Last one to the streaming party

[Lux Man]

I feel like what I think an alcoholic might feel like if he just found out he inherited a liquor store. Until last Sunday I had only heard of streaming music, Sunday night I downloaded Spotify, (my son 29 yr.old son told me about it) that was the last time my family saw me. Now, I just go upstairs from my man cave at night and get some food and something to drink. My boss has called several times this week but I just don't answer the phone. He doesn't know that now, I can listen to anything I want to and no one can stop me. I was about to come back to the real world on Tuesday but then my son emailed me to let me know we now had Spotify Premium. I then plugged in the mini refrigerator- no reason to go upstairs for something to drink now- I transferred the beer into the cave. I'm going on CL to look for a cook top.

I've realized there are 3 things in life that are way over rated-

Sunshine
Working
mortgage payments

Spotify is where its at.

 

[AlTinkster92]

Ok, then I wont mention Tidal....google it.

 

[ronscat]

Good story. I bet it sounds sweet on those JBLs.

 

[hnash53]

I feel like what I think an alcoholic might feel like if he just found out he inherited a liquor store. Until last Sunday I had only heard of streaming music, Sunday night I downloaded Spotify, (my son 29 yr.old son told me about it) that was the last time my family saw me. Now, I just go upstairs from my man cave at night and get some food and something to drink. My boss has called several times this week but I just don't answer the phone. He doesn't know that now, I can listen to anything I want to and no one can stop me. I was about to come back to the real world on Tuesday but then my son emailed me to let me know we now had Spotify Premium. I then plugged in the mini refrigerator- no reason to go upstairs for something to drink now- I transferred the beer into the cave. I'm going on CL to look for a cook top.

I've realized there are 3 things in life that are way over rated-

Sunshine
Working
mortgage payments

Spotify is where its at.

This is so bitchin'. It really is. Like a kid in a candy store... Spotify Premium... and I even have Pandora Plus, too. It's on all the time... cuz I"m here all the time.

Congrats to you... great that you/we/me/us are all listenin' to music. We COULD be getting into lots of trouble otherwise.


Cheers

 

[Lux Man]

So, I'm into this for a week now and I've gotten over my initial insanity. I left the house yesterday and I plan on returning to work today. I was reminded by my wife if I don't work we don't eat. (she retired 5 kids ago)

So---I have compared my best sounding cd's simultaneously with Spottily, I just sync them about 5-6 seconds apart and then switch back and forth with my preamp. I am having a hard time hearing a difference. Which do you think it is a-b-c-or d below?

Either a) my ears are shot b) my cd player is not very good c) my overall system can not reveal the difference or d) Spotify’s premium streaming is for all practical purposes cd quality.

I have Spotify connected to my preamp via the output on my Dell desktop, all it has is the on-board sound controller. My son uses the Rasberry Pi 2 and said he'll set me up with the Pi3 if I want him to but I'm wondering why, based on my experience. I'm all for spending money if it will help in the least bit.

Thoughts?

 

[Condorsat]

... Apples & Oranges comparison for me. I've got a Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000 (tubed output stage) Redbook CD player ... my Schiit Modi 2 Uber USB Dac (streaming) is solid state. Tube vs Solid state.

If I compare it to my Cambridge Audio universal DVD player ... I use Tidal (320kbps AAC) ... modern masters are close. On well mastered recordings (full dynamic range) ... hard media CD still holds the edge.

Comparing to Vinyl ... another Apples & Oranges.

So far ... every streaming upgrade I've done has led to improvements in playback quality. I really enjoy streaming and can even do some critical listening.

Example of modern mastered album (2011) that sounds really good (comparatively) streaming on my rig compared to CD.

Example where CD still has the edge on my mains rig.

Essentially ... it's all about the mastering

 

[Lux Man]

... Apples & Oranges comparison for me. I've got a Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000 (tubed output stage) Redbook CD player ... my Schiit Modi 2 Uber USB Dac (streaming) is solid state. Tube vs Solid state.

So I am clear, you are saying when you compare your Tubed CD player to your Schiit Modi USB DAC streaming the CD player wins hands down apples to oranges, no comparison?

I am not comparing vinyl to streaming, only CD's to streaming.

If CD's sound apples to oranges better than streaming then my CD player is crap.

