So glad Qobuz released in Australia this week signed up immediately after 3+ years with Tidal. SQ is slightly better across the board listening to some Hires 24bit 192k is a joy!
Tidal FORCING users into what is essentially lossy snake oil sold as "hi res" kills it for me 😒 At that point it may as well be mp3 or ogg, those will probably add less distortion.
For me personally, Qobuz sounds MUCH better in Hi Res. I stream directly to KEF LS50W from BubbleUPnP and to my HT directly to an Oppo 105D. And I have been a Tidal subscriber since the beginning, 10+ years. I even prefer the Qobuz Ap and the fact that it doesn't push a lot of Hip Hop towards me, I prefer Electronic, Jazz and Classical. BUT recently Qobuzs' MAy 2020 update has introduced a bad stutter in the Ap, as evidenced by its most recent ap store reviews, but the problem does not exist in BubbleUPnP. I imagine this will be a passing problem though since it was OK before the update.
I switched from Tidal to Qobuz. I think Qobuz has a cleaner, more straight forward look, and better sound, at least for the HD tracks. I like playing CD's all the way through, and not being bothered with irrelevant 'suggestions.' For simplicity of use, and uncluttered direct access to CD's, Qobuz is the way to go IMHO.
I keep Spotify Premium to discover new music like Adrian but now use Qobuz instead of Tidal. I like the fact I can play high res without MQA hardware when I’m away from home.
I switched from Tidal to Qobuz and profited from the promotion for $149.99/year (12.49/month). I do like the editorial service of Qobuz which works very well also with Roon. Overall, I do prefer the sound of Qobuz over Tidal. Also on Tidal, I had too many songs becoming suddenly unavailable for streaming.
Nice to know im not the only one. I thought id finally lost it, but blind testing showed me time and time again that a qobuz stream of a release i owned on disc sounded identical, but a Tidal stream of the same release sounded inferior. I tried as many tracks as i could where i could be certain of the master. New releases are usually best because its much more likely that its all from the same mastering, which is obviously essetial if you wish to compare. If you are a roon user, comparing the two could not be easier. Im delighted i moved to qobuz and ill consume my high res through originall flac files. MQA should be consigned to the dustbin of history - a solution to problem that nobody has, designed to make maximum money whilst doing everything that it can to obscure the fact it IS lossy by design. I consider it criminal... And of course Tidal are in because they own part of MQA. Shysters! xD
I use Tidal because of really great sound quality. 44.1khz / 16-24 bit sounds really phenomenal out of my RP 600M. The only thing I really hate about Tidal HiFi is the inescapable recommendation of Rap music. Hip/Hop/Rap EVERYWHERE. They don't even care if that's your liking or not. Some might exclusively like Rock, Soft Rock, and or Metal but they'd still be bombarded with stupid rap music.
Great conversation! As someone who had Tidal and then moved back to Spotify when Spotify premium became available, it was very enlightening to hear the perspective related to the quality of my sound system! Thank you for a thoughtful, nuanced discussion!
Interesting conversation. There's been some excellent research done since this recording and its now been found that MQA makes the file size larger as the process adds in artefacts that weren't present in the original recording - in other words less pure!
Adrian, we feel your pain. As my wife and I near 60 we also hunt for words, forget how to spell things, go to get/do something and forget what we were going for.
I pay for my Qobuz by the year and that brings the price down to $12.50 a month. That’s a bargain in my book. I don’t have Tidal to compare but I do hear a difference compared to CD. Qobuz sounds darker to me even in high res. High res sounds great to me. Haven’t logged in to Spotify once since I got Qobuz. Qobuz has proved to be what I have always been looking for in a streaming service. It’s truly a game changer for me.
Qobuz hi res steamrollers tidal mqa in my rig in the UK for Audio quality. I use Deezer currently because it’s like cd quality Spotify. If Qobuz had Spotify/Deezer’s library I’d be on that any day.
My hi-fi dealer said I sould buy a T+A DAC but it can´t play mqa "only" native DSD and all others. I hear 95% via Tidal and less bought music, so how important is mqa really?
@@DieTabbi It is important that you do not fall for the mqa scam. It will most likely soon be forgotten since it addresses a problem which no longer exists, poor bandwidth.
I couldnt believe how uninvolved i was with mqa files on Tidal, often far preferring japanese remasters i owned at 16/44. Then I tried qobuz instead and it was revolutionary to my ears, no difference in software for me as im a roon user. Since then ive looked at mqa and uncovered that its awful snake oil... Its a lossy format and it sounds like it. Even non mqa files sound much more like the disc.
