Tidal vs Quobuz


Yes I realize the Qobuz is misspelled in the title but I can’t figure out how to update it.  Relax.  
I’ve been a die hard advocate of MqA and Tidal for the last few years. All of my source, preamp, and dac purchased had the prerequisite that they must be MqA compatible. Today, I tried Qobuz for the first time and I’m blown away by the selection of 24bit 96khz files compared to Tidal.
Here’s an example: Was very excited that the band Tool FINALLY added their collection to streaming services. All of the albums on Tidal are CD quality. So I was going to purchase them in higher fidelity on HD Tracks, but learned that Qobuz had them at the highest fidelity. Couldn’t believe it. Same with many other artists/albums I love.

Now is there an improvement in sound quality? No not really. Is the Qobux UX any better? No, in fact it’s slower. But do I get the best quality content for the same price? Yes. Will I subscribe to both? Yes.
System:

Lumin D2 -> Parasound P6 -> Elac Navis ARF 51’s. Fully balanced set up (Nordost) with AQ power cables.
helloitsben

Showing 4 responses by 5ap

I find the Qobuz sound quality makes IHT the winner of these options having tried several.  Availability of music is good enough that the better quality trumps the inconvenience of not having absolutely everything.  I believe their catalogue grows all the time so I guess they’ll get there. I access it through the Linn app and my Klimax DS streamer. I have B&W 800 D3s with 4 mono block Linn solos bi-amped through them and Tellurium Silver II cable - The quality is so satisfying that it can bring tears to my eyes.  I would say from this experience that top quality source material is fundamental if you’re interested in the quality of your listening.  Garbage in, garbage out can’t be got round.  
Qobuz works really well for me as I know the music I want and am happy to browse composers to find new stuff. The big letdown so far is that I can’t load my iTunes playlist and import it all in ALAC. A simple way to do that would be a huge change. Does anyone know how?