Qobuz & Wiim Pro and Mini

[Maurizio]

Hello everyone
After the latest announcements regarding Spotify's "news", I've decided to abandon what has become rubbish for me to switch to Qobuz.
I do have a couple of questions though:
1) Can I use the Qobuz Native App obtaining the maximum quality, or do I have to use WHA to obtain the maximum quality 24/192? I confess that I don't like the latter very much
2) I read somewhere that Chromecast can be used in the Qobuz native app, but that in this way you are limited to 24/96. It is true?
Thanks for your help. I would need it to decide the definitive transition to Qobuz
I'm using my Pro through WiFi and is connected to Topping D50s via COAX

 

[Brantome]

You need to use the WHA app to get 24/192 on both the Mini and Pro. As Qobuz don't yet have a Connect/casting mechanism, you can use Chromecast up to 24/96 to a WiiM Pro as you say - Qobuz confirmed to me that they cap Chromecast at that level as in their experience, Chromecast use beyond that can have issues.

Re the limit, see here : "Our Google Cast receiver application is locked at 24/96. Even though Google Cast can support more, depending on the DAC provided, we have encountered many problems beyond 96kHz. We believe that the Google Cast protocol is not able to handle an audio bitrate higher than 96kHz. That's why we block the quality at 24/96."

 

[Maurizio]

Thank you very much for your very helpful answer.
I use Amazon Music Unlimited which reaches 24/192 and Spotify.
The quality of the latter is the worst, so I think 24/96 is already quite a step forward. However, they should release, we don't know when, the Qobuz casting function which should allow 24/192.
So the abandonment of Spotify is decided.
I also read that Qobuz's way of handling audio seems to be the best, even compared to Tidal.
My DAC also doesn't have MQA unfolding, but I don't miss it.
Or rather I have 2 DACs, Topping E50 which has MQA, but has a sound and stage that I don't like and Topping D50s which has no MQA, but with a sound and stage, for me, splendid and I don't intend to give it up.

 

[Brantome]

Qobuz does have a good reputation, and in their recent webcast, they said they'd be working closely with WiiM on Qobuz Connect, so much so that WiiM might be the first device to support it...

 

[d6jg]

Qobuz does have a good reputation, and in their recent webcast, they said they'd be working closely with WiiM on Qobuz Connect, so much so that WiiM might be the first device to support it...

I will believe that only if it happens!

 

[Maurizio]

Qobuz does have a good reputation, and in their recent webcast, they said they'd be working closely with WiiM on Qobuz Connect, so much so that WiiM might be the first device to support it...

Yes, i have read that they intend to have a partnership with WiiM. I can wait, hoping that this announcement would not be like Spotify announcements about their upcoming HiFi music

 

[Smartplug]

I will believe that only if it happens!

Agree, all these talking mean nothing unless being concrete the progress on either weekly or monthly basis.

 

[RoyalScam]

MQA is garbage, IMO. Don't answer hi-res with yet another compression/decompression scheme.

I'd love to switch to Qobuz, Apple or Amazon (since I am a Prime subscriber) from Spotify Premium. Problem is, there currently doesn't seem to be a good way to compare catalogs. If there were a service similar to TuneMyMusic or Soundiiz where I could upload or point to a Spotify playlist and see which services can match which tracks - in one comparison window - that'd be a game changer.

Does anyone know of such a service?

 

[Brantome]

MQA is garbage, IMO. Don't answer hi-res with yet another compression/decompression scheme.

I'd love to switch to Qobuz, Apple or Amazon (since I am a Prime subscriber) from Spotify Premium. Problem is, there currently doesn't seem to be a good way to compare catalogs. If there were a service similar to TuneMyMusic or Soundiiz where I could upload or point to a Spotify playlist and see which services can match which tracks - in one comparison window - that'd be a game changer.

Does anyone know of such a service?

Think you’d need to do that manually with the tools you mention. Unless you have a taste in particular genres that only Spotify currently does, I think you’d find there’s a pretty high hit rate across services, but inevitably there will be differences. I guess you need to weigh those differences against the other factors you deem important in your choice of service.

 

[Maurizio]

MQA is garbage, IMO. Don't answer hi-res with yet another compression/decompression scheme.

I'd love to switch to Qobuz, Apple or Amazon (since I am a Prime subscriber) from Spotify Premium. Problem is, there currently doesn't seem to be a good way to compare catalogs. If there were a service similar to TuneMyMusic or Soundiiz where I could upload or point to a Spotify playlist and see which services can match which tracks - in one comparison window - that'd be a game changer.

Does anyone know of such a service?

Spotify was my starting point, I've had the Premium subscription for years. With the Wiims I also started using Amazon Music. First being a "prime" user of Amazon using AMPrime, then I subscribed to Amazon Music Unlimited.
Talking about the catalog, not of the sound quality because the differences are evident, I can say that what I had in the Spotify catalog, with rare niche exceptions, I found verbatim also in the Amazon catalog.
The niche exceptions I'm referring to, for example, are some albums of Progressive music performed by bands that, perhaps, made 1 album and split up.
Here Spotify, I must say, is undoubtedly stronger. However, if we talk about Jazz or Classical I would say that the catalogs are superimposable.
I think it's probably the same for Qobuz.
So I will abandon Spotify without too much regret. On the other hand, I still have the good old vinyl of those niche albums.
If I feel like listening to them I will listen to Vinyl.

