on my Android phone, Android tablet, Chromebox, Chromebook, Surface Pro tablet and Windows PC. It can also be controlled with voice through Echo devices which I have in every room.

The Wiim Home app only runs on my Android phone and tablet. The Wiim app does not support landscape mode on the tablet so is a little awkward to use there.

The Eversolo App only runs on my Android phone and tablet.

The Roon app runs on my Android phone and tablet, Chromebox, Chromebook, Surface Pro tablet and Windows PC.

 

[Brian Hall]

Amazon's Alexa cast does not work with the DMP-A6.

Using the Amazon Music app on the fire tv cube to listen to Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction album in Atmos now. It sounds awesome.

 

[JSmith]

This thread, had a poll and all...

What streaming service do you use?

Curious to know what you use for music streaming, assuming you stream. If you use multiple, which one is your primary.

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

 

[AdamG]

This thread, had a poll and all...

What streaming service do you use?

Curious to know what you use for music streaming, assuming you stream. If you use multiple, which one is your primary.

www.audiosciencereview.com

JSmith

Great suggestion. Merged. Thank you for helping us keep this place organized. BZ Sir!