 

[AlTinkster92]

Lux, give Tidal a try, they have Free trials like Spotify does. You'll be surprised how much better it sounds, IMHO....

 

[Lux Man]

Lux, give Tidal a try, they have Free trials like Spotify does. You'll be surprised how much bteer it sounds, IMHO....

Actually my point is, that Spotify sounds as good as my CD's. I did not expect that, especially because I am just using my 10 yr.s old Dell desktop to stream to my preamp.

 

[Condorsat]

So I am clear, you are saying when you compare your Tubed CD player to your Schiit Modi USB DAC streaming the CD player wins hands down apples to oranges, no comparison?

I am not comparing vinyl to streaming, only CD's to streaming.

If CD's sound apples to oranges better than streaming then my CD player is crap.

Comparing the Tubed CD player to solid state Schiit Modi 2 Uber ... is comparing Tubes (Apples) to Solid State DAC (oranges) ... skews the results (if you like tube sound) ... but yes the Tubed CD player sounds better .. BUT ... it has to be well mastered CD to make a noticeable vice a subtle difference.

When I compare the Cambridge Audio DVD player (think standard solid state CD player) ... the difference between CD & streaming is just subtle IMHO .... YMMV. To me AAC 320kbps sound really good ... better than what I though I would get 4 years ago when I started down this road.

My mains streaming rig ..

Entry level HP Laptop> 2 Audio quest Jitterbugs in parallel >AQ Forest USB >Schiit Modi 2 Uber
> AQ Evergreen RCA> Yamaha Integrated Amp > Kef Q100's & Polk Audio PS W10 sub.

 

[Todd Dodds]

Lux, give Tidal a try, they have Free trials like Spotify does. You'll be surprised how much bteer it sounds, IMHO....

But be warned, Tidal has recently introduced their "Masters" 24/96khz that will ruin you for Spotify (at least if you're a sucker for numbers).
I'm paying for Pandora One, Spotify, and Tidal's top tier, whatever they call it. It'll soon be time to cut at least one of them, but I can't decide which. I still like the Pandora One, which is the lesser quality of the three, but I really like the way they choose stuff they think fits my tastes.

 

[hnash53]

But be warned, Tidal has recently introduced their "Masters" 24/96khz that will ruin you for Spotify (at least if you're a sucker for numbers).
I'm paying for Pandora One, Spotify, and Tidal's top tier, whatever they call it. It'll soon be time to cut at least one of them, but I can't decide which. I still like the Pandora One, which is the lesser quality of the three, but I really like the way they choose stuff they think fits my tastes.

Well said. I have both Spotify and Pandora paid accounts. Pandora wins for their Music Genome Project and music discovery. Spotify.. I just dial up what I want to hear.

Lots of people cannot distinguish between CD and 320kbps (Spotify's paid subscription streams at this rate)... and I know I can't.

I've not tried Tidal's Masters or hi-res offering yet. Guess I should at least try it.

Glad you're liking streaming. I don't even have a CD player anymore.. though my bluray player can handle CDs.

 

[Condorsat]

Lots of people cannot distinguish between CD and 320kbps (Spotify's paid subscription streams at this rate)... and I know I can't.

Very true ... I must admit to being gobsmaked at the technological genius of MP3 . lossy audio data compression. Karlheinz Brandenburg German electrical engineer and mathematician ... guy w/ headphones is the Father of MP3.

 

[+48V]

I'm paying for Pandora One, Spotify, and Tidal's top tier, whatever they call it. It'll soon be time to cut at least one of them, but I can't decide which. I still like the Pandora One, which is the lesser quality of the three, but I really like the way they choose stuff they think fits my tastes.

As a fly on the wall, I suggest you hold onto your Pandora account for now. Coming very soon is Pandora Premium. On-demand 320 aac+ with all the perks of their genome and very slick/clean UI.

Once you dig your heels into Pandora Premium, I venture to say the easy choice will come down to ditching Spotify.

 

[Todd Dodds]

As a fly on the wall, I suggest you hold onto your Pandora account for now. Coming very soon is Pandora Premium. On-demand 320 aac+ with all the perks of their genome and very slick/clean UI.

Once you dig your heels into Pandora Premium, I venture to say the easy choice will come down to ditching Spotify.