 

[Maurizio]

So I jumped the barricade. I just canceled Spotify and activated Qobuz. Today I'm going to enjoy testing how it sounds both in Chromecast and via WHA. I have 1 month free trial to decide if it's for me or not.
I think it will suit me, certainly better than Spotify which has remained old!!
In any case, if I am not satisfied, I can cancel the subscription without charge

 

[Balthazar B]

MQA is garbage, IMO. Don't answer hi-res with yet another compression/decompression scheme.

I'd love to switch to Qobuz, Apple or Amazon (since I am a Prime subscriber) from Spotify Premium. Problem is, there currently doesn't seem to be a good way to compare catalogs. If there were a service similar to TuneMyMusic or Soundiiz where I could upload or point to a Spotify playlist and see which services can match which tracks - in one comparison window - that'd be a game changer.

Does anyone know of such a service?

No doubt about it, that would be nice. However, results might vary weekly because of the constant licensing changes that affect the various services. Or artists who decide to leave certain services altogether (e.g., those who are leaving Spotify for political reasons).

FWIW, I did see a comparison from a non-conflicted reporter who stated that Apple currently has the largest catalog overall. Could be that their acquisition of Primephonic (including presumably their licenses) bumped up their advantage overall, and particularly in the classical music genre. But no way for us to know or confirm if that's actually true.

 

[Brantome]

Could be. I see they’re about to release an Apple Music Classical app which I guess deals with the Primephonic catalogue

 

[Maurizio]

Hi @Brantome
Sorry to bother you, but you seem quite expert and I would like to ask you something about Qobuz. Yesterday I activated my subscription and did some experiments. I would like some clarification.
1) To fully enjoy Qobuz I should use WHA. So I would have 24/192 and gapless music. Right? The problem with WHA, for me, is that having a large library and no options to sort the albums, it becomes a problem to find what I want.
2) I tried with Chromecast. I got 24/96 and that may be fine for me, but it seems to me that the music is not Gapeless. Right?
The lack of Gapeless is not a problem e.g. with Jazz, but with classical you can hear the jump between the various movements.
3) I also tried AirPlay and it seems to me the worst. I get 16/44 even though I think it's Gapeless.
Can you confirm or not my impressions?
Thanks for your help
The sound quality is absolutely excellent. It seems to me superior to AMU

 

[Brantome]

Hi, I’m by no means an expert (those with more knowledge than me will no doubt pitch in) and not a Qobuz user, but here goes:
1) Yeah, WiiM need to enhance their app in this and other areas. Maybe using BubbleUPNP as a front end would help, although not sure about your other issue re gapless;
2) I’m seeing conflicting and perhaps dated reports around this - I’ve posted the question in other more Qobuz related forums for an answer and will report back
3) Yeah, AirPlay is very limiting at the moment until Apple do something about it.

Re sound quality, Qobuz is often praised but personally I can’t discern a difference, but then again, my hearing isn’t all it could be these days…

 

[Maurizio]

Hi @Brantome
Thx for your reply
About sound differences between AMU and Qobuz, i think they are very subtle.
More than anything they concern the soundstage, that of Qobuz is a little better defined. Qobuz also has a little more dynamics and certain frequencies, like the cymbals, stand out more.
However, they are very subtle differences

 

[Mr Ee]

1) I'm almost certain qobuz via bubble is gapless, but no longer have qobuz to confirm. Easy, and free, to try it out for yourself, if on Android.
2) Qobuz via chromecast is 24 / 96 and not gapless.

 

[Brantome]

1) I'm almost certain qobuz via bubble is gapless, but no longer have qobuz to confirm. Easy, and free, to try it out for yourself, if on Android.
2) Qobuz via chromecast is 24 / 96 and not gapless.

Re 1), don’t you run into a similar issue as the Wiim home app in that BubbleUPNP’s interface isn’t as feature rich as the Qobuz app itself? Having said that, perhaps that’s not as important when you want to play a particular gapless album, but again, you could use the Wiim home app just as easily in that case.

 

[Mr Ee]

True.
But Bubble's interface is better than wiim's, and qobuz itself better again as you'd expect.
Waiting for qobuz connect to come along before reconsidering using it again.

 

[Maurizio]

1) I'm almost certain qobuz via bubble is gapless, but no longer have qobuz to confirm. Easy, and free, to try it out for yourself, if on Android.
2) Qobuz via chromecast is 24 / 96 and not gapless.

Hi @Mr Ee
I'll tell you right away that your advice was GREAT!!
I solved all my problems on the fly.
I tried the free version of BubbleUPnP, which however has a streaming limit, and when I saw that it was the ideal App for me, I bought the license. It costs only 4€.
So what does BUPnP do? All :
1) The WPro was recognized immediately
2) Qobuz already exists within BUPnP
3) Now I can have music at 24/192 and gapeless
4) Not only that, but I also have the metadata; the articles; Qobuz choices and much more, practically like the native Qobuz App.
BUPnP also has countless settings and you can customize it to your liking, from the graphic aspect to the functionalities. I had to get carried away and explore the various menus, but, in the end, it's simple.
Another IMPORTANT thing, for me that I have a big library, there are many options to sort the albums. Finding a specific album takes seconds.
This is one of WHA's BIGGEST LEAKS. Albums are sorted by title only. Almost IMPOSSIBLE to find a specific album.
I also wrote to the @WiiM Support asking them to add at least 2 options to reorder the albums :
1) Artist Name
2) Last Added
as all Native Apps have, and not only Native Apps.
We'll see what happens. if they will listen to me