Thanks for this video! After months of using Qobuz, I recently also signed up with Tidal, and have to say that, hands down, it is the service I use 90% of the time. Qobuz sounds better to me and has a much, much larger hi-res library. If you love classical, then Qobuz is a no-brainer. I like the straightforward hi-res approach (no MQA nonsense). But if you love all kinds of genres, and your main goal is to discover new music, then Tidal is it. I have discovered and fallen in love with more music in one week of using Tidal than in 6 months with Qobuz. Plus, Tidal creates automatic "radio stations" based on your preferences, it auto-recommends similar artists and it... drum roll, please... has a METAL section! That, right there is why Tidal wins, full stop. Qobuz is terrible when it comes to discovering new music. Also, Tidal just works across all devices and platforms, whereas the Qobuz app, I hate to say it, is a disaster on most Android devices. It simply does not even work at all. On my FIIO M11, it is useless. It would not even play... I debated about cancelling my Qobuz subscription, but after the reduced the price I decided to keep it mainly for the classical selection. But, as I said, for pure musical joy, Tidal winds hands down and it is the service I listen to all day.
Yeah Qobuz seems better to me as well. Turning it up past a point on Tidal, voices will clip. On Qobuz it just keeps on pushing smooth sound. Not sure what is going on here. I'm only 1 day into trying Qobuz and I'm liking it. Like you stated Tidal has a great selection of music I listen to. Qobuz has a decent library and I love how it shows you the streaming quality. Everything I've searched on Tidal so far has been there. Lots of great songs with amazing versions. If Qobuz came out with an app for my devices I would probably switch over now. For now I'll be testing them both.
100% on Vilip’s page: I’ve been curious about streaming services in the last 6 months or so, I eventually streamlined my options to Qobuz and Tidal only, just by readings...and the minute I started the trial subscription with both of them I just went like “Hey they are so different! Is it just me? How come NO ONE ever mentions that?!?” So thanks for confirming my ears still work....although they are 2.5 times older than my 20 years old mind 🤣🤣🤣
I hear Qobuz is coming to Canada in May 2023. I'll try it but I'm happy with Tidal at the present. The sound and logarithm choices are good for me. Read Qobuz isn't that good in the logarithm area so it'll be interesting to see. Good video guys!
Looks like I’m outnumbered but I think Tidal sounds much better. It has better bass and is smoother on the top end. I have the HiFI Rose RS150B and it has about 10 different filters to choose from. Maybe with the filters I use just sound better with Tidal.
Good video as always guys! I mostly have been using Tidal recently but haven’t tried Qobuz. On the MQA topic I have to say that I’ve noticed that all the Tidal tracks that have been MQA’d have an output of something like +3db-+6db over other tracks for some reason. I don’t know if you’ve noticed the same? The cynical side of me thinks they might be trying to artificially make you feel like it’s better sound quality by bumping up the output level 🤷🏾♂️. It’s particularly annoying when you have a playlist of both types of tracks and have to juggle the volume when it switches from one to the other.
I have just read a detailed report on MQA testing & the MQA guys are refusing to fully cooperative and are in denial. YOU GET MORE NOISE CREATED ON MQA. They are still refusing to accept these individual findings from other scientific testers. Obviously they have a lot to lose. Flac is as good if not better, we are talking minute differences in file size but big differences in the final quality. MQA is not the money spinner they thought it would be for the creators & are refusing to fully cooperate with others specialists who have pointed out the MQA flaws. I bet they are squirming in their office chairs at MQA head office.
Adrian, I am with you completely in regard to your experience with getting older. It’s funny how one day you just “notice” that you are not as young as your mind thinks you are! Be well and thanks for the videos.
Seems like Tidal needs to start listening to their customers and start streaming real hi rez files and stop the processing and lossy compression. I have seriously compared Tidal and Qobuz and to me Tidal sounds so much worse that I am cancelling my subscription. I would be happy to go back to them if they drop MQA and any other processing they may be using and just stream honest content, up to 24/192. I don't think it is just me, a lot of other people have commented online that Qobuz sounds better to them. What would I be doing if I had Tidal shares? Selling them and buying Qobuz stock, that is for sure.
I agree completely, I liked Tidal for the 2.5 years I had it but I can do without MQA. They don't offer a plan that has just regular HiFi tracks so I switched.