That'll work. Thanks.

 

[robert_kc]

I recently trialed Spotify Premium and Tidal HiFi. I cancelled Tidal at the end of the trial.

My opinion is that Tidal is not very smart from a marketing perspective. I listen to classical music and opera. Nonetheless, every time I logged in, Tidal pushed rap music (and associated imagery) at me. It seems to me that the smart thing to do would be to set the “theme” of the GUI (e.g., pictures of artists) and the recommended recordings based on the type of music that the CUSTOMER likes, not what the owners of Tidal like. Every time I accessed Tidal I got the impression that their service isn’t intended for me. (At least Tidal was smart in asking why I cancelled.)

Tidal’s recommendations for classical music were less useful than Spotify’s.

For critical listening I use hi-res FLAC downloads (e.g., 24bit/96kHz), Blu-ray (audio and video), SACDs, and CDs. I already own a basic repertoire of classical music and opera. I was interested in streaming services for exploring different recordings, and for the rare occasion when I use music for background listening. I bought an Android tablet and stream via Chromecast Audio devices. (The Android tablet is not part of the audio chain – it simply acts as a remote control.) I compared a modern hi-res FLAC recording (on a local USB drive) with Tidal HiFi and Spotify Premium (same recording). I did not find a pronounced difference. (They were all played via the DAC in my Oppo BDP-105.) Because I use streaming services more for background music than critical listening, and Spotify is half the price, Spotify is the one that I kept.

BTW, I also use Tunein Radio for internet radio stations (i.e., when I want music “pushed” to me). My favorites are kusc.org (which has a live announcer) and audiophileclassical.radio.net (no announcer). Audio quality is suited for casual listening - however, I can’t complain because both are free, and commercial free.

 

[Condorsat]

I recently trialed Spotify Premium and Tidal HiFi. I cancelled Tidal at the end of the trial.

My opinion is that Tidal is not very smart from a marketing perspective. I listen to classical music and opera. Nonetheless, every time I logged in, Tidal pushed rap music (and associated imagery) at me. It seems to me that the smart thing to do would be to set the “theme” of the GUI (e.g., pictures of artists) and the recommended recordings based on the type of music that the CUSTOMER likes, not what the owners of Tidal like. Every time I accessed Tidal I got the impression that their service isn’t intended for me. (At least Tidal was smart in asking why I cancelled.)

Tidal’s recommendations for classical music were less useful than Spotify’s.

For critical listening I use hi-res FLAC downloads (e.g., 24bit/96kHz), Blu-ray (audio and video), SACDs, and CDs. I already own a basic repertoire of classical music and opera. I was interested in streaming services for exploring different recordings, and for the rare occasion when I use music for background listening. I bought an Android tablet and stream via Chromecast Audio devices. (The Android tablet is not part of the audio chain – it simply acts as a remote control.) I compared a modern hi-res FLAC recording (on a local USB drive) with Tidal HiFi and Spotify Premium (same recording). I did not find a pronounced difference. (They were all played via the DAC in my Oppo BDP-105.) Because I use streaming services more for background music than critical listening, and Spotify is half the price, Spotify is the one that I kept.

BTW, I also use Tunein Radio for internet radio stations (i.e., when I want music “pushed” to me). My favorites are kusc.org (which has a live announcer) and audiophileclassical.radio.net (no announcer). Audio quality is suited for casual listening - however, I can’t complain because both are free, and commercial free.

Never really noticed it (Tidal) ... I have a backlog of pre-selected music I want to listen to ... so I don't pay attention to recommendations. I start out by typing my selection in the search window.

Can't say I ever considered Tidal's ownership in my selection of the service. I stick with them mainly because I'm getting a Military Discount. $6 per month ($12 if I switch to CD quality) ... as long as that's in play ... I'm not going anywhere.

I use streaming services (Tidal) as my "other" format. Vinyl is my favorite (but not most played) & that's where my $$$ goes for music purchases. Still buy CD's ... just not many ... one so far this year.

One of the problems w/ any of the major subscription services IMHO ... is what I refer to as the Netflix Syndrome: the streaming content caters to the "main stream" or pop market palate.

Cheers

 

[Wildcat]

I still like the Pandora One, which is the lesser quality of the three, but I really like the way they choose stuff they think fits my tastes.

