[All Platforms][Music] HiFi Quality - Lossless Streaming 16bit 44.1khz

[timiambeing]

I've just started a trial of Qobuz - they offer the standard 320kbps as well as lossless FLAC streaming (and high res downloads if you purchase them) the sound quality is noticeably better and on classical it's just wonderful to get all that resolution through your hi-fi or headphones! The catalogue has a way to go to get to Spotify's level, but they are getting there. The iPad app isn't' too bad (the desktop app is in need of an upgrade but I hear they are putting all their efforts into mobile apps right now).

So - lossless streaming - if Qobuz can do it then so can Spotify, they must have the same source - and obviously if you are asking £20 a month then those record labels and distributors take enough notice to make the high res tracks available for streaming. What this all means is soon, very soon, we will get lossless streaming and closely followed by high res downloads - but if Spotify aren't careful it will be Apple who get there first with an audiophile premium offering, and when they do it will be a much harder market place to make money in!

** please don't lump this suggestion with the main one on lossless downloads, that's a different idea entirely guys!

[timiambeing]

I've just started a trial of Qobuz - they offer the standard 320kbps as well as lossless FLAC streaming (and high res downloads if you purchase them) the sound quality is noticeably better and on classical it's just wonderful to get all that resolution through your hi-fi or headphones! The catalogue has a way to go to get to Spotify's level, but they are getting there. The iPad app isn't' too bad (the desktop app is in need of an upgrade but I hear they are putting all their efforts into mobile apps right now).

[timiambeing]

So - lossless streaming - if Qobuz can do it then so can Spotify, they must have the same source - and obviously if you are asking £20 a month then those record labels and distributors take enough notice to make the high res tracks available for streaming. What this all means is soon, very soon, we will get lossless streaming and closely followed by high res downloads - but if Spotify aren't careful it will be Apple who get there first with an audiophile premium offering, and when they do it will be a much harder market place to make money in!

[vdubsession]

Spotify clearly does not have any desire to give us lossless/hi-res audio, but are fine to raise the prices every 6 months lately with nothing to show for it.

I've been a spotify premium user for many years and I can't support them anymore if this is how they handle the most frequent request from their paying users.  

For what it's worth, I've been having a great trial of Tidal and it sounds so much better on my Sony headphones and Sonos speakers, so I'm done with spotify.   I don't think I'll reconsider them at this point, even if they decide to bring Hi-Res or lossless audio in the next 5 years.   We can only vote with our wallets, so I'd recommend others jump ship as well.   (Lets see if this post stays up or not...)

[petsy48]

    I too have given up on Spotify! I was a loyal customer ever since
it was available in Canada up until 2 years ago. I then went to Amazon
HD for a year. I loved it for the desktop app, but the Android app was
horrific. It took ages to load and would quite often quit in mid track.
I signed up for Qobuz almost a year ago and am very happy. The desktop
app is flawless and the Android app sounds great and is very responsive.
    When I found out how much Spotify pays the musicians compared to
Qobuz, I don't think I'll ever go back. There's so much more bang for
the buck elsewhere.

[tts42572]

Still frustrated that there is no HIFI/CD Quality streaming yet but I'll at least give some kudos to spotify for giving premium subscribers the option of knocking off audiobooks and saving a couple bucks.  

Now just waiting for that premium streaming that is very long overdue. 

In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying my tidal free trial until it ends and I'm forced to make a decision.  All I can say though is that I've had very little desire to open spotify since I got tidal.  I just love hearing the "fuller" sound that tidal seems to offer.

[SoundError90]

Everyone is switching to Tidal... I tried to switch 10 times for sure, but I couldn't, because the recommendations there are just **bleep**, frankly, and that's why I stopped at Apple Music

[ljosb0xet0ebanix5wza]

Completely agree - I'm about to ditch Spotify because Tidal sounds so much better. 

I love the Spotify app - the algorithms and suggestions, but despite promising hi-res sound for years, it has yet to appear and I don't think it will.

I'm sad to leave - but the difference in sound quality is a bit of a deal-breaker

[BigSebbi]

Some customers have a spotify subscription for years and have been waiting for higher sound quality. I heard/read somewhere that spotify employees are able to enjoy lossless audio already and that pricing and licensing is the main issue for the roll-out. 
My wish would be that premium customers with a subscription period of 5+ years should be able to get that access too. An advantage for you could be, that these users could be treated as a test group to see how many of those would actually try the lossless streaming quality and if they'd be willing to pay (and how much) for it as well.

[schjano]

Submitted on   2014-03-02 12:44 PM.

I'm sure even Youtube Music HiFi will be available sooner than Spotify Supremium. lol. 

[ljosb0xet0ebanix5wza]

I've also just trialled Roon, so I think there's zero chance of returning to Spotify now .... all the Spotify/Bluesound/Tidal wrinkles are gone - it works as a media player should do !

[SoundError90]

But Tidal 's recommendations are **bleep** , it 's impossible to listen , all sorts of nonsense in mixes and albums offers bad ones . that's why I chose Apple Music

[ljosb0xet0ebanix5wza]

You're right @SoundError90 - they're poor and nowhere near as good as Spotify's recs - so in the last couple of weeks of my Spotify sub, I've created a ton of playlists and migrated them into Tidal. 

Playing these in Tidal has really improved their recommendations