Spotify to launch 'Hi-Fi' CD Quality Tier.

[Soniclife]

Heh?

Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon all tell you the label of an album release...

Have done so for years....

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I expect they are legally compelled to provide this as well.

 

[Jimbob54]

Alright Alright I'd admit fault.

Had you said that many users of streamers might neither care nor care to look at who the label, rights owners etc are you might well have been right. That said, the same people that chose to look at that info on the physical media might still do on streaming. I miss looking for the contributors and production credits. Some services are better than others at providing that level of detail.

 

[Music1969]

Some services are better than others at providing that level of detail.

Tidal app is probably the best at the moment (I'm excluding 3rd party Roon here) in track/album credits.

If you haven't used Tidal app in a while, you might surprised.

Qobuz app not as good but not useless.

Spotify and Apple useless.

 

[Jimbob54]

Tidal app is probably the best at the moment (I'm excluding 3rd party Roon here) in track/album credits.

If you haven't used Tidal app in a while, you might surprised.

Qobuz app not as good but not useless.

Spotify and Apple useless.

Yes, tidal I think use the same source for the bios etc as Roon best I could tell.

 

[holbob]

Well with the recent tidal price drop for CD quality tier, I'm trialling it onto volumio onto my pi. Very happy so far, works very well. As good as spotify in fact. I think the 20 quid a year for my volumio subscription is worth it for tidal connect. I may go back to Spotify if and when CD quality arrives.

 

[Sal1950]

Well with the recent tidal price drop for CD quality tier, I'm trialling it onto volumio onto my pi. Very happy so far, works very well.

That's the tier without MQA and multich support.
If you have no current need for the multich files, I would highly encourage users to go this route. It sends the message to Tidal you have no interest in MQA Unfortunately it sends the same message about multich files. The good news is that you can flip to Apple and get even more & better multich support and no MQA for the same low price.

 

[ThatM1key]

Before the tier change, it was really easy to download the Dolby Atmos files directly and play on any equipment you want.

 

[Jimbob54]

That's the tier without MQA and multich support.
If you have no current need for the multich files, I would highly encourage users to go this route. It sends the message to Tidal you have no interest in MQA Unfortunately it sends the same message about multich files. The good news is that you can flip to Apple and get even more & better multich support and no MQA for the same low price.

The bad news is you still see that logo sometimes as some files are *that thing* but in their undecoded form.

 

[Sal1950]

Before the tier change, it was really easy to download the Dolby Atmos files directly and play on any equipment you want.

I'd only like to make one comment on your anti-soundbar position. I do agree that they are a poor excuse for a real 5.1 surround rig, even worse for immersive playback. But as long as Mr & Mrs Joe Sixpack believe the marketing hype and think their soundbar is the best thing since sliced bread, they will continue to support the providers of the files thus keep the market for surround music strong. Don't want to see it die like it did a number of times now over the 5 decades.
Eventually they'll hear a real immersive system and make the move to a quality kit.
Just some food for thought.

 

[sergeauckland]

I'd only like to make one comment on your anti-soundbar position. I do agree that they are a poor excuse for a real 5.1 surround rig, even worse for immersive playback. But as long as Mr & Mrs Joe Sixpack believe the marketing hype and think their soundbar is the best thing since sliced bread, they will continue to support the providers of the files thus keep the market for surround music strong. Don't want to see it die like it did a number of times now over the 5 decades.
Eventually they'll hear a real immersive system and make the move to a quality kit.
Just some food for thought.

At the risk of derailing this thread, I don't understand mixing video, i.e. one screen in front, with surround audio. If I have a screen in front, I want the sound in front only. Even stereo wider than the screen width is disturbing, as I want to see where the sound is coming from. I can fully accept surround sound with no pictures. I can accept surround sound with multiple screens all around, including height, but that's not what's being provided currently. So, am I the only one to be disturbed by the sound and the vision not matching?

S.

 

[Soniclife]

So, am I the only one to be disturbed by the sound and the vision not matching?

No, I think the same, it can drag you out of the moment whilst watching.

 

[bluefuzz]

So, am I the only one to be disturbed by the sound and the vision not matching?

