I've used Spotify Premium for months. I sometimes stream it to my Creek 5350se and Totem Arros via a Gramofon. I think the Gramofon has a decent/fair DAC. Spotify Premium streams at 320kbps.
I tried Tidal's premium hifi feature today.
I ended up comparing tracks from the two services. Tidal clearly sounds better. CLEARLY.
And this is coming from a guy who thinks a solid gauge lamp cord speaker wire is generally fine.
I'm going to stay with Tidal and now work on getting it to a DAC (somehow) at the Creek.
Digital can sound so good. |
I do not know any audiophiles who listen to MP3. If you're listening to MP3s, I think we have found the weak link in your system. I love tidal: CD Quality streaming. This should obsolete most music servers. |
Tidal has miraculously great sound quality in lossless mode,
as if all the 16/44 music was in SACD. It's an amazing service
and I sure hope they get enough subscribers to survive. Try
playing some old guilty-pleasure pop music, no matter how old,
and see what I mean. I have an EMM XDS1 and Tidal streaming
rivals the sound of the EMM even in SACD. I'm shocked at how
great it is. Please subscribe. I don't want them to disappear. |
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I'm a bit surprised at people balking over the $20/month fee for Tidal (roughly $10 extra per month over Spotify, I think). This is a forum where people spend thousands of dollars on cables and all kinds of voodoo tweaks. $10/month is less than the cost of buying one album per month. |
I prefer black and white over 1080P. Looks awesme on my 19 inch magnavox. |
tried spotify and tidal. still prefer pandora |
Doing a free trial right now of tidal. The difference in sound is dramatic between spotify and Tidal. 20 bucks a month is way to high so I will not continue after the trial. Eventually more sights will stream higher bit rate at lower costs and I will be all over it. |
I was using Spotify premium for a very long time but once I tried Tidal premium I immediately switched to Tidal because the sound quality is so good. For me, the quality difference has resulted in me listening to a lot more music - I look forward to settling into a listening session on my system so much more now - it's addictive. |
I like listening to streaming music because it is easy and I love the variety. I can change my mind every two minutes and quickly find different music to listen to. Of course, listening to music stored on my hard drive offers the very best quality. However, the flexibility of Tidal is a big plus for me.
I agree with Arh above that Spotify gives you more music selections and that Tidal gives you much better sound quality. Tidal music selections are improving but additional albums need to be added. There is a very slight delay when starting music on Tidal and another slight delay from song to song. This is not a problem for me since the sound quality is very good.
Tidal also offers various play lists you can select or you select your own album. Another advantage with Tidal is that you can select an album and then page down to see additional albums by that artist.
You need to decide if the Tidal $20 per month charge is worth it. I feel the Tidal sound quality is well worth the $20. I suggest you give Tidal a try for one month and then decide. |
I love the Browser/Discover function on Spotify as well. Your comment says it all.
My latest "discovery" is some chamber music composed by Sibelius. I've got all seven symphonies, as well as a number of other of his works on vinyl and CD, by various orchestras and conductors, but no chamber music.
I'll check out "What's in your CDP tonight".... sounds like fun.
To the OP, I hope some of the responses folks have made to your inquiry have helped you.
Good listening to all. |
Hey back at you Ps - Comments are certainly not intended to argue about Tidal vs Spotify sonic quality, more to reflect different priorities and considerations that seem relevant when comparing the two.
"I listen to more and different music now....I''m much more interested in the content rather than 'how it sounds' as long as it sounds good to me....". Coming from a time when I thought the Beatles' latest hits on a Japanese transistor radio were fantastic, I very much agree with that.
One feature of Spotify I'm spending more and more time using is the Browse/Discover function. It's introducing me to a LOT of stuff I otherwise never would have heard.
If you are so inclined, please share any new discoveries you make (via Spotify or other) over at "What's in your CDP tonight (the Minority Report)." It's for digitally formatted music whatever the source.
"Choose music, listen, be happy" is a great mantra for this hobby.
Ciao |
Hey Ghosthouse:
Yep, "great minds" :)
I did a fair amount of research on streaming music prior to getting involved. Initially it was confusing. I had terrific help from fellow audiogoners who walked me through my beginner's frustration. After decades of sometimes being obsessive about "high fidelity", I find streaming music liberating- it's almost carefree.
I listen to more and different music now than ever. I'm much more interested in the content rather than "how it sounds" as long as it sounds good to me and my golden- eared wife. I still play records from my fairly large collection, but confess that the vinyl ritual is increasingly less and less appealing.
If someone finds Tidal superior to Spotify, and figures it's worth twice the price, it's their dime. |
Ps - that's too funny...the exact same link I was logging on to post.
At this stage, I'm in the same position w/r to Spotify vs Tidal. I use Spotify's large
library mainly to explore new music. Things I like enough, I buy. I can definitely
hear a difference between the actual CD and the Spotify file. Does that wreck
Spotify listening for me? No. Not at all. Music on the Spot. CAN sound darn
good.
Comments on the link Ps posted are worth reading.
Also worth remembering not all MP3s are the same. Info at this link might be of
interest.
[url=http://computer.howstuffworks.com/mp32.htm]Differences in MP3s[/url] |
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/03/thing-need-know-hifi-tidal-streaming/
Choose music, listen, be happy. |
Everyone who cant hear the difference between an mp3 and a cd. |
Cerrot - "Lets [sic] get real." ... directed to anyone in particular? |
Guys - if you had a TV and you could just see three colors, you would sit down and realize something is wrong and work until you can see the other 4 colors. So, if you have a stereo and you cannot discern the difference between a 320 mps signal and a 44.1k signal, you should be looking for the rest of the signal. If you don't understand and really want to, go to a dealer (not Mangolia in Best Buy) and hear a very good system, set up properly. Bring your favorite song in MP3 and in 44.1 and you will have a wonderful education. It is like the touch of a women and watching a DVD. Lets get real. |
Spotify premium sounds darn good on my system- Sonus Faber Liutos, MFA Luminescence pre-amp. and MFA mono amplifiers- tube electronics.
Tidal also sounded darn good, but at twice the price it simply is not worth it to me.
Both offer an enormous amount of listening pleasure and great customer service. |
Tidal sound quality is significantly better |
Spotify will give you more music selections. Tidal will give you better sound
Alan |