I think part of the failure of Pandora's perception is that some users out there think they can choose an artist, and then Pandora will play everything by that artist. I was using Pandora (free) from the early years and totally understood how it worked. The music is broken down into characteristics (they call them "music genomes"), and they match other music based on those characteristics. It's been great for music discovery. I have channels I have tuned for years with thumbs-up and thumbs-down votes, and added a couple of artists to the "seed," so I have a small number of highly-tuned channels which play just about everything I like. When they slip in something new that I don't like? Thumbs-down. It's been one of my good sources of music discovery as of late.

My opinion is that Tidal is not very smart from a marketing perspective. I listen to classical music and opera. Nonetheless, every time I logged in, Tidal pushed rap music (and associated imagery) at me.

I dislike that also. Strongly dislike it. Yet I use Tidal primarily via search, so once I'm past that imagery, it's a non-issue. It is sometimes hard to find music on Tidal, but I eventually get what I want. The fact that it is lossless (and now has the beginnings of MQA "Master" quality), that alone makes it the only one I could subscribe to. Pandora's lossy sound quality is fine for background music over the kitchen system, but on my main rig, lossy is not something I like to listen to.

BTW, for classical, I've been enjoying the 20-CD Bernard Haitink "Philips Years" set on Tidal.

I heard rumors of a merger (aka acquisition...who are they fooling?) of Tidal by Sprint. While I would hope they would get their site to appear more mainstream, I also hope they wouldn't dumb it down and remove the lossless streaming. That is really the only factor differentiating them from the competition, as their music catalog is not as large and financially, they are not in the best shape.

 

[Todd Dodds]

I think part of the failure of Pandora's perception is that some users out there think they can choose an artist, and then Pandora will play everything by that artist. I was using Pandora (free) from the early years and totally understood how it worked. The music is broken down into characteristics (they call them "music genomes"), and they match other music based on those characteristics. It's been great for music discovery. I have channels I have tuned for years with thumbs-up and thumbs-down votes, and added a couple of artists to the "seed," so I have a small number of highly-tuned channels which play just about everything I like. When they slip in something new that I don't like? Thumbs-down. It's been one of my good sources of music discovery as of late.


I dislike that also. Strongly dislike it. Yet I use Tidal primarily via search, so once I'm past that imagery, it's a non-issue. It is sometimes hard to find music on Tidal, but I eventually get what I want. The fact that it is lossless (and now has the beginnings of MQA "Master" quality), that alone makes it the only one I could subscribe to. Pandora's lossy sound quality is fine for background music over the kitchen system, but on my main rig, lossy is not something I like to listen to.

BTW, for classical, I've been enjoying the 20-CD Bernard Haitink "Philips Years" set on Tidal.

I heard rumors of a merger (aka acquisition...who are they fooling?) of Tidal by Sprint. While I would hope they would get their site to appear more mainstream, I also hope they wouldn't dumb it down and remove the lossless streaming. That is really the only factor differentiating them from the competition, as their music catalog is not as large and financially, they are not in the best shape.

Yessir, that's pretty much what I've been doing. Say I set a station for Jackson Browne...I monitor it and use the thumbs. They throw some new guy at me, and I might check him out on more closely on Spotify (where I can choose what to play), and if I like him, I set a second station for him, again closely monitoring him and using thumbs. After a while, I've got 30 or 40 stations. I set it to mix all the stations, and by golly I can listen to really good stuff all day long. I had a hard time getting Pandora to belive that I really, truly don't want Creedence in there, despite what the Genome says :0 ...I musta thumbed it down 25 times, but they finally caught on.

 

[Multimode]

BTW, I also use Tunein Radio for internet radio stations (i.e., when I want music “pushed” to me). My favorites are kusc.org (which has a live announcer) and audiophileclassical.radio.net (no announcer). Audio quality is suited for casual listening - however, I can’t complain because both are free, and commercial free.

Radio Swiss Classic and its twin Radio Swiss Jazz have been firm favourites of mine for several years now. No adverts or news, etc, just good music.

I've just tried Audiophile Classic for the first time and enjoyed it. I've also listened in to Audiophile Jazz and that seems promising as well. They don't appeal to me quite as much as the Radio Swiss output but are worth bookmarking. Thanks for the lead.