everyone should take this test before weighing in on the spotify vs. tidal issue:
http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality
i'm embarrassed to admit that i only chose the lossless file on 4 out of the 6 tracks (missing on the rap and acappella vocal tracks). except at very loud volumes the differences between the lossless and 320kb files was small, at least to my declining ears. ergo, since i'm not typically listening in an ideal environment, i've opted for the more expansive library, better ui (and cheaper price) of spotify .
http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality
i'm embarrassed to admit that i only chose the lossless file on 4 out of the 6 tracks (missing on the rap and acappella vocal tracks). except at very loud volumes the differences between the lossless and 320kb files was small, at least to my declining ears. ergo, since i'm not typically listening in an ideal environment, i've opted for the more expansive library, better ui (and cheaper price) of spotify .