Lossless Listening Arrives on Spotify Premium

[pablolie]

I'm not talking about audibility. Like I said, I can't even tell the difference between lossy and lossless compression.

But we are using a very specific word here, which is "lossless". Any resampled content is not lossless by definition because it alters the information contained in the original file.

If we instead interpret "lossless" to mean "audibly lossless", then the 320kbps Ogg Vorbis files were already "lossless" in that sense to most people

The terminology is confusing the issue. If we define lossless as per original Red Book 16/44.1, then any conversion to a format above that will replicate the 16/44.1 original perfectly. And will not add or subtract anything to it.

If you convert, let's say, 24/192 "down" to 16/44.1 you will indeed mathematically "lose" info (provided the track was recorded/mastered at that high HiRes bitrate), but it will be lossless as per Red Book definition above.

If you convert 16/44.1 down to something like OggVorbis 320k, you break into the definition of "lossy", because you will not be able to upconvert it back to the original 16/44.1.

Like you, I am perfectly satisfied with the quality of OggVorbis at 320k.

 

[tccalvin]

Define resembled, and why is the term relevant?

Can you put a SNAD number on your hypothetical resampling?

Have a go at it yourself:

SRC Comparisons

src.infinitewave.ca

SRC Comparisons - Help and Information

Here you can compare many different popular SRC algorithms.

If you set the graph to the 1kHz tone, you will see how virtually every algorithm adds some sort of artifact to the signal.

Resampling done with the best algorithms will be absolutely undetectable by the human ear. Still, that doesn't mean that the signal is 100% the same.

 

[Mnyb]

There is and has been a misappropriation of the importance of “bit perfect” among audiophiles . I even fell for it for a while .
Oh ah the bits can not be touched by some foul software before the DAC….

If one pads the 16/44,1 to 24/44,1 to apply volume normalisation or volume control EQ etc what’s the problem

 

[masterhw]

There is and has been a misappropriation of the importance of “bit perfect” among audiophiles . I even fell for it for a while .
Oh ah the bits can not be touched by some foul software before the DAC….

If one pads the 16/44,1 to 24/44,1 to apply volume normalisation or volume control EQ etc what’s the problem

I’ve definitely observed that interferences which are easily/quickly understood (like bit-perfect playback, or file compression) tend to be overemphasized in discussion and estimated importance.

 

[fatoldgit]

I just checked again the spotify Linux client thread and it has been reported it now supports lossless although it appears the version number of the client is the same as that released in May this year....so maybe the change was in the back end.

I don't stream via spotify at the moment (cause [1] it wasn't lossless and [2] the Linux client didn't support it) so I will try it (the Linux client) and see what it sounds like.

Won't give up my Qobuz sub streamed via a Slimdevices Transporter but will be interesting to see what the catalog looks like.

Obviously, the audio path won't be the same as LMS... will be PC -> USB-> DAC

Will report back when I get it up noting it will be a few days due to other stuff going on.

Peter

 

[pablolie]

I just checked again the spotify Linux client thread and it has been reported it now supports lossless although it appears the version number of the client is the same as that released in May this year....so maybe the change was in the back end.
...

I just checked and my Ubuntu 24 computer now *does* support lossless (after logging out and logging in again).

 

[pablolie]

Interesting... it seems the song titles (at least) are different between lossless (left on the app) and 320k (right in Lyrion broswer)... does that mean they have separate sources? Would seem very wasteful...
Incidentally, these were the first tracks I saw marked as 24 bit.

 

[Willem]

Spotify losless recently arrived in the Netherlands. Unfortunately the app does not (yet?) support the Chromecast Audio at that resolution.

 

[EngineerNate]

It probably never will. CCA is a dead device as far as these companies are concerned.

I switched to WiiM because reliability of my CCAs had tanked.

I’ve also switched to Apple Music. They’re marginally less ****** to their artists. Also the atmos stuff is fun when doing headphone listening.

 

[Willem]

CCA is a dead device as far as these companies are concerned.

I wonder. There are still very many devices around and being used, I would think. I will wait, if only because the audible benefits would be minimal at best.

 

[mSpot]

Lossless support for Chromecast Audio has been proposed in the Spotify Community Forum. Vote for it here:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Allow-lossless-playback-to-Chromecast-Audio-device/idi-p/7138979

If a CCA firmware update is required to make lossless work, then it will never happen (Google ended support and updates for CCA years ago). I think that in fact it would require a firmware update. Other streamer manufacturers needed to update Spotify Connect firmware on their devices to support lossless.

 

[jp4573]

I did not read the entire thread so I don't know if someone brought this before.
For me the lossless is limited to 1 GB/h.

 

[mermayer]

For me the lossless is limited to 1 GB/h.

This is not a limit, but an indication of the expected data consumption.

 

[Ambient384]

Like you, I am perfectly satisfied with the quality of OggVorbis at 320k.

I can't even tell AAC at 160kbps from Lossless.