HiFi Music

[amjosh]

With all the high end gear, the thing that is really needed is to enjoy it . As I started this hobby, very soon I realized that quite a bit of music that I used to like before, I don't so much anymore, due to bad recordings . As a result I am always in search of properly recorded good music. The primary tools I am using are Tidal HiFi and Roon. Would like to hear what other options you guys use. As well as list of specific tracks.

 

[amirm]

I used to buy a lot of digital downloads but since getting Tidal, I have essentially stopped.

If you do want to get digital downloads, Blue Coast music has excellent recordings: https://bluecoastmusic.com/

Are you looking for more specific album recommendations?

 

[amjosh]

I used to buy a lot of digital downloads but since getting Tidal, I have essentially stopped.

If you do want to get digital downloads, Blue Coast music has excellent recordings: https://bluecoastmusic.com/

Are you looking for more specific album recommendations?

Will check that out. Yeah, I was looking for a general recommendations on music, as well as movies with awesome soundtracks.

 

[openbaffle3278]

I'm here too as well. I spent this year re-ripping all of my CDs to loseless (ALAC) and have tons of LPs, but I just love the convenience of Spotify since I travel a lot. I don't have DAP and love being able to have access to 40 million albums and being able to make playlists and download interesting music to my phone while traveling. Even when I am home I still more often than not stream Spotify -> PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell Dac -> Speakers.

Everything is nice and being able to use my iPad in my listening chair to find tracks is super useful. I have a bunch of LPs, but don't even have a turntable anymore currently.

 

[amjosh]

I'm here too as well. I spent this year re-ripping all of my CDs to loseless (ALAC) and have tons of LPs, but I just love the convenience of Spotify since I travel a lot. I don't have DAP and love being able to have access to 40 million albums and being able to make playlists and download interesting music to my phone while traveling. Even when I am home I still more often than not stream Spotify -> PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell Dac -> Speakers.

Everything is nice and being able to use my iPad in my listening chair to find tracks is super useful. I have a bunch of LPs, but don't even have a turntable anymore currently.

Have you tried Tidal Lossless?
I am torn between using highest quality mp3 v/s lossless. I think I can hear some differences in songs that I have listened before, but would be hard to do that for new songs. Still the thought of listening lossless gives a high .

 

[maverickronin]

Have you tried Tidal Lossless?
I am torn between using highest quality mp3 v/s lossless. I think I can hear some differences in songs that I have listened before, but would be hard to do that for new songs. Still the thought of listening lossless gives a high .

Considering that some labels add audible "watermarks" to the versions of tracks they distribute to lossless streaming services you might want to just stick to the lossy streaming.

 

[amjosh]

Considering that some labels add audible "watermarks" to the versions of tracks they distribute to lossless streaming services you might want to just stick to the lossy streaming.

I checked it out and seems this is not limited to lossless . Here is a website that describes this more: https://www.mattmontag.com/music/universals-audible-watermark
This is sick. How can one listen to the "Original" music. Everything is distorted here .

 

[andreasmaaan]

The watermarking thing is just unbelievable.

Does anyone know which labels do it? I've heard about Universal but it would be nice to know which other shysters are in on it.

 

[Sal1950]

Almost makes you want to throw in the towel on buying expensive gear.
Between the compression and this watermarking its getting hard to find a good source.

 

[FrantzM]

I used to buy a lot of digital downloads but since getting Tidal, I have essentially stopped.

If you do want to get digital downloads, Blue Coast music has excellent recordings: https://bluecoastmusic.com/

Are you looking for more specific album recommendations?

Same here... I no longer buy CDs

I have Roon + Tidal
and Spotify

There is a redundancy and believe that once I have a serious permanent Roon Endpoint I will ditch SPOTIFY although its interface and its algorithms to recommend music are pretty good .. at $10.month I may keep it
Interesting times for the music lovers ...

 

[Sal1950]

There is a redundancy and believe that once I have a serious permanent Roon Endpoint I will ditch SPOTIFY although its interface and its algorithms to recommend music are pretty good .. at $10.month I may keep it
Interesting times for the music lovers ...

We're still nagging Spotify for a lossless stream. I'd so much rather pay them than the Tidal gangster punks. Qobuz might be a alternative soon.
https://community.spotify.com/t5/Li...Lossless-Streaming-16bit-44-1khz/idi-p/700006

 

[amjosh]

We're still nagging Spotify for a lossless stream. I'd so much rather pay them than the Tidal gangster punks. Qobuz might be a alternative soon.
https://community.spotify.com/t5/Li...Lossless-Streaming-16bit-44-1khz/idi-p/700006

Could not agree more. The home page on Tidal is so useless. But they do have quite unbelievable content, if you search. Also, there seems to be something here for @amirm . Can you look into this watermarking, if this is real and how deep is this problem?

 

[RayDunzl]

Can you look into this watermarking

Audible Audio Watermark

 

[Wombat]

E.g. Can you notice it?

 

[openbaffle3278]

The watermark thing is frustrating -- and very audible. I agree that Spotify lossless stream would be great and something I'd pay a premium for. I have no interest in jumping ship for Tidal at this point. I've considered Apple Music in the past, but like segmenting my iTunes library (ripped CDs in loseless format) from my rented music library. Apple Music might be something I'd consider too, again, I'd pay a preimum for ALAC streaming.

 

[andreasmaaan]

My take is that until it’s possible to stream without watermarking, there’s no point in lossless streaming. The watermark is way more degrading of SQ than 320Kbps compression.

 

[RayDunzl]

Are the compressed streams audibly watermarked?

 

[openbaffle3278]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the article, but I read it as the the lossless, compressed streams and potentially CDs of the same records are audibly watermarked. Maybe I am mistaken about the last one there.

 

[andreasmaaan]

As i understand it, both compressed and lossless streams are watermarked. CDs are not.

 

[andreasmaaan]

Are the compressed streams audibly watermarked?

Yes it’s quite audible when listening critically. Much more so than e.g. 320Kbps compression.

If you google articles on this there are some with examples to listen (sorry, on the phone rn so can’t find it easily).