Settings for Tidal HiFi and Amazon Music HD on OSX?

[Urushi]

I am wondering how to get the best out of my equipment.

I have a SMSL SU-8 and I want to know what Tidal HiFi and Amazon HD settings I need to get the most out my equipment.

Also for OSX there is the Audio Midi Setup. Should I set the SMSL SU- to "768,000 Hz 2 Ch 32-bit Integer"?

 

[Urushi]

Playing with Amazon Music a bit more...they don't seem to have a "Use Exclusive Mode" like Tidal. So what then sets the sample rate when listening to Amazon?

 

[Vincent Kars]

Amazon HD is simply CD quality hence 16 bit / 44.1 kHz
As using the full bit depth of your DAC is beneficial, set it to the max your DAC supports.
Although sample rate conversion can be done transparent, no use for an excessive rate like 768 kHz.
Your best bet is probably 44.1 as this is what most audio use as sample rate

 

[Urushi]

Sorry, there is Amazon HD and then there is Ultra HD. Ultra HD is 192 kHz.

 

[Vincent Kars]

Try 192 although I don't expect many tracks to have this sample rate.
96 might be a better bet.
Anyway, try a couple of sample rates settings, and check if you hear any difference at all.

 

[Urushi]

I have found a few 96 but no 192 yet haha and no I cant hear any difference between 44 and 96.

 

[ripvw]

I have found several albums at 24 bit/192kHz - see K.D. Lang for example

When I installed Amazon HD a popup with instructions said to set Audio Midi Setup to 24 bit/192kHz - but mine changes to 32-bit on its own quite often. Be sure to max out the volume.

 

[Urushi]

Interesting mine only has 32bit as an option.

 

[ripvw]

I have a choice on all of the formats for both bit depth and frequency

 

[StevenEleven]

Below, see screen shots for Amazon HD music straight into my AV receiver by HDMI (the Mac knows it's an AV receiver!!--see second screen shot) from my mid-2012 bottom of the barrel minimum configuration original version Macbook Pro Retina. . .

It seems my Mac only goes to 24 bit. : ( No 32 bit for me.

That being said, I find it all kind of pointless past 44.1 / 16. I'd recommend something in the area from 16 / 44.1 to 24 / 48, based on my intuition and random fluctuations in the state of the multiverse.

It's going back to 16 / 44.1 right after I post this. Then I will get a 16 / 44.1 stream from Amazon for every track and it will send a 16 / 44.1 stream to my receiver for every track.

 

[Music1969]

Playing with Amazon Music a bit more...they don't seem to have a "Use Exclusive Mode" like Tidal.

Correct. Hope this changes. Let Amazon Music know you're not happy with this.

So what then sets the sample rate when listening to Amazon?

As you've seen most of their catalogue is 16/44.1 but for other sample rates, you need to manually change sample rate in Audio MIDI

Until some kind of exclusive mode option comes.