Both suffer from release delay, depending on the source material one will be delayed over the other. Qobuz generally sounds better in my opinion, except for specific MQA tracks that as stated below are specifically engineered to be more pleasing. Also, your setup is VERY important. As an example, I use Stax Electrostatic headphones with a tube-based energizer most of the time when I'm listening to either/both and Qobuz wins out in my setup when comparing track for track. Qobuz also seems to have more hi-res tracks in general making it difficult to not have both.. I also use Roon in this setup and regularly compare versions just to see if there are further differences at the same resolution.
Yeah I'm casting Qobuz to my TV right now and it sounds great. Has that little bit of more clarity when turned up at high volumes. Tidal sounds great too but the voices tends to clip a bit. They both have a good clean sound compared to other services I've tried. Tidal has a nice library with music videos that sound and look great. I'm testing them both out for a month on their trial. I will update at the end of the month who I stuck with.
In my system Tidal has more depth and better 3d soundstage while qobuz sound is warmer and clearer comparing tracks side by side using audirvana . So for me it is a matter of taste if you choose one or the other . Qobuz has a more "relaxed" sound so for casual listening I think it is a better option than TIDAL but for focused listening I think that in general Tidal MQA files are the best . The problem with MQA files is that they are not consistent enough , some albums sound REALLY good , audible better than Qobus HIres versions, but other MQA albums sound not so good. Trust your ears and choose the one you like the most , both services are splendid and I am more than happy using one or the other .😊
Such a great ending there : let's just spin vinyl. And this is precisely my conclusion as well. As a person getting more into their 30s, and with quite extensive computer engineering knowledge. It's too much that we have 3-7 masters of a file, then mqa comes and alters thouse masters, then there are 3 resolution available for each masters. Sure there's also the physicality and collectability of a vinyl that contributes to the appeal but yeah.. Just bought my first turntable and can't wait to set it all up. After more than 20 years of listening only to digital music only.
I have Spotify for the family and Qobuz for myself. I have tried Tidal and definitely prefer Qobuz for sound quality and Spotify is for song discovery and the algorithm is great for that. I don’t like the MQA idea because of the need for it messing with the signal and don’t have a DAC to utilise it anyway. Qobuz uses hi res in formats that can be used by any DAC and the ability to purchase the music is also a bonus. Roon is a great piece of software but is very expensive. I use the Naim app to play music stored locally and I can store playlists from Qobuz or Tidal within its functionality which I really like, despite some not liking it. It would be nice to utilise all of them via Roon but I don’t have the money for that.
Been into decent sound reproduction for more years than I can remember. Write songs and produce a little. Use a well researched assemblage of amps and speakers as well as turntables at homes. Never rated digital music too highly when it comes to what music is about - the emotional, experiential, sheer physical engagement of what is one of the highest art forms. Just auditioned Qobuz hi res etc. - sticking with Tidal - it simply sounds closer to good music reproduction and I couldn't give a toss about whether it is 'lossy' (unlike with mp3 below 320 which is truly ugly and wrong) because it is far more engaging than the Qobuz alternative 90% of the time. That is good enough for me. Music is an entirely qualitative thing - I've heard some wonderful sounding guitars that were full of holes and cracks but the wood was good in the first place and they sounded better than the blinged up 'new design' alternatives. I'm not a Tidal fanboy - not anyone's fanboy - but as far as digital goes - I can dance to the way they put it over - like I said - good enough.
I agree with you guys there is a sonic difference. I like the tidal interface but prefer the Qobuz algorithms to discover music and to me it sounds clearer and meatier when I do an A-B switch. I use Roon too and it works well with both. If I could get Qobuz in Canada without using VPN I would switch over permanently instead of Tidal.
I just ditched Tidal of following reasons: MQA is in tracks regardless if you are playing CD quality or HD quality. They say they hide the MQA signals under the hearable range, but a signal is a signal. And also they faked listening numbers for some artists some years back, and that thing is something I have never forgotten. The only reason I have held on to Tidal is that Qobuz have not been available here. But a couple of days ago it became available here in Norway. And I have now stopped my Tidal subscription after quite a few years with Tidal.
Tidal pays the artists *LESS THAN A PENNY* per song. Quboz pays them *500 % MORE* than Tidal. ...Don't use Tidal.[And MQA is loaded with Audible Lossy Distortion. That's what people claim is "Airy": it's 13 bit distortion errors. CD is 16 bit. So what is this "extra" people are hearing if the information wasn't there? [It's compression distortion; to spell it out for MQA executives].
Such a great channel, good discussion guys. My thinking on MQA is that it is just a way to make money and copy protect, who needs smaller files these days, we stream 4K for heavens sake !
