Ongoing Beta Beta Test: Qobuz Connect

[BK308]

Sorry, I got yours and @EddNog's issues confused!

It’s all good! We still shared the same issue!

 

[azoriusmage]

So I have a Pro with the beta and my Marantz amp. Playing it to either works fine except when you then start sharing it from the pro to other WiiM devices is start to break up. This only happens when using Qobuz connect.

 

[Balthazar B]

So I have a Pro with the beta and my Marantz amp. Playing it to either works fine except when you then start sharing it from the pro to other WiiM devices is start to break up. This only happens when using Qobuz connect.

Yep, happens with my WiiM setup as well. I've reported it to both WiiM and Qobuz. Typically, grouped WiiMs will get through one or two tracks flawlessly, and then there'll be considerable distortion on subsequent tracks. My gut feeling is that changes in the bit rate/depth between tracks sent by Qobuz trigger the issue. I'll be doing more tests to try and ascertain whether that's so, or if it could be something else.

Tidal Connect under the same circumstances doesn't have that issue -- did it at first? -- which encourages me that WiiM can figure this out and make it work properly.

 

[azoriusmage]

Yep, happens with my WiiM setup as well. I've reported it to both WiiM and Qobuz. Typically, grouped WiiMs will get through one or two tracks flawlessly, and then there'll be considerable distortion on subsequent tracks. My gut feeling is that changes in the bit rate/depth between tracks sent by Qobuz trigger the issue. I'll be doing more tests to try and ascertain whether that's so, or if it could be something else.

Tidal Connect under the same circumstances doesn't have that issue -- did it at first? -- which encourages me that WiiM can figure this out and make it work properly.

Yes exactly same behaviour

 

[Falcon]

Hello.
I have finally stopped being a Beta Tester for Qobuz Beta to try Qobuz connect as it has never worked as such and Qobuz has never answered my emails asking for help and reporting my problem. Since I can use Qobuz through the Mconnect app without problems, I no longer need to be a tester of a function that never worked for me on my device.
Goodbye Qobuz Beta.

 

[Burnside]

Hello.
I have finally stopped being a Beta Tester for Qobuz Beta to try Qobuz connect as it has never worked as such and Qobuz has never answered my emails asking for help and reporting my problem. Since I can use Qobuz through the Mconnect app without problems, I no longer need to be a tester of a function that never worked for me on my device.
Goodbye Qobuz Beta.

Did you raise tickets to WiiM as well when you hit a problem? As said before, hitting problems in a beta is not unexpected.

Why are you using mConnect for Qobuz when you can get a similar experience with the WiiM Home app?

 

[Falcon]

Since I couldn't use Qobuz Beta to get Qobuz connect I sent tickets to Wiim and Qobuz. And everything was up to date so I could get the service that I could never use since I can't see my Wiim Pro device from the Qobuz Beta app. It's not my problem.

I try to use Qobuz connect because it is much better than using the Wiim Home app. I have Tidal and use Tidal Connect and it is much better when searching for songs, albums, etc.

But I deleted Qobuz Beta, previously unsubscribing, and installed the usual Qobuz app that I use with Mconnect and it does the same functions as Qobuz Connect.

 

[azoriusmage]

Thought I would test gapless playback with Qobuz Connect and I am delighted to report it works.

 

[Burnside]

... and installed the usual Qobuz app that I use with Mconnect and it does the same functions as Qobuz Connect.

I don't know what you mean by that - mConnect uses the Qobuz third party API (not the "usual Qobuz app") like the WiiM Home app and others use, and doesn't offer the full range of functions as the native Qobuz app and by extension Qobuz Connect.

Have you tried accessing Qobuz from within the WiiM Home app?

 

[Falcon]

Mconnect allows me to connect directly from Qobuz or Tidal to Wiim Pro without using the Wiim Home app which is terrible in some aspects. Also, as I said before, the Qobuz Beta app has never been able to connect from it to my Wiim Pro, which is why I left its environment.

Regarding your second question, I repeat that I can interact with Qobuz, Tidal, etc., from Wiim Home but as I said before it is a terrible app for me.

 

[Falcon]

Qobuz is better for me from my Laptop via USB to my DAC.

 

[azoriusmage]

Qobuz is better for me from my Laptop via USB to my DAC.

Kind of off topic about the Beta glad you have a way that works for you.

 

[EddNog]

Qobuz is better for me from my Laptop via USB to my DAC.

Mac? Or PC?

-Ed

 

[Falcon]

¿Mac? ¿O PC?

-Ed

Windows PC with the app Qobuz and Android tablet Wiim home and Tidal Connect, too iPhone. But not Qobuz Beta.

 

[Falcon]

Today Qobuz wrote me ask me the Qobuz Beta version

 

[Balthazar B]

Yes exactly same behaviour

So discovered a couple of interesting things during my testing today.

• When Qconnecting to the master of a WiiM group, unlike what happens with playlists, if I play albums that have the same bit rate/depth on all tracks, gapless or not, the distortion doesn't occur. So perhaps it's the changes in bit rate/depth that WiiM isn't handling elegantly.
• On anything played to a grouped set of WiiM devices, the WiiM app doesn't accurately track a song's progress. Instead, the progress indicator goes to about 7-9 secs, then resets to zero and repeats over and over again. The Qobuz app tracks perfectly. I have screen recordings of both on the same selection.

Here it is in Qobuz Qconnect beta (sorry, this forum replays GIF files, but the tracking is accurate throughout in the Qobuz app):

...and in WHA (this file is repeating as well, but in the WHA, the progress tracking constantly resets at 9 secs or so):

 

[azoriusmage]

So discovered a couple of interesting things during my testing today.

• When Qconnecting to the master of a WiiM group, unlike what happens with playlists, if I play albums that have the same bit rate/depth on all tracks, gapless or not, the distortion doesn't occur. So perhaps it's the changes in bit rate/depth that WiiM isn't handling elegantly.
• On anything played to a grouped set of WiiM devices, the WiiM app doesn't accurately track a song's progress. Instead, the progress indicator goes to about 7-9 secs, then resets to zero and repeats over and over again. The Qobuz app tracks perfectly. I have screen recordings of both on the same selection.

Here it is in Qobuz Qconnect beta (sorry, this forum replays GIF files, but the tracking is accurate throughout in the Qobuz app):

...and in WHA (this file is repeating as well, but in the WHA, the progress tracking constantly resets at 9 secs or so):

Inspired by your finding I wondered if picking CD quality would eliminate the problem by havig everything play in CD quality; In fact what I found was the it would not play CD quality correctly at all not even the first track I picked. I wonder if it is when it hits a CD quality only track that the issue starts?

 

[Balthazar B]

Inspired by your finding I wondered if picking CD quality would eliminate the problem by havig everything play in CD quality; In fact what I found was the it would not play CD quality correctly at all not even the first track I picked. I wonder if it is when it hits a CD quality only track that the issue starts?

Good idea. I'll experiment with that and some variations.

 

[alpha_zulu]

Has anyone here had successful contact with the qobuz beta team in the last few days? I wrote three emails to the connectbeta email since december. No reaction so far.

 

[azoriusmage]

Has anyone here had successful contact with the qobuz beta team in the last few days? I wrote three emails to the connectbeta email since december. No reaction so far.

Not had to as my only issues are WiiM end of the equation