Yes, completely agree. Surround/multichannel is an annoying distraction when watching a movie. Luckily it's easily avoided by only having a stereo setup at home and by not going to a movie theatre for the last 25 years ... ;-)

 

[Joe Smith]

Now December 1 and no news from Spotify??? Wow, if someone wanted to show audiophiles that they just don't care, this is sure textbook on how to do it. Tidal's not too bad, I may switch in the end if I can get my wife to go along...

 

[pjug]

The bad news is you still see that logo sometimes as some files are *that thing* but in their undecoded form.

You are talking about this, right?

Tidal 'HiFi' is NOT lossless - GoldenSound

It seems that TIDAL's new 'HiFi' tier does not actually offer true lossless music for many tracks. I do some testing to show this.

goldensound.audio

 

[Sal1950]

So, am I the only one to be disturbed by the sound and the vision not matching?

Yes, completely agree. Surround/multichannel is an annoying distraction when watching a movie.

When a door closes behind you where do you hear the sound, in front of you?
When a plane flys overhead, where do you hear the sound, in front of you?
Two of the silliest anti-surround comments statements I've ever heard.
But if that's the way you feel, why stereo, all you ever need is one mono system to hear everything from in front.

Tidal's not too bad, I may switch in the end if I can get my wife to go along...

Why Tidal, there's a number of very good streamers out there that don't provide any support of Hi Fi's biggest lie, MQA. Try Qobuz, Amazon, Apple, the later two also providing multich and Atmos files.

 

[bluefuzz]

When a door closes behind you where do you hear the sound, in front of you?
When a plane flys overhead, where do you hear the sound, in front of you?

But a door isn't closing behind me or a plane flying over me. They are both happening on the screen in front of me. If the screen is a two-dimensional artistic representation of some alternative or possible reality, why should the sounds from this 2d illusion manifest themselves in my 3D reality? I find it actively breaks the artistic illusion rather than enhancing it ...

Two of the silliest anti-surround comments statements I've ever heard.

I've nothing in principle against surround as an artistic medium in it's own right. But it's impractical in a home setting for music and unnecessary (or simply annoying) as used in most movie soundtracks.

But if that's the way you feel, why stereo, all you ever need is one mono system to hear everything from in front.

The majority of movie soundtracks were mono well into the eighties or even nineties. So no, it's certainly not necessary to have stereo. But my stereo speakers are there for music listening as well. And a speaker on each side of the screen is more practical in a home setting than trying to fit a good speaker above or below the screen (re. Amir's reviews of horizontal center speakers).

 

[sergeauckland]

When a door closes behind you where do you hear the sound, in front of you?
When a plane flys overhead, where do you hear the sound, in front of you?
Two of the silliest anti-surround comments statements I've ever heard.
But if that's the way you feel, why stereo, all you ever need is one mono system to hear everything from in front.

Mono for TV is exactly what I do, or use the 'speakers built into the screen, near enough mono.
When a door closes behind me, I can turn round to see what is going on. I can't do that with a single screen in front.

Surround sound without pictures is fine, as I imagine the action. I love radio dramas (and books) as the pictures are so much better in my head.

S

 

[Jimbob54]

You are talking about this, right?

Tidal 'HiFi' is NOT lossless - GoldenSound

It seems that TIDAL's new 'HiFi' tier does not actually offer true lossless music for many tracks. I do some testing to show this.

goldensound.audio

Sorry, missed that reply. Yes, I believe that is what I am talking about

 

[ThatM1key]

There's a reason why movies are only 1 view vs 360 view. We would miss a lot of scenes if we had 360 movies, miss the fine to large action scenes. Our eyes cant see behind and forward at the same time unlike our ears.

You could argue that theres "360 games" VR games but with those games your generally staying in one place vs with movies, your moving alot and going to different scenes.

Im not director but I can imagine mixing a Dolby Atmos is easier than trying to make a 360 movie.
If 360 movies are gonna be a thing, they would have to through a headset than multiple screens. Who knows the future maybe the bare minimum to HT is 2 screens front-behind & 5.1

 

[Sal1950]

Back to Spotify,
Got an email from Spotify today announcing Spotify Lossless,
Wait NO
An announcement for something called Spotify 2021 Wrapped
WTF is Wrapped? I don't care.
I want to tell them to put Wrapped where the sun don't shine.
Where the hell is lossless?