I went down the digital route a few years ago. It ended up being a case of sticking plasters on top of plasters to get the music to sound less harsh. A bricasti m1, a pair of Faber Olympica iii’s , pc . Audio research vs115. Etc etc. Went with tidal when it came out, then roon on a Samsung tab. Tidal then added 24 master recordings which helped with a better presentation . Qobuz were going down the pan fast at the time and needed a backer. Luckily they have turned it around. Haven’t used qobuz I’ll be honest. But I just couldn’t listen for long periods with tidal.Maybe it’s because they didn’t add decent recordings . Sold it all apart from the amp and now I’m back to cd’s, with a better system. It’s bliss.A cd will sound better than streaming any day of the week. But that’s a discussion for another time. I did have a look at the auralic g2 streamer. But it seems they are bending people over with their prices.
@@bbfoto7248 I have a teac vrds 25. I have been looking at some of the Sony players., but as a transport the teac is a good player. I have sort of shot myself in the foot. I got an auralic g2 streamer for a cheap price. Going to run it with a kubala aes/ebu. . Thats after I get my amp sorted. Blown a valve. So no music at present.
U guys got it right Tidal has more detailed , better soundstage, 3D sound. Qobuz is fuller sounding, more easy on the ear. I think in your case because of the speakers you carry , Qobuz is better for Wilson and tidal better for sonus faber. Thanks for your time, experience and effort to share great info. Please do a video on the cables u use
I have both running through Roon. I prefer Qobuz because A) it sounds better to me B) they only offer music at CD resolution and higher and C) you can purchase music at a discount. There are some tracks that Qobuz doesn’t have so I keep Tidal for. I love that there are options and interesting that Amazon is in the game.
Jay hit the nail on the head - fussing around with digital is just too much hassle and is annoying. Vinyl is more straightforward... once you’ve chosen and set up the table, arm, cartridge, photo stage, etc!
Good stuff guys. Always like to hear what you have to say. I’m a vinyl guy looking to explore the digital streaming world. I’ll probably start with a Bluesound Node 2i and see where it takes me. Just watched your Streaming 101 moments before this. Thanks for the content 👍and for your donations to your local Salvation Army❤️
Just got a HE1000se after years of saving and just tried Deezer today. Woah compared to Tidal I feel like Deezer is a bit more clear? Is it just in my mind? It is also 5/month CAD cheaper
Another reason I'm not going to shift from vinyl to streaming. And I work in IT, but I don't want to do work stuff at home. But having said that, there are plenty of albums I own that I wish I listened to on a streaming service first.
Neil Young gave 44.1 kHz files to Tidal. He pulled back when they were converted to MQA and claimed to be "the original file" by Tidal. Neil Young is very fussy about these things. He doesn't want any "sausage making" behind closed doors without consultation with the artist. He goes ballistic with the concept "master quality" "authenticated". In his case he said that "faithful to original" was a misnomer. The processed files were not faithful to the files the artist had given them. It seems that MQA states that the onus is on the author to give the final OK to files that the service has chosen to process, package and display under the MQA label. I expect many authors do not complain when this is done. In fact some may even feel honored by being given "pride of place". But the key concepts of authentication and faithfulness to origin that are central to MQA fly out the window. That's a consequence of 'black box' technology. If it makes a significant difference most people are willing to accept it. If the "black box" does not deliver as promised and no explanations are forthcoming disappointment and distrust may ensue.
I hate MQA but use Tidal because I got it through Best Buy for literally like $8 a month for the hifi version, and they have a much better selection. Because I have the Chord M Scaler I just play 44.1 files which are upscaled up to 705k anyway so I don’t have to even use MQA. Tidal all the way for me
Sahzam automaticly adds to a spotify list if you enable it. Them you can convert the list to tidal via soundiiz. You can set soudiiz to automaticly sync the list if you have a paid account also.
Hey guys great topic. Here in the states Qubuz is less expensive than Tidal. The top plan is $14.99 opposed to Tidal's top plan $19.99 as far as sound my personal taste leans towards Qubuz. I also use Roon and would love for Amazon HD to be available with Roon. I wish I would have sprung for the lifetime plan before they raised it. My year's subscription ends in October. I don't know if I can justify paying for it again. I have a suggestion for you guys. How about telling us your personal choice for speakers and equipment source, amplifier etc.
I just signed up for Qobuz and I really prefer the sound of it, but it’a chore to find some songs (if I can find them at all) when I had no trouble finding them on Tidal. Finding the Chicago movie soundtrack was tedious, and can’t find any Postmodern Jukebox at all. would hate that to be the deal breaker since I’m only on my second day of Qobuz. I pulled back from upgrading to an MQA DAC just for Tidal because Qobuz sounds so good on my system, but I may have to rethink. Oh, and SongShift works pretty well going from Tidal to Qobuz, but couldn’t match all of the songs and mismatched a few.
