Usability Issues with Tidal

The sound quality is better than other streaming services, but that ain’t saying much. On my tenth try I was eventually able to recover my password and connect Tidal to my Bluesound box. My initial impression of the sound quality was positive, but my point of reference was mp3s downloaded from iTunes.
I was surprised that masters were available on my iPad since I had read they were only available on the desktop version of Tidal.
I did A/B testing between these MQA tracks and the same song on CD. The CD blew the MQAs out of the water in terms of dynamics and the proper balance of the mix.
I don’t think the UI is anywhere near best in class. I do like having access to the library and I suppose it’s worth the $20 per month, but I am not delighted by Tidal.

 @hgeifman thanks for your reply. I’m using a high-end business grade Cisco router. I have plenty of bandwidth. I am using wi-if rather than Ethernet, and I wonder if that is affecting the sound quality. Running a hardwire to the Node 2 is not super practical due to location constraints. 

I chose the Bluesound box for its wireless capabilities, the price point, and good reviews. If I need to hardwire it I may choose a different solution, such as a music server and better DAC. 

The troubling thing is that I don’t have a great CD player, an old OPPO 83, and MQA should equal or best this quite easily if I’m to believe the marketing. 

@hgeifman @jond have either of you heard the Cambridge Audio CXN? Can you recommend a DAC at a decent price point?  
Im going to look into hard wiring, but it’s not my first choice. 

Thanks for the great feedback. I jury-rigged an Ethernet connection between my router and Node 2 using an old Netgear switch as a link between two cables so I would have enough length (over 25 feet). I immediately noticed a difference.

To confirm what I was hearing I invited my wife and daughter to conduct an A/B/C test to see which one they preferred. I played an MQA track from Tidal. A was wireless streaming, B was CD, and C was Ethernet wired Tidal. They preferred C, the hard wired connection to the Node 2. I was still leaning toward the CD (option B), but my wife, a trained musician, and my daughter also a musician with very keen hearing, pointed out that there was more detail and resonance with the Node 2 compared to the CD player. Their least favorite was the wireless connection, which confirms my initial reaction.

We ran the test two more times. For the second and third tests I eliminated the wireless option for convenience. I tested two tracks from Tidal that were non-master quality (e.g. CD quality). For the second test, an Adele song, both my wife and daughter preferred the CD player. Interestingly, for the third test, a Gregory Porter song, both my wife and daughter overall preferred the Node 2--although certain passages had more attack and decay with the CD player. There is no doubt, however, that they sound different.

My working hypothesis is that the MQA tracks really make a difference--and are better than CD quality as advertised--providing the Node 2 is hard wired.

Regarding my gear and my set-up. I’ve just purchased some new components after living with my current system for nearly 20 years. In my teens I was quite the audiophile: my first speakers were stand-mounted Spendors :) After finishing my education, broke as I was, I bought an affordable kit based on recommendations of a now defunct hi-fi magazine called $ensible $ound. I bought PSB Alphas, an NAD intergated amp, and a Marantz CD changer.

My current set-up is PS Audio BHK 250 amp and Signature preamp, Focal Sopra 1s, and an aging Oppo 83, Canare balanced interconnects. They sound great and I’m really happy with this foundation for my system.

In terms of my goals for streaming digital music, I’m not really educated about what is possible. I was able to hear an A/B test between a Sonos and an Arcam rPlay and I could immediately hear a big difference. I decided to buy the Node 2 because I read it was a step up from these units without a major price jump. I was focused on wireless capabilities because I didn’t realize it would compromise the SQ so much. I am open to exploring what would happen at the $1000-1500 price point. I read rave reviews of the PS Audio DirectStream but I’m not ready for that level of investment after just purchasing new amps and speakers.

@givin2u I agree with you about customer service. I never did hear back from Tidal about the difficulties I was having. A human to interact with is not too much to ask. They aren’t a startup anymore. 
In terms of SQ, after a few days listening to tracks, both MQA and CD quality, I have to say that it really varies from song to song. I can hear the tonal richness with the MQAs, the extra depth across the frequency range, but in many cases the codec seems to overly smooth things out. I don’t have the precise language to describe but it’s a homogenous filter that robs the music of energy. The CD tracks on Tidal sound a bit harsh, jagged in comparison, but have more energy and intensity. I’m not satisfied either way. As you all have mentioned perhaps I’m running into the limitations of the Node2’s DAC.

I’ve started reading about digital music. Oh my! Never realized what a labyrinth I was entering. Looks like MQA is going to become the standard just as Redbook did for business reasons not musical ones.  Arguments about PCM vs DSD, the limits of our ability to hear differences etc. It almost reminds me of the debates surrounding GMOs. I am not well-enough informed but it seems that the analogue mastering process is more “organic” whereas the digital codecs are allowing/forcing sound engineers to fiddle with the genetic structure of the music.  What I’m sometimes hearing is Franken-music. All the parts are there but in an arrangement that just seems “off”. Maybe there is no “right” just “different”. I’ve never contemplated this in such stark terms before. Hi-fi as a means to philosophical contemplation...

Update: just got a password update from a tech support rep at Tidal after 4 days. Service with a smile. Their SLA is SOL.
Thought this article was intriguing: http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2017/12/wyred-4-sound-dac2v2se-10th-anniversary-review/

My router is a Meraki, which is owned by Cisco. It’s professionally set-up by a network IT specialist. It’s definitely not the issue. 

I’m probably going to send the Node2 back to the store. I’m not sure what jitter issues sound like, but I don’t like the overly smoothed out sound I’m getting. The tracks lack dynamic punch.  
I’m likely going to give the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 a trial.  I’m curious why do few DACS have an Ethernet connection. I really don’t want to go through all that is required to run a Mac mini server, but it looks like that might be what’s ahead.