What Music Streaming Service do you use
pearsall001
Posts: 5,092
I've tried Qubuz, Amazon Music HD, Deezer, Spotify. Never got around to giving Tidal a listen though.
I gave them all a good workout & truth be told the sound quality I felt were all on an equal par. The only exception was Spotify but it was actually pretty good but not quite on par with the others.
However Spotify had the best UI by far. Very user friendly & a pleasure to navigate.
Amazon Music HD was doable but no where as good as Spotify's UI
Qubuz to me was the most unfriendly to use. Their UI to me was a non starter.
Deezer on the other hand has an excellent UI but not quite as good as Spotify's UI. But their sound quality is excellent.
So I'll be sticking with Deezer for my streaming pleasure. Unless of course a new service becomes available & I'll give them a shot to see how they compare.
My streamer is the Bluesound NODE 2i
I gave them all a good workout & truth be told the sound quality I felt were all on an equal par. The only exception was Spotify but it was actually pretty good but not quite on par with the others.
However Spotify had the best UI by far. Very user friendly & a pleasure to navigate.
Amazon Music HD was doable but no where as good as Spotify's UI
Qubuz to me was the most unfriendly to use. Their UI to me was a non starter.
Deezer on the other hand has an excellent UI but not quite as good as Spotify's UI. But their sound quality is excellent.
So I'll be sticking with Deezer for my streaming pleasure. Unless of course a new service becomes available & I'll give them a shot to see how they compare.
My streamer is the Bluesound NODE 2i
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
Comments
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I've only tried Spotify and Tidal, and I keep both of them now. Tidal's catalog and UI are very comparable to Spotify, but Spotify still has a big advantage with suggesting music that I end up liking and digging into more. It's just much better for music discovery compared to every other platform.Analog: MoFi MasterTracker > MoFi UltraDeck > Sutherland 20/20
Digital: Cambridge CXC / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
MastersounD Dueventi > Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
Discogs -
Bluesound NODE 2i with Amazon HD. Felt the say way about Qubuz.
Still haven't decide if I'll stay with Amazon.Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables. -
I use Spotify to look things up, I will occasionally use it for background music. I had Tidal but gave it up because I didn't like the people who owned it. I have a couple of gigs of music so I don't have that much use for streaming services.
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Bluesound NODE 2i with Amazon HD. Felt the say way about Qubuz.
Still haven't decide if I'll stay with Amazon.
Definitely give Deezer a try. Nothing like those free trial periods.
They all have excellent sound quality but when it comes to the UI interface I found Deezer to be closest to Spotify. I was disappointed with Qubuz. To me Amazon HD was a notch below Deezer but still pretty good.
As with all audio topics everyone's mileage will vary"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Tidal. I will never run our of new music to listen to with Tidal.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P8E7_u2qgjE
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Tidal for me Spotify for the wife.Home Theater
Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable
2 Channel
Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+
Stuff for the Head
JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365
Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin -
Qobuz via RoonAnalog Source: Rega P3-24 Exact 2 w/GT delrin platter & Neo TT-PSU Digital Source: Lumin T2 w/Roon (NUC) DAC: Denafrips Pontus II Phono Preamp: Rega Aria MK3 Preamp: Rogue RP-7 Amp: Pass X150.8 Speakers: Joseph Audio Perspective 2, Audio Physic Tempo Plus Cables: Morrow M4 ICs & Audio Art SC-5 ePlus, Shunyata PCs Misc: Shunyata Hydra Delta D6, VTI rack, GIK acoustic panels
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Tidal and Pandoraafterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
Qobuz via roon is a awesome! But tidal purchased from Best Buy is so much cheaper that I’m sticking that for at least 6 more months, and purchase cds of stuff I really like and seems to be well recorded...Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
I started with Spotify,great music library. Then tried Tidal. Not as an extensive library,but much better sq. Next was Qobuz. I had Tidal at the same time,so I was able to do back to back comparisons. To my ears,Qobuz won every time. I did try Amazon HD,for a couple weeks,but Qobuz won again. That's my story,and I'm sticking to it.See my profile for list of gear.
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Qobuz via Roon is awesome! I agree with rooftop59. Sound quality is the most important thing on the 2 channel system._____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ethernet Filter: GigaFOILv4 with Keces P3 LPS
Source: Roon via ethernet to DAC interface
DAC: Bricasti M1SE
Pre/Pro: Marantz AV8805
Tube Preamp Buffer: Tortuga TPB.V1
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Front: Salk SoundScape 8's, Center: Salk SoundScape C7
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Subs: 2 - Rythmik F25's
IC & Speaker Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, Signal Cable
Power Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, PS Audio
Room Treatments: GIK Acoustics -
Tidal and Pandora.
I finally tried running the coaxial digital output from my computer to my stereo and it worked! I can play Tidal on my stereo and the rest of the computer sounds come from my computer speakers. The Windows Tidal app allows me to select how I want the music to play. Whether from the stereo speakers on the computer or via the digital output.
