• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

TIDAL: No EQ is a major oversight

D3Buddha

Member
Joined
May 23, 2021
Messages
5
Likes
2
Regarding TIDAL for iOS & macOS:

First of all, I love the song selection and you simply can’t beat the sample rate (bravo there!), but how does an industry-leading hifi service like Tidal not include EQ natively? Someone hasn't done their homework regarding what audio enthusiasts really want. Equalization is mandatory.

It’s not uncommon for hobbyists, such as myself, to spend up to a $1000 or more on headphones. Not having EQ is like buying a top of the line TV without any ability to adjust the color, brightness, etc.

Basically, Tidal nailed the signal quality but missed the bigger picture. How the music is actually received changes with different gear. All headphones have unique sound signatures, which are biased to particular genres. One size fits all doesn’t work in the audio world. A hifi service that leaves out the user’s individual method of listening to the music and his/her particular tastes is half-baked.

I'm just hoping someone from Tidal reads this and includes this basic, ESSENTIAL feature somewhere in the near-future. My only prerogative is making this a better experience for audiophiles and that's a win-win. Hopefully, there are more people in my camp. Just wanted to spread the word.
 

AdamG

Proving your point makes it “Science”.
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4,636
Likes
14,918
Location
Reality
Regarding TIDAL for iOS & macOS:

First of all, I love the song selection and you simply can’t beat the sample rate (bravo there!), but how does an industry-leading hifi service like Tidal not include EQ natively? Someone hasn't done their homework regarding what audio enthusiasts really want. Equalization is mandatory.

It’s not uncommon for hobbyists, such as myself, to spend up to a $1000 or more on headphones. Not having EQ is like buying a top of the line TV without any ability to adjust the color, brightness, etc.

Basically, Tidal nailed the signal quality but missed the bigger picture. How the music is actually received changes with different gear. All headphones have unique sound signatures, which are biased to particular genres. One size fits all doesn’t work in the audio world. A hifi service that leaves out the user’s individual method of listening to the music and his/her particular tastes is half-baked.

I'm just hoping someone from Tidal reads this and includes this basic, ESSENTIAL feature somewhere in the near-future. My only prerogative is making this a better experience for audiophiles and that's a win-win. Hopefully, there are more people in my camp. Just wanted to spread the word.
Welcome Aboard @D3Buddha. Take a look at this little device. It solves the eq problem and more: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...qudelix-5k-bluetooth-dac-headphone-amp.17386/
 

StevenEleven

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 1, 2018
Messages
581
Likes
1,188
Regarding TIDAL for iOS & macOS:

First of all, I love the song selection and you simply can’t beat the sample rate (bravo there!), but how does an industry-leading hifi service like Tidal not include EQ natively? Someone hasn't done their homework regarding what audio enthusiasts really want. Equalization is mandatory.

It’s not uncommon for hobbyists, such as myself, to spend up to a $1000 or more on headphones. Not having EQ is like buying a top of the line TV without any ability to adjust the color, brightness, etc.

Basically, Tidal nailed the signal quality but missed the bigger picture. How the music is actually received changes with different gear. All headphones have unique sound signatures, which are biased to particular genres. One size fits all doesn’t work in the audio world. A hifi service that leaves out the user’s individual method of listening to the music and his/her particular tastes is half-baked.

I'm just hoping someone from Tidal reads this and includes this basic, ESSENTIAL feature somewhere in the near-future. My only prerogative is making this a better experience for audiophiles and that's a win-win. Hopefully, there are more people in my camp. Just wanted to spread the word.

First: I agree, EQ is good to have. If a streaming service provides capable EQ in the U/I, that’s good. If you are into Tidal because you like the U/I and the catalog and how much they pay artists and that sort of thing, all to the good.

Second: Tidal as industry-leading, nailed signal quality, or win-win for consumers—you might get some pushback. ;)

Third: Welcome!!! :cool:
 
OP
D3Buddha

D3Buddha

Member
Joined
May 23, 2021
Messages
5
Likes
2
First: I agree, EQ is good to have. If a streaming service provides capable EQ in the U/I, that’s good. If you are into Tidal because you like the U/I and the catalog and how much they pay artists and that sort of thing, all to the good.

Second: Tidal as industry-leading, nailed signal quality, or win-win for consumers—you might get some pushback. ;)

Third: Welcome!!! :cool:
First: Yep I forgot that I copied some of that from a review I left for Tidal directly. It was with the slightest intention of ingratiating the beast ;)

Second: I would love to hear all the complaints about sound quality from an affordable service with 24-bit / 192 kHz sample rates + MQA.
 
