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Who has tried "TIDAL" vs other streaming applications?

Hello, I'm new to Audiogon, this is my first posting into Forums.

I enjoy streaming audio from my PC and have been using Spotify for a number of years now (college student discount to premium $5 a month). I just recently stumbled upon a App called TIDAL, that streams Lossless 16/44.1FLAC with their "HI-FI" subscription (Student $10 a month). Since I can queue up Spotify and Tidal at the same time, I was able to do an A/B and used Dire Straits Brothers in Arms. I noticed that TIDAL indeed sounds better to me but am convinced none of my family members could tell a difference. I then did an A/B with TIDAL and the actual Brothers in Arms CD, to my surprise TIDAL sounded scary close, if not just as good as the CD! This is hard for me to believe, I think I'm just trying to justify the extra cost of TIDAL on a crazy tight student budget, maybe its a placebo effect? I need to drop one of the services, but which one? I would appreciate your thoughts please... Thank you!
My system:
PC = Gaming Rig I built myself, using dedicated high quality audio card.
Krell KAV 400xi integrated
Sonus Faber Electa's with Sunfire HRS Sub
Cambridge AZUR 840C CDP/DAC
Luxman T117 Tuner
Sony SCD - C2000ES SACD Player
Kimber Silver Streak throughout  


grm
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
I am trying him now.  THANK YOU for the recommendation.  
grm OP
149 posts
 
Hi, listening to Eric Harry on TIDAL HIFI right now, excellent suggestion! I think there are many diamonds-in -the-rough in TIDAL, and am sure there are many more!

Thank you hgeifman!
kacz
177 posts
 
I'm still on Spotify premium. Which sounds fantastic. But this is what I started doing; I have my extensive play list, but when I find songs that are my favorite and high quality recordings I go and buy the WAV files some place online. Usually $1 each (from like bandcamp or something, I like a lot of smaller artists, and a lot of them use simple mic techniques and very little post processing so they sound amazing) . So I can buy 10 songs a month, 120 songs a year for what the additional cost of TIDAL would be. Only now I own the songs and put them in my library forever. To be honest I don't buy close to that many anyway. I feel I'm getting everything I need with this plan. Just only wish I could find more bands that have WAV files (or flac or whatever).

What I wish is that some day spotify would just sell any song as a WAV file if you choose to download it. So listen for free, or the premium, and choose to buy any song as a WAV at any time. That would be perfect.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
...or, use Tidal.  
kacz
177 posts
 
No I don’t want to spend $20 a month for Tidal. Still think it’s over priced. My point is I pretty much have $120 extra a year to spend if I wanted. That’s 120 songs I can buy and actually own forever if I wanted. And also already have all the streaming I want on Spotify premium. I can just buy actual music that I own forever and listen anywhere even if I don’t have internet. Eventually you have a large library and can go months without even using or paying for any services if you want. Best of both worlds. And to be honest most music doesn’t even benefit from lossless to much if at all over full bitrate mp3. It’s those audiophile quality ones that do and those are much more fewer and far between. Which I can just buy and still save money over Tidal. Just saying it’s a good option for me and might work well for others too. Tidals selection is still no where near comprehensive enough either. I'd probably have to go hunt down and buy some of my music still anyway on top of the $20 a month.
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