The Windows 10 Tidal app has an excellent UI btw. -
Tidal. Never tried any other service. Tidal android app is kinda lame but the computer version is nice. Lots of suggestions based on recent playlists.Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)
There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus -
I don't do anything with my computer. Just the BluOS app on my Android, works like a charm. I just might be tempted to give Tidal a try. But from what I gathered Tidal is geared more to hip-hop & R&B neither one of those genres interests me in the least."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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Tidal is geared towards whatever genre is the most searched. I'd suggest we fix that by everyone searching Irish drinking songs!Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)
There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus -
pearsall001 wrote: »But from what I gathered Tidal is geared more to hip-hop & R&B neither one of those genres interests me in the least.
Tidal has some pretty obscure metal. Definitely not everything that I listen to but most of it. Not that you listen to metal I'm just saying there's certainly a lot more on it than it being geared towards hip-hop or R&B.
afterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
Tidal is geared towards whatever genre is the most searched. I'd suggest we fix that by everyone searching Irish drinking songs!
I beg your pardon...make that German drinking songs & I'm right there with ya! Either way a good drinking song is a good drinking song 🍻🍻🍻🍻"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Tidal and Qobuz.
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I don't put much stock in streaming music services but I do like to discover music with them. My main music service is Apple Music. I like it as I have everything Apple , I can share it with the family, I can discover new music , It runs perfectly on my Sonos whole house system and it sounds fine for back ground music. It's perfect in the car I have Apple Car Play in both our vehicles.
When I want to listen to music, I either use Flac downloads or Discs. Yup still put disc's in my Oppo and listen to certain music that way. I also have fooled around with Music players like Puremusic and some of the other ones but I don't find myself listening to music enough to sit and manage all that anymore. I was heavy into DAC's and all that madness which was really fun years ago but I just don't have enough time in the day to really get deep back into all that at this time.
I have however listened to Tidal and didn't find it to sound as good as the actual Disc or downloaded file. It's closer than ever before but if I'm gonna spend money on higher quality music, I want higher quality music not a close enough version.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Tidal, Napster, only for the extensive library, Amazon music but I'm gonna dump them soon, nothing worth keeping above any of the others.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Tidal in the house, iTunes in the car.
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... When I want to listen to music, I either use Flac downloads or Discs. Yup still put disc's in my Oppo...
Thanks - I was starting to think I was the only one still attached to physical media (CDs, SACDs, DVDA). Granted, first thing I do with a new CD is add it to my FLAC library, but I want to actually OWN my media...
"Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn -
... When I want to listen to music, I either use Flac downloads or Discs. Yup still put disc's in my Oppo...
Thanks - I was starting to think I was the only one still attached to physical media (CDs, SACDs, DVDA). Granted, first thing I do with a new CD is add it to my FLAC library, but I want to actually OWN my media...
I got so much physical music to listen To CD's SACD's Albums, Cassettes Flac an MWA files it's crazy dont have the room for any more stuff. That's where Tidal comes in handy the subscription saves me a ton of money on new purchases, I have physical media I havent even listened to yet so yeah tune wise I'm covered for life. Matter of fact its -16 below zero this morning I'm not stepping out of the house might just get to some of that physical media I have not listened to yet instead of streaming today.Home Theater
Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable
2 Channel
Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+
Stuff for the Head
JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365
Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin -
... When I want to listen to music, I either use Flac downloads or Discs. Yup still put disc's in my Oppo...
Thanks - I was starting to think I was the only one still attached to physical media (CDs, SACDs, DVDA). Granted, first thing I do with a new CD is add it to my FLAC library, but I want to actually OWN my media...
It has been some time since I bought a CD, but I buy 2-3 downloads a week from HDTracks. I only play the stereo on Tuesday and Friday night, so streaming makes no sense to me.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
... When I want to listen to music, I either use Flac downloads or Discs. Yup still put disc's in my Oppo...
Thanks - I was starting to think I was the only one still attached to physical media (CDs, SACDs, DVDA). Granted, first thing I do with a new CD is add it to my FLAC library, but I want to actually OWN my media...
It has been some time since I bought a CD, but I buy 2-3 downloads a week from HDTracks. I only play the stereo on Tuesday and Friday night, so streaming makes no sense to me.
Why only 2 days (nights) a week??"Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn -
Because I consider listening to the stereo as a treat. When I play it I am sitting in the sweet spot for six hours. Other times I listen to the cable Metal channel via the soundbar, and that sounds really good.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Awwwwwww how utterly.........................................................boojie of you
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Much like @mantis, I just use Apple Music, and now with Apple One, it can’t be beat as a family sharing option, including 2TB of storage for Macs, iPhones and iPads. The multi-room, multi-vehicle, and even air travel convenience, as well as the potential for discovering new stuff, just can’t be beat.
Unlike mantis, though, I’ve completely given up on owning physical media.Alea jacta est! -
I suggest anyone who's never experienced Tidal streaming to try it first on a Lumin or Auralic product in a nice system.
The streaming transport, and the experience it provides, is what makes or breaks the Tidal experience. -
TIDAL hifi
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