OP
D3Buddha

D3Buddha

Member
Joined
May 23, 2021
Messages
5
Likes
2
First: I agree, EQ is good to have. If a streaming service provides capable EQ in the U/I, that’s good. If you are into Tidal because you like the U/I and the catalog and how much they pay artists and that sort of thing, all to the good.

Second: Tidal as industry-leading, nailed signal quality, or win-win for consumers—you might get some pushback. ;)

Third: Welcome!!! :cool:
Third: Thank you! but I want to add - is it really a debate that Tidal is industry-leading as a marketed hifi streaming service? Whether they're the best is anyone's opinion I guess, but they have the largest library coupled with the highest sample rates. They also have the most users. Didn't think that was a controversial statement, but If there are better options out there, I would love to hear about it! My current setup is streaming Tidal through Audirvana (and I thought I tried them all) Hard to beat the MQA / Master bit rate.
 

dmac6419

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Messages
1,246
Likes
770
Location
USofA
Oh it might have been hotly debated here a time or two, with the majority opinion perhaps leaning toward MQA being a marketing scam and money grab and a lossy algorithm. As I see it Tidal got the ball rolling as far as (near) lossless streaming, but tried to leverage that one-trick pony a bridge too far (to clumsily mix some metaphors), and the big boys have come to play hardball now, with real lossless. I‘m just glad we have lossless now.

Qobuz has a nice lossless service, Amazon has gone lossless in many countries, Apple and Spotify will both roll out lossless soon, and Tidal’s market share was already only one or two percent. Perhaps you don’t like hearing the same 70,000,000 songs over and over from the different services, but I think I’m good with that. :p I don’t much like being in the middle of the argument so here, to get you started, and after this I think I’ll disengage and run for cover:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?search/24359163/&q=Mqa&o=relevance

if Tidal did want to get some new traction parametric EQ in the U/I would get some attention from the folks here, I’d venture. That’s a good idea. :)

Again, if you like the U/I of Tidal, and the catalog, and the royalty payment system, and you’re happy with near-lossless streaming, or perhaps semi-arguably lossless streaming (it all sounds the same by my standards but MQA has its detractors to say the least), I personally respect that.
Nothing wrong with MQA in my book,$10,$20 for 70 million plus songs why complain.
 

Chrispy

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
7,751
Likes
5,910
Location
PNW
The least of Tidal's foibles. It's just bullshit!
 
OP
D3Buddha

D3Buddha

Member
Joined
May 23, 2021
Messages
5
Likes
2
The least of Tidal's foibles. It's just bullshit!
care to elaborate? In my opinion, the only thing they really have going for them is the sample rate and library. Everything else is pretty much suspect. Fortunately, those are the top priorities on my list.
 

Chrispy

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
7,751
Likes
5,910
Location
PNW
care to elaborate? In my opinion, the only thing they really have going for them is the sample rate and library. Everything else is pretty much suspect. Fortunately, those are the top priorities on my list.

What sample rate advantage after they f*ck with it? Everything is suspect as is their explanation of just what is going on....
 

mSpot

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
404
Likes
519
is it really a debate that Tidal is industry-leading as a marketed hifi streaming service?
"Industry leading" is debatable because Tidal has about 1% market share in streaming music. Among services currently offering CD quality, Deezer and Amazon are both much larger than Tidal (and Apple and Spotify soon to join the club).

Among the large services, only Spotify and Deezer have EQ in their player app (not Amazon or Apple). EQ can be applied in different places in the audio chain but I don't think the streaming service (audio source) is the logical place. You wouldn't expect, for example, for a CD player to include an equalizer.
 

preload

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
1,554
Likes
1,701
Location
California
Why not just use Roon to control Tidal? Roon has a wonderful EQ. That way Tidal can spend their time fixing their horrendous Android Auto interface.
 

dmac6419

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Messages
1,246
Likes
770
Location
USofA
Why not just use Roon to control Tidal? Roon has a wonderful EQ. That way Tidal can spend their time fixing their horrendous Android Auto interface.
Tidal interface is ten times better than Apple Music,Qobuz,Amazon, Deezer etc,Apple Music sounds great, probably on par with Spotify 320kbps tier,I'll let y'all know how Apple hifi sounds once it's up and running, Spotify has to make a profit $1.99 is great in these emerging markets but it ain't $10 or $20 buck's ,always say listen to the music don't complicate it,like what you like and buy what you can afford.
 

dmac6419

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Messages
1,246
Likes
770
Location
USofA
What sample rate advantage after they f*ck with it? Everything is suspect as is their explanation of just what is going on....
Apple Music gonna be spacial what you have to say about that,also majority of schitt ain't recorded in Atmos what you say about that, and this everything hi-res sounds better BS,what you say about that.?
 

Phorize

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Messages
1,533
Likes
2,060
Location
U.K
Top Bottom