Okay, but I think Spotify apps/connect is more widespread myself, per all the various gear I have now (Tidal has gotten better, but not this extensive afaik). Don't see any value in Roon, I can manage my own library....
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To Spotify or Not?
- Thread starter ejr
- Start date
I have a separate DAC via optical from my Apple TV as well.
- Thread Starter
- #24
Thanks for all the input. I didn't want to say this at the outset, to avoid prejudicing responses, but Spotify did sound good to my ears, just different. I couldn't put my finger on exactly why. The others sounded a bit richer (More ambiance? More detail? I really couldn't tell.)
Generally, I like cleaner, more analytical sound. The Sabre DAC chips sound best to me (though, except for the latest releases, they emphasize the highs a bit too much). The Eversolo A-6 Gen 2s that I am using tame the highs a bit. I'm using a Loxjie D60 as an external DAC on one of them. To me, the Loxjie is great for streaming movies and TV, but a little too thin on music for my taste. The A-6 plus the Loxjie seems to give it just the right amount of extra depth and ambiance. The A-6 alone isn't bad, but I'll probably add an external DAC to the second unit as well. (Just waiting for one that has analog inputs for my turntable).
When I did my trial of Spotify, about a year ago, it sounded more like the Amazon Music Roku app going through the Loxjie 60. But a bit thinner than Amazon Music Unlimited. I guess that's the best way to say it. The plan is to switch to Spotify when my Amazon Music comes up for renewal in a couple of months and see how it goes. I don't know if I want to get involved with Spotify Connect, though (or if Spotify will give me another trial of the regular app). Unless something goes horribly wrong with the Spotify app on the Eversolo, the idea is to use if for a few months and see how I feel about it then.
I did do trials of Tidal and Qobuz when I bought my first A-6. Tidal sounded best to me -- but it wasn't gapless. Qobuz was okay, but there was basically no tech support. No email address on its web site. No way of communicating with customer service. Therefore, I am not keen on doing business with either company. And the library size was so much smaller than Amazon or Spotify, I didn't think either was worth the aggravation.
Thanks.
Generally, I like cleaner, more analytical sound. The Sabre DAC chips sound best to me (though, except for the latest releases, they emphasize the highs a bit too much). The Eversolo A-6 Gen 2s that I am using tame the highs a bit. I'm using a Loxjie D60 as an external DAC on one of them. To me, the Loxjie is great for streaming movies and TV, but a little too thin on music for my taste. The A-6 plus the Loxjie seems to give it just the right amount of extra depth and ambiance. The A-6 alone isn't bad, but I'll probably add an external DAC to the second unit as well. (Just waiting for one that has analog inputs for my turntable).
When I did my trial of Spotify, about a year ago, it sounded more like the Amazon Music Roku app going through the Loxjie 60. But a bit thinner than Amazon Music Unlimited. I guess that's the best way to say it. The plan is to switch to Spotify when my Amazon Music comes up for renewal in a couple of months and see how it goes. I don't know if I want to get involved with Spotify Connect, though (or if Spotify will give me another trial of the regular app). Unless something goes horribly wrong with the Spotify app on the Eversolo, the idea is to use if for a few months and see how I feel about it then.
I did do trials of Tidal and Qobuz when I bought my first A-6. Tidal sounded best to me -- but it wasn't gapless. Qobuz was okay, but there was basically no tech support. No email address on its web site. No way of communicating with customer service. Therefore, I am not keen on doing business with either company. And the library size was so much smaller than Amazon or Spotify, I didn't think either was worth the aggravation.
Thanks.
In your opinion. Others, including myself, would beg to differ.
They all have their pros and cons. It's up to each person to try each one to find out what's best for them.
Disputing personal preferences is the end to any rational discussion. Just saying.
- Thread Starter
- #30
Eversolo A-6 Gen 2, which has a Deezer app.
I guess the best approach for me would be to do a trial and see how it goes.
D
Deleted member 43957
Guest
Not.
Get what you like. There is no easy way to change the mind of someone who already likes what they have. 
For me, 44.1kHz is the minimum I will use on a quality sound system and yes I can hear the difference between MP3 and CD quality. I tried Spotify, Tidal, Apple, Amazon and settled on Qobuz which had the library I was looking for with an interface that worked best with my Audirvana player.
Your streaming service choice is a personal decision. Really, no right or wrong answer as long as you enjoy it.
For me, 44.1kHz is the minimum I will use on a quality sound system and yes I can hear the difference between MP3 and CD quality. I tried Spotify, Tidal, Apple, Amazon and settled on Qobuz which had the library I was looking for with an interface that worked best with my Audirvana player.
Your streaming service choice is a personal decision. Really, no right or wrong answer as long as you enjoy it.
Robin L
Master Contributor
I've used a number of streaming services including Amazon, Qobuz, Spotify and You Tube. I like Tidal the best.
I don't know if I can hear the difference between Hi Rez formats, Redbook or comparatively high bit MP3. But Tidal costs about the same as other streaming platforms and offers a lot of music in Hi-Rez formats. For me the bigger issue is the quality of the format, and the number of titles offered. I listen to a lot of classical music and found that Qobuz has made quite a mess of its layout, making titles much harder to find than in Tidal. Spotify doesn't offer Hi-Rez formats (so far) and I don't like Amazon on general principle. I'm using the free tier of You Tube and find the sound lacking and the format funky, though it does seem to have more titles than any other service. I use Tidal for hours on end most days, am happy with the sound and the ease in finding the music I want to hear.
I don't know if I can hear the difference between Hi Rez formats, Redbook or comparatively high bit MP3. But Tidal costs about the same as other streaming platforms and offers a lot of music in Hi-Rez formats. For me the bigger issue is the quality of the format, and the number of titles offered. I listen to a lot of classical music and found that Qobuz has made quite a mess of its layout, making titles much harder to find than in Tidal. Spotify doesn't offer Hi-Rez formats (so far) and I don't like Amazon on general principle. I'm using the free tier of You Tube and find the sound lacking and the format funky, though it does seem to have more titles than any other service. I use Tidal for hours on end most days, am happy with the sound and the ease in finding the music I want to hear.
Robin L
Master Contributor
Robin L
Master Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #39
Where, exactly, is this icon? I couldn't find it on their website. Will I have to download and install the Qobuz app again? I did that once before when I got a free trial and I was able to communicate with tech support or sales (I don't remember which). But it stopped working once the trial expired.
As I remember, Qobuz didn't sound as good as Tidal, but better than Spotify and its library was smaller than Amazon's (which I am still using). But, if I remember correctly, Qobuz was one of the few services that had gapless playback (as does Spotify).
Last edited:
Robin L
Master Contributor
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