So you like Qobuz better? I like Tidal MQA but never tried anything else, I like its interface. So should I switch to Qobuz? What type of DAC do you use if you don't mind to share? And please explain more details about how does SongShift work.Thanks much.
I have both Qobuz and Tidal. My system consists of a Cambridge AXR 100 reciever,JBL Northridge E90's, and dual SVS SB 1000 pro subwoofers. I stream two ways, either through the built in Bluetooth of the AXR 100 or a new Blu Me Pro hooked to the AXR. I'm going to go against the tide here and say that the sound quality on Tidal is better overall than Qobuz. At least on my system and to my ears. To each his own. Cheers.
In Europe Tidal offers a student abo at half price, Qubuz doesn’t. Qubuz sounds better to me, but the library is more classics and a lot of french music. Tidal has the better library offering to my music taste and at lower cost, this is reason I subscribed to Tidal. Don’t like the MQAs of Tidal, as I think the files are just 1-2 dBA louder, that’s why most people think MQA sounds better.
As a "more mature" audio/cinemaphile, I totally agree with "...in my mind I'm in my 20's..." I got a big smile during this part of the video, as I say this all the time.
@Mircea Anca @Audio Excellence Canada Each streaming service has SPECIFIC requirements for Mastering files BEFORE they can be uploaded to that service for public consumption. So, in essence, even though two different streaming services may be playing files that ORIGINATED from the exact same analog master tapes or digital master, each file is RE-mastered differently for that particular streaming service.
A direct comparison with vinyl could be unfair in some cases. Depending on the content of the recording, the mastering would have to be different for the vinyl, due to the limitations of vinyl.
I much prefer cd and vinyl than tidal streaming. I have heard annoying midrange glare/shoutiness in tidal in some albums. I understand its not apple to apple comparison but still that bothers me with streaming. Its funny how cd sounds more “analogue” than tidal when both are digital.
As of July 2022, when I did the comparison, interestingly enough I found that Qobuz was more open. The soundstage was far bigger. There's more room around each instrument. There's more depth both in width and in depth. And height for that matter. And as far as I can tell there's more common with high res tracks than in the Tidal catalogue. I will for sure test it to a bigger extent, to make up my mind. And Tidal is not cheaper, at least if you want the MQA tracks. Then Qobuz is actually cheaper. At least where I live.
I haver had both and I feel that Tidal has a big push on Hip Hop and Rap. This is not a plus for me. This music exists on Qobuz as well but it seems that as a listener you can make it less present in what you are looking for. To me it feels like Tidal has it out front all of the time. I bought a DAC to play the Tidal MQA files but the Qobuz presentation is quality enough that I do not miss the absence of these files. So, sticking with Qobuz for now.
Thanks for bringing this subject. What you missed here is how these two services are compared with a CD stored as flac or alac on Roon. I had these two services for 6 month until i dropped Tidal. I can not tell the difference between qobuz and cd on Roon but easily can do it with Tidal. To me Tidal does some prossesing to pliain CD ( non master) as well.
I bought the Matrix Pro (MQA) version DAC and not only did the Tidal MQA sounded way way better on my Megnapan 3.7l but streaming web radio stations like JAZZ 24 made it awesome. For MQA you need a descent DAC to get the true sound stage from it
Mark Roles Good to know. I just bought a Topping D90 a few months ago and almost pulled the trigger on an MQA version, but just signed up for Qobuz and I like the sound better (not the song selection or the more intuitive Tidal). Now I’m in a quandry: keep Tidal but put out $800 and get some money back on the D90, or switch to Qobuz and live with better sound but frustrating song searches and less user-friendliness.
If you’re listening with Roon it is said that Roon makes a difference if compared too the proprietary apps. So take that into account as well. And what about Deezer, which has a very good HIfi prescription.
Hey Audio excellence team, please could you give some front end advice, I have B&W 804 d3 with Rega elicit amp, currently using Bluesound node 2i, I have a budget of about £2500, I only stream with my system (Tidle), thanks 😊
Robert I have a bluesound 2i with a Rega Brio amp ,I have just upgraded to the Rega R dac I am very pleased now with the sound its better than the bluesound dac . I find I can listen for hours with out fatigue it just let's the music flow in a very engaging way .... hope this helps ....
