Announcements

Help Wizard

Step 1

NEXT STEP

FAQs

Please see below the most popular frequently asked questions.

Loading article...

Loading faqs...

VIEW ALL

Ongoing Issues

Please see below the current ongoing issues which are under investigation.

Loading issue...

Loading ongoing issues...

VIEW ALL

[PS4] poor audio quality

[PS4] poor audio quality

I'm trialling Spotify premium but I'm finding the audio quality on the ps4 app has a very tinny muffled sound. I have a fibre connection and other apps like YouTube \iPlayer\Amazon which also have video have significantly better audio. I'm not expecting CD quality but it is now where neat what I think is worth paying for.

Is this something that will be improved?
Reply
Top Answer
kozzmozz14
Regular

Hi spotify-user,

 

I`m a high-end-freak and will try to answer a few questions. I use Accuphase equipment with large B&W speakers and an special Digital/Analog converter from Accuphase.

 

The best way to enjoy music with ps4:

 

1. HDMI is no good way to hear music with ps4 - the best way is to connect your audio devices with an optical cable (please use good quality)

2. the best audio setting for ps4 and spotify is PCM and optical out (this has no effect and changes on your HDMI connect !!!) on the audio output settings. Either your amp has an "good" internal D/A-converter or you use an external one.

3. the ps4 is in the same home network like your phone - so use the spotify-phone/tab-app to navigate through your own music, playlists/albums etc. (some user crab about the ps4 navigation)

 

In this case the sound is almost like a CD. Not only pop-music, also jazz and classic sounds very well. No equalizer necessary. As well i play my games with this setting and is`s a awesome sound.

 

 

92 Replies

^

Go to PS4 audio options in the settings and change the output to DTS (it's probably linear by default). This will give you bass and slightly better Spotify sound quality, it's what I use now. It's not great but it's at least passable. Barely.

There is a very real problem. I have been using Spotify premium since 2009. I upgraded my system last fall, and in the process changed the source from Apple TV to PS4. Ever since I haven't been happy with the system, and first I thought my new amp is not powerful enough for my new speakers. We finally identified the source of the problem, when we started renting movies via the PS4 amazon app. The movies have hugely better audio than Spotify. There is no question about it. Moreover, this cannot be about the hardware set-up since the hardware is the same: Spotify vs amazon PS4 app. The problem is so apparent that nowadays also my wife rather uses YouTube for streaming music than Spotify. If there is no fix in the near future, I think I am going to get Bluesound and change for Tidal.

I'd just like to add a "me too" to this. The sound is so bad that it's not worth listening to the free version let alone paying for premium. Like others i get great sound from other sources and apps. Please fix this spotify/sony, I've just bought a new phone and amp and this feature was one of the key reasons.

Glad I'm not the only one experiencing this issue.

 

This issue made me dump Spotify for Tidal. I can't believe they've buried their head in the sand on this one.

Ah yes,  the PS4 Spotify audio issue. Still going strong.  I just got done with a 6 month Tidal trial.  Say what you want about Tidal, but the HiFi/Master option is just terrific.  With that said, still can't justify 20 bucks a month for it.  So I let the trial end, and pick up Spotify again. 

The flaws the the PS4 are even more apparent.  The tiny highs, the muddled lows.   Somebody said above that Chromecasting is better,  I concur.   I get even better sound quality using my PC set up.  

This isue is going on over 2 years now I think, i do not think Sony or Spotify are putting time into fixing this.  

 

I miss my Tidal :(*

I have a pioneer VSX-822 running to technic towers. Playing Spotify through AirPlay on the receiver sounds as good as streaming compressed files is going to sound. Since I have everything running though my reciever, if I want to do anything other than listen to audio, like play on my PS4, I have to switch from AirPlay input. So to listen to Spotify I have to play though PS4 and it sounds like it's been compressed 100 times more. It's terrible. There's absolutely no low pass frequencies. I've tried both the different output settings on the ps4 and the format settings, it makes little to no difference in Spotify. No other audio coming from the ps4 sounds as terrible as Spotify. It would be nice to be able to access the EQ on the Spotify app but you can't do that while connected to a device. 

 

Dear Spotify, 

 

    Please fux with this. It really shouldn't be that hard to find the problem and have PS send a patch.

 

Sincerly,

         Your $160 a year customer.

Does anyone know if they fixed this on the PS4 pro? 

No, I have PS4 Pro, and the problem is there. Although, I have moved to Tidal, and I haven't used Spotify in few months, so I am not sure if it has been fixed; probably not.

But does TD have a PS4 app? I searched and havent found the app for it.

The poor audio quality on PS4 started since the big update from Sony a few months ago. Letters like the 's' are very poor. Cracky sound. Fix this Spotify!

Same Problem here. 

Spotify updated the App. Ist Looks different now, but the soundbug with the Strange sounding s Letters ist still there.

Dear Spotify and Sony,

 

You both have seriously let me down..... I can’t believe this problem as persisted for over 2 YEARS without any updates. Don’t advertise an app for a music streaming service that many people enjoy using if you can’t deliver the quality that they are used to experiencing. Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time downloading the Spotify app for PS4. Unless you’re ready to sacrifice 5.1 channel quality for lame optical stereo, downloading the app will only frustrate and annoy you.

 

Super Angry,

Dissapointed Consumer

Recently upgraded my speakers and the poor audio quality is really evident now. The bass is very tinny and it sounds like there is some kind of stereo widening effect on. What is going on here Spotify and Sony?

Suggested posts