The end of my discovery…. Please read

[merifon]

I think you will find that all streaming services are compressed. The differential is lossy vs lossless (but both are compressed).

I was clearly meaning size compression (lossy or lossless), not dynamic compression. The latter depends from who made the master and what he was thinking about. Generally, the streaming services pass what they receive from productions...

 

[d6jg]

I was clearly meaning size compression (lossy or lossless), not dynamic compression. The latter depends from who made the master and what he was thinking about. Generally, the streaming services pass what they receive from productions...

I was referring to size compression.

Spotify for example is Ogg Vorbis - a compressed lossy format similar to mp3

Qobuz / Tidal are FLAC. Lossless but still compressed. When decompressed it is equivalent to uncompressed WAV/PCM

 

[CrystalGipsy]

I was clearly meaning size compression (lossy or lossless), not dynamic compression. The latter depends from who made the master and what he was thinking about. Generally, the streaming services pass what they receive from productions...

I think he might also be referring to flac compression which is used for all the lossless services. It is better nomenclature to use lossy and lossless as opposed to compressed uncompressed I suppsoe, but easy to forget as I did in my post further up.

 

[merifon]

I was referring to size compression.

Spotify for example is Ogg Vorbis - a compressed lossy format similar to mp3

Qobuz / Tidal are FLAC. Lossless but still compressed. When decompressed it is equivalent to uncompressed WAV/PCM

Ok, I know... The point is that, at same price, Tidal performed better in a back&fort switching comparision, versus same songs at same time code, from Spotify. Not all cases but many of the tested bunch, so I gone with Tidal

 

[merifon]

I think he might also be referring to flac compression which is used for all the lossless services. It is better nomenclature to use lossy and lossless as opposed to compressed uncompressed I suppsoe, but easy to forget as I did in my post further up.

Sure, I'll remember this on future posts...

 

[d6jg]

Ok, I know... The point is that, at same price, Tidal performed better in a back&fort switching comparision, versus same songs at same time code, from Spotify. Not all cases but many of the tested bunch, so I gone with Tidal

No surprise there. Did you compare Tidal vs Qobuz?

 

[merifon]

No surprise there. Did you compare Tidal vs Qobuz?

Yes, anyway less compulsively. I didn't find particular differences and considering I'm not liking Qobuz interface, I left...
Instead sometimes I found quality variations on Amazon Music, even on same album, songs were at different sample rate, exemple on Quadrophenia motion picture soundtrack at least one song was different and worse than others. Also, some songs that on Qobuz were 96khz, on Amazon were at 192khz and sounded different, with widen stereo image than Qobuz or Tidal that sounded very similar among them. Maybe a forced resample done by Amazon. Saying that I don't like Amazon app user interface app also, I stayed with Tidal that at least, has the best lyrics management.
All these checks were done more than a year ago, maybe the situation has changed and my gear is also improved...

 

[d6jg]

That’s exactly my gripe with Amazon. Re-created albums with differing sample rates. That’s why I don’t use it even though it’s cheaper.

 

[CrystalGipsy]

Yes, anyway less compulsively. I didn't find particular differences and considering I'm not liking Qobuz interface, I left...
Instead sometimes I found quality variations on Amazon Music, even on same album, songs were at different sample rate, exemple on Quadrophenia motion picture soundtrack at least one song was different and worse than others. Also, some songs that on Qobuz were 96khz, on Amazon were at 192khz and sounded different, with widen stereo image than Qobuz or Tidal that sounded very similar among them. Maybe a forced resample done by Amazon. Saying that I don't like Amazon app user interface app also, I stayed with Tidal that at least, has the best lyrics management.
All these checks were done more than a year ago, maybe the situation has changed and my gear is also improved...

There are lots of albums on Qobuz or for purchase from Bandcamp that are mastered with different sample rates in them. This is quite common especially when they add bonus tracks. I doubt Amazon is resampling anything, they may have been supplied different masters, Apple often has different resolution to Qobuz on some albums sometmes higher sometime lower, its all down to the deals and rights each one negotiated and what they get given.

 

[Brantome]

Agreed. Same in my view when people say Qobuz sounds better that Amazon Music, or Topaz or whatever - they can’t have got all the best masters…

 

[d6jg]

You may not have seen situations where Amazon has albums made up from different ones with varying sample rates for tracks across the album. I have never seen this on Qobuz

 

[CrystalGipsy]

You may not have seen situations where Amazon has albums made up from different ones with varying sample rates for tracks across the album. I have never seen this on Qobuz

See it all the time, as Roon will show you it has mixed formats. Dua Lipas Future nostalgia for one is mixed.

 

[Yanto]

Why are so many obsessed with high res audio? Don’t get me wrong I was one of them. I read countless reviews on DACs and getting the “best” audio I could. I stream Apple Music/Classical via Airplay 2 to my Wiim Pro Plus. Goes to my Willsenton r8 tube amp then on to my Denton 85th anniversary speakers. Sounds amazing. And yes it’s not high res it’s 16/44.1 cd quality audio. From articles I’ve read cd quality audio covers the entire range of human hearing. Our ears aren’t capable of hearing high res frequencies. 999 people out of a 1000 can’t hear the difference. I still have a Qobuz subscription that doesn’t expire for another week or so. So I did some experimenting with my and my wife’s ears. We switched back and forth from Qobuz and Apple Music playing Pat Metheny’s latest album. Audio quality on Qobuz was 24/96 Apple Music was 16/44.1. She nor I could tell any difference. My wife is no audiophile by any means or am I but she said why pay for something your ears can’t hear. And I kind of agreed with her. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying I’m right or better than anyone at all. Music and audio systems are a wonderful world/hobby to be in. To each their own. Your money your choice. Basically what I’m rambling about is that I’m happy with what my 52 year old ears can actually hear. Thank you for reading. Listen on.

Silly question. Is Apple Music via Airplay 2 actually 16/44.1?

 

[Wiimer]

Silly question. Is Apple Music via Airplay 2 actually 16/44.1?

I was curious about it too, but I didn't dare mention it here.

As already mentioned in other threads, I don't think it's lossless.

 

[Yanto]

I was curious about it too, but I didn't dare mention it here.

As already mentioned in other threads, I don't think it's lossless.

Just me silly enough to ask then!
I know that when I do use Apple Music via WiiM Pro, my amp tells me I’m receiving 44.1, but I’m sure I read elsewhere that Airplay over WiFi this way does not achieve this resolution and is a much lower lossy format?

 

[Wiimer]

Just me silly enough to ask then!
I know that when I do use Apple Music via WiiM Pro, my amp tells me I’m receiving 44.1, but I’m sure I read elsewhere that Airplay over WiFi this way does not achieve this resolution and is a much lower lossy format?

Yes, I think this is what you saw.

Post in thread 'Integrating Music Services' https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/integrating-music-services.1452/post-22493

 

[Brantome]

Just me silly enough to ask then!
I know that when I do use Apple Music via WiiM Pro, my amp tells me I’m receiving 44.1, but I’m sure I read elsewhere that Airplay over WiFi this way does not achieve this resolution and is a much lower lossy format?

Your amp may well show a 44.1 pcm stream, but that doesn’t mean it’s lossless.

 

[merifon]

There are lots of albums on Qobuz or for purchase from Bandcamp that are mastered with different sample rates in them. This is quite common especially when they add bonus tracks. I doubt Amazon is resampling anything, they may have been supplied different masters, Apple often has different resolution to Qobuz on some albums sometmes higher sometime lower, its all down to the deals and rights each one negotiated and what they get given.

Yes, albums with bonus tracks or other, usually came in that form directly from productions and have such variations on any platform.
I was referring about albums that only Amazon Music gives with those variations. Sure this means some different approach from others services.

 

[Yanto]

Your amp may well show a 44.1 pcm stream, but that doesn’t mean it’s lossless.

That’s exactly what I was saying. Plus in the original post it mentioned listening to Apple Music via Airplay 2 in 16/44.1 which I was querying.

 

[CrystalGipsy]

Silly question. Is Apple Music via Airplay 2 actually 16/44.1?

No it’s AAC so doesn’t have a bit depth as no lossy encoded formats do. It’s encoded at 44.1khz sample rate though.