If the two sound different, at least one of them is wrong. A lossless streaming service should sound identical to a lossless file at the same resolution, or to a CD if that's the source. Have you tried A/B comparison with either of the services against high resolution downloads from sources such as HDTracks? Also, what about Deezer and Amazon Music HD? These are no longer the only two companies offering high quality streaming. And there are rumors that Spotify will launch a lossless tier.
mqa has loss, only reason it exists is for DRM essentially. EDIT: mqa also distorts intentionally to make music more pleasing, likely in a similar way to tubes.
This guy talking about "Tidal is more spacious" etc. Like yeah dude... Guess you didn't realize it probably was MQA you were listening to still. If it has a MQA version, The "regular FLAC" is the same file...
MQA is not lossless. a mastering engineer did a full analysis using his own test files, and MQA was very shifty in their response. it's a complete gimmick.
The day Qobuz has been available in my region I left Tidal and subscribed to Qobuz. I had great exceptions about Qobuz and it was looking just like all I can ask for streaming: no MQA, higher resolution. After fifteen day I left Qobuz and never looked back and just returned to Tidal. Too many difference of plans between different regions, a very great part of the Qobuz catalogue is available only for purchase and not for streaming (check John Zorn for an example) and too many albums I love missing. I also prefer the more "airy" sound from Tidal for Baroque music like harpsichord and similar. Thank you so much for sharing your discussion and for the suggestions I got from it
I don't find this to be true at all. I have had Qobuz for over a year and only pay 14.99(which include HIGH RES music as well). Tidal cost is 20.00 per month for High Res. I listen mostly to Jazz and R&B and everything i look for in these two areas on Qobuz is there. Tidal is hit or miss. Plus Tidal do not pay artist anything compared to Qobuz. That's what some songs/albums are missing from Tidal.
I’ve dropped my Tidal account for now and am using Qobuz - thought it sounded better with my modest system somehow, but not definitively so. I do notice (I’m in the states, east coast) that Qobuz buffers from time to time and the music doesn’t pick up again, so I have to select another song or close out completely. Tidal never did this. I’m running Verizon Fios 50/50 so that should be fast enough (?), I would think. It might be a deal breaker for me if it continues or gets worse.
I have Qobuz and have used Tidal. Qobuz music have never dropped on me. I find that Tidal does not sound as good and some songs I have on Qobuz was not available on Tidal. Qobuz interface is cleaner and you are not bombarded with all the Hip hop/rap mess.
I know it’s been a yr since y’all posted this vid but I just got tired of the sound of Spotify. Now I get AP music for free through Verizon. Went back to tidal and gonna stay with it. Tidal just sounds better to me that Qobuz. Now hearing is subjective. I’ve had a TBI (traumatic brain injury) in Afghanistan so I’m pretty sure the way I hear is different than the 3 of y’all. I listen to only metal music and tidal just seems to push the sound better
Can you please suggest to me how best to ‘audition’ the two services…. Is it best to trial purchase both and then delete the one you dont want? That way do they offer true quality? Which tracks would you suggest to compare? Both services together with Roon would be so very expensive for me to try
I like to buy my music and share with my friends on Qobuz but some of my favorite artists are missing a lot of music. NIN being one of them, all of their EP's are missing and The Slip isn't there either
Interesting discussion on the audio, but I bet if you recorded and substracted the spectrums all else being equal the resulting spectrum would be zero.
Qobuz sounds better to me at least on my PC though my Schiit Yggdrassil Gen1 with matched settings. Sounds more like my Vinyl collection. If I love the album i try to purchase the record locally but I'm old school.
I hear actual distortion due to loudness on Tidal and not on Qobus. So for me Qobus all the way. Song used i.e: Massive attack - Angel. I can assure it's not an issue of the hifi equipment :) Lately people have been measuring mqa and found quite some added noise and its not lossless as advertised. They aggressively try taking down critical comments too. It is very dodgy..... i stick to flac / qobus here..
This video says it all regarding mqa. Not going out of my way even though I'm paying for tidal. If spotify would offer a lossless version I would dump tidal. User interface and algorithm on spotify is so much better like Adrian said. I pay for spotify premium and the bit rate is 320 kbps. Some intersting observations of systems and their ability to hear the differences with streaming. Lower resolution systems won't pick up much of a difference. With My sennheisers hd650 or ether 1.1open you will definitely hear the difference
Classical listener? Game, set, match to Qobuz. I subscribe to both Qobuz and Idagio (classical only). The libraries of the two services overlap greatly and the audio quality of the streams through my BlueSound Node 2i is, for the most part, excellent and indistinguishable (on my system, of course). Not impressed by Tidal's MQA, a format-du-jour which hasn't made much headway in the classical realm.
