Amazon Music HD up scales everything. So...?

[Dal1as]

The AM FireStick app may display correct sampling rate for the track under "Currently Playing at" but the actual output is always fixed at 24/192 regardless (when Ultra HD is enabled under Audio Quality, in the app settings). This is true even for SD (lossy codec) tracks. Check it if you DAC/AVR can show sampling rate.

Like I stated. The DAC and Integra processor reported what the song was inputting. Either 24/192. 24/96, 16/44.1 or whatever. I saw this being reported on the processor and DAC. Will check the Denon in the morning but I believe it also shows this. I am not going by what Amazon is showing.

I have the Firestick set to PCM stereo and use it only for music. I have to do that to allow audio passthrough to zone 2. I'll check it on both configurations. I am just not sure the Denon displays the info like the Integra did.

 

[Music1969]

I am just not sure the Denon displays the info

The Denon does show sample rate when sample rate changes.

It does on my 4520 and 4700 both running in "Pure Direct"

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

It's possible, I think I already tested it with a different Amazon device in the past, but don't remember which one.
Will check if can find it.
To connect the DAC, you need a USB hub with micro-USB power port and a micro-USB end plug, and plug it on the Firestick, and plug your USB power cable on the hub instead of on the Firestick. then add your DAC on the USB hub

Are you sure?

Last time I checked, USB on all fires is in-only, and the only way to connect to a SAC is using a HDMI audio stripper.

 

[Dal1as]

Ok I must remember wrong. Checked with the Denon and it is seeing 24/192 for everything. I was playing with the DAC and Integra a lot to get zone 2 to play so must mis-remember the sampling changing. My bad. Back to lurking.

 

[Grooved]

Are you sure?

Last time I checked, USB on all fires is in-only, and the only way to connect to a SAC is using a HDMI audio stripper.

The fact that I said I'm not remembering and will do a test to check it again shows that "I'm not sure"
To be clearer, the "it's possible" was just meaning "maybe" (not a "No", not a "Yes")
I'm almost sure I got audio via USB but don't remember the Amazon device it was, and I'm not sure if it was changing the sample rate or not

 

[Music1969]

Amazon HD is clearly avoiding 88.2 and 176.4 masters because I saw that Random Access Memories, that was mastered at 88.2kHz and is at this frequency on Qobuz and with 88.2MQA on Tidal, is at 24/48 on Amazon HD
I thought it strange that they didn't convert it to 44.1 instead of 48 as 88.2 is multiple of 44.1, but if they keep 24bit only for 48/96/192kHz, it makes a bit more sense.
Now, the 2L label tracks at 356.8 are at 44.1kHz on Amazon HD, and not 48kHz

You are right. Qobuz and Apple Music has PCM176k releases like Santanas Abraxas and Neil Young Songs For Judy.

But they are at 96k on Amazon UHD

Same for the 88.2kHz releases on Apple Music and Qobuz - those are 96k on Amazon Music HD.

The non-integer resampling is annoying as you hinted (not that it's audible) but I'm sure they have their technical reason for limiting their UHD stuff to only 48k/96k/192k

cc @Brantome : that group of rates is still enough to check bit perfectness with the WiiM Mini Streamer optical output

Now, the 2L label tracks at 356.8 are at 44.1kHz on Amazon HD, and not 48kHz

Yep because 2L have supplied Amazon Music with the MQA files. Connect an MQA DAC, change OS sample rate to 44.1k and MQA DAC lights up

 

[Grooved]

The non-integer resampling is annoying as you hinted (not that it's audible) but I'm sure they have their technical reason for limiting their UHD stuff to only 48k/96k/192k

To be exact, they also have 24/44.1, but for this specific case, you need to have your OS set at 44.1, if you're at 48/96/192, the Amazon app will not convert to 24/48or96or192, but will use the 16/44.1 version of the track
I suspect that it's a choice based on drivers for internal audio chipset like Realtek in Windows. Most do 44.1/48/96/192 only, especially in Windows 7. In this case, if you're using exclusive mode, a track at 88.2 won't play (tested in Roon)
I may be wrong to I remember that 44.1 was generated from 48 in Windows.

Yep because 2L have supplied Amazon Music with the MQA files. Connect an MQA DAC, change OS sample rate to 44.1k and MQA DAC lights up

Ah, I didn't think about that at first, will check it too

 

[Music1969]

To be exact, they also have 24/44.1, but for this specific case, you need to have your OS set at 44.1, if you're at 48/96/192, the Amazon app will not convert to 24/48or96or192, but will use the 16/44.1 version of the track
I suspect that it's a choice based on drivers for internal audio chipset like Realtek in Windows. Most do 44.1/48/96/192 only, especially in Windows 7. In this case, if you're using exclusive mode, a track at 88.2 won't play (tested in Roon)
I may be wrong to I remember that 44.1 was generated from 48 in Windows.

With LinkPlay WiiM Mini, myself and @Brantome and few others are (limited beta testing) casting straight from iOS/Android app for Amazon Music to WiiM Mini

WiiM Mini then has optical output (working fine up to 24/192k) to your DAC of choice

Lots of discussion in WiiM Mini thread but it is working fine

My RME ADI-2 shows all the correct incoming sample rates changing automatically

 

[Music1969]

Ah, I didn't think about that at first, will check it too

Same with 2L on Qobuz and Deezer and Apple Music

That's all 2L supply now to all streaming services

Best to test "MQA CD" albums like below example, since Deezer is limited to 16/44.1

 

[Grooved]

Same with 2L on Qobuz and Deezer and Apple Music

That's all 2L supply now to all streaming services

Best to test "MQA CD" albums like below example, since Deezer is limited to 16/44.1

View attachment 213418

Thanks, I knew for Qobuz and Deezer, but not for Amazon Music and Apple Music

 

[Music1969]

Thanks, I knew for Qobuz and Deezer, but not for Amazon Music and Apple Music

The virus is everywhere unfortunately (except lossy services - ironically)

 

[mukka]

I just leave this here as it was useful to me:

(first comment)
That's really interesting. With my iPad connected directly to my DAC over USB the Amazon IOS app upsamples EVERYTHING to the maximum bitrate/sample rate that the DAC will handle.... So Wiim must have something special going on when casting to it from the Amazon Music app.

So it seems getting a Wiim mini is a potential way to use Amazon Music UHD without upsampling.