How is your bluesound system? I've currently got a pretty extensive Sonos network in my home but I hear that bluesound is much better audio wise. Would it be worth the switch?
So. Mqa takes the master? Are you sure.? Because I don't think that music companies give their masters to stream services. On top of that I think that putting another filter in the chain of a digital file surely distorts the outcome. Even mp3 which is lossy don't mess up with the file it just removes information. Mqa is also lossy. Wav or dsd is not. In my opinion you shouldn't hear any differences between Mqa and hi res on qobuz. If you do then a spatial filter is applied and someone is telling lies about his files (I mean tidal or qobuz).... Thanks for the video.
I dropped Tidal because they began double charging me. Tidal stated that I started a 2nd account but the only change I made was changing my password. At no time did I give them permission to charge my credit card for a 2nd account and they refused to credit me. Hello Qobuz!
famous quote by Abraham Lincoln says: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” . Abraham must have just cancelled his tidal subscription.
Switched to Qobuz a week ago after getting sick of TIDAL pushing MQA too hard. Boy am I glad I switched
So glad Qobuz released in Australia this week signed up immediately after 3+ years with Tidal. SQ is slightly better across the board listening to some Hires 24bit 192k is a joy!
@@AlexanderTG3 yes!!
@@AlexanderTG3 ditto!!
I've been on Qobuz for a year and it's FLAC what more does one need 👌
got an annual from QBZstore Telegram worth it for everyone who gonna take qobuz subscription.
Tidal FORCING users into what is essentially lossy snake oil sold as "hi res" kills it for me 😒
At that point it may as well be mp3 or ogg, those will probably add less distortion.
FLAC v MQA spacial test - which is better?
ruclips.net/video/Cl5ULnX4viU/видео.html
@@fx-studio Oh, oh, someone's trying to promote their YT video about their manipulated test here...lol
@@BumpNrun69 Not manipulated - you may not like the results but that's another matter.
For me personally, Qobuz sounds MUCH better in Hi Res. I stream directly to KEF LS50W from BubbleUPnP and to my HT directly to an Oppo 105D. And I have been a Tidal subscriber since the beginning, 10+ years. I even prefer the Qobuz Ap and the fact that it doesn't push a lot of Hip Hop towards me, I prefer Electronic, Jazz and Classical. BUT recently Qobuzs' MAy 2020 update has introduced a bad stutter in the Ap, as evidenced by its most recent ap store reviews, but the problem does not exist in BubbleUPnP. I imagine this will be a passing problem though since it was OK before the update.
I switched from Tidal to Qobuz. I think Qobuz has a cleaner, more straight forward look, and better sound, at least for the HD tracks. I like playing CD's all the way through, and not being bothered with irrelevant 'suggestions.' For simplicity of use, and uncluttered direct access to CD's, Qobuz is the way to go IMHO.
Agreed
I keep Spotify Premium to discover new music like Adrian but now use Qobuz instead of Tidal. I like the fact I can play high res without MQA hardware when I’m away from home.
I prefer TIDAL interface but I definitely find qobuz as a more open sound
I switched from Tidal to Qobuz and profited from the promotion for $149.99/year (12.49/month). I do like the editorial service of Qobuz which works very well also with Roon. Overall, I do prefer the sound of Qobuz over Tidal. Also on Tidal, I had too many songs becoming suddenly unavailable for streaming.
Nice to know im not the only one. I thought id finally lost it, but blind testing showed me time and time again that a qobuz stream of a release i owned on disc sounded identical, but a Tidal stream of the same release sounded inferior. I tried as many tracks as i could where i could be certain of the master. New releases are usually best because its much more likely that its all from the same mastering, which is obviously essetial if you wish to compare. If you are a roon user, comparing the two could not be easier.
Im delighted i moved to qobuz and ill consume my high res through originall flac files. MQA should be consigned to the dustbin of history - a solution to problem that nobody has, designed to make maximum money whilst doing everything that it can to obscure the fact it IS lossy by design. I consider it criminal... And of course Tidal are in because they own part of MQA. Shysters! xD
I use Tidal because of really great sound quality. 44.1khz / 16-24 bit sounds really phenomenal out of my RP 600M.
The only thing I really hate about Tidal HiFi is the inescapable recommendation of Rap music. Hip/Hop/Rap EVERYWHERE. They don't even care if that's your liking or not. Some might exclusively like Rock, Soft Rock, and or Metal but they'd still be bombarded with stupid rap music.
Agree 100%
Great conversation! As someone who had Tidal and then moved back to Spotify when Spotify premium became available, it was very enlightening to hear the perspective related to the quality of my sound system! Thank you for a thoughtful, nuanced discussion!
Interesting conversation. There's been some excellent research done since this recording and its now been found that MQA makes the file size larger as the process adds in artefacts that weren't present in the original recording - in other words less pure!
Adrian, we feel your pain. As my wife and I near 60 we also hunt for words, forget how to spell things, go to get/do something and forget what we were going for.
I pay for my Qobuz by the year and that brings the price down to $12.50 a month. That’s a bargain in my book. I don’t have Tidal to compare but I do hear a difference compared to CD. Qobuz sounds darker to me even in high res. High res sounds great to me. Haven’t logged in to Spotify once since I got Qobuz. Qobuz has proved to be what I have always been looking for in a streaming service. It’s truly a game changer for me.
Qobuz hi res steamrollers tidal mqa in my rig in the UK for Audio quality. I use Deezer currently because it’s like cd quality Spotify. If Qobuz had Spotify/Deezer’s library I’d be on that any day.
They're catching up for sure though.
My hi-fi dealer said I sould buy a T+A DAC but it can´t play mqa "only" native DSD and all others. I hear 95% via Tidal and less bought music, so how important is mqa really?
@@DieTabbi It is important that you do not fall for the mqa scam. It will most likely soon be forgotten since it addresses a problem which no longer exists, poor bandwidth.
I couldnt believe how uninvolved i was with mqa files on Tidal, often far preferring japanese remasters i owned at 16/44. Then I tried qobuz instead and it was revolutionary to my ears, no difference in software for me as im a roon user. Since then ive looked at mqa and uncovered that its awful snake oil... Its a lossy format and it sounds like it. Even non mqa files sound much more like the disc.
@@petermartin9494 as student atm Tidal has the best offer for me, less expensive then the others. I try Amazon Music HD maybe I wait for Spotify hifi?
Thanks for this video! After months of using Qobuz, I recently also signed up with Tidal, and have to say that, hands down, it is the service I use 90% of the time. Qobuz sounds better to me and has a much, much larger hi-res library. If you love classical, then Qobuz is a no-brainer. I like the straightforward hi-res approach (no MQA nonsense). But if you love all kinds of genres, and your main goal is to discover new music, then Tidal is it. I have discovered and fallen in love with more music in one week of using Tidal than in 6 months with Qobuz. Plus, Tidal creates automatic "radio stations" based on your preferences, it auto-recommends similar artists and it... drum roll, please... has a METAL section! That, right there is why Tidal wins, full stop. Qobuz is terrible when it comes to discovering new music. Also, Tidal just works across all devices and platforms, whereas the Qobuz app, I hate to say it, is a disaster on most Android devices. It simply does not even work at all. On my FIIO M11, it is useless. It would not even play... I debated about cancelling my Qobuz subscription, but after the reduced the price I decided to keep it mainly for the classical selection. But, as I said, for pure musical joy, Tidal winds hands down and it is the service I listen to all day.
Yeah Qobuz seems better to me as well. Turning it up past a point on Tidal, voices will clip. On Qobuz it just keeps on pushing smooth sound. Not sure what is going on here. I'm only 1 day into trying Qobuz and I'm liking it. Like you stated Tidal has a great selection of music I listen to. Qobuz has a decent library and I love how it shows you the streaming quality. Everything I've searched on Tidal so far has been there. Lots of great songs with amazing versions. If Qobuz came out with an app for my devices I would probably switch over now. For now I'll be testing them both.
100% on Vilip’s page: I’ve been curious about streaming services in the last 6 months or so, I eventually streamlined my options to Qobuz and Tidal only, just by readings...and the minute I started the trial subscription with both of them I just went like “Hey they are so different! Is it just me? How come NO ONE ever mentions that?!?” So thanks for confirming my ears still work....although they are 2.5 times older than my 20 years old mind 🤣🤣🤣
I hear Qobuz is coming to Canada in May 2023. I'll try it but I'm happy with Tidal at the present. The sound and logarithm choices are good for me. Read Qobuz isn't that good in the logarithm area so it'll be interesting to see. Good video guys!
Looks like I’m outnumbered but I think Tidal sounds much better. It has better bass and is smoother on the top end. I have the HiFI Rose RS150B and it has about 10 different filters to choose from. Maybe with the filters I use just sound better with Tidal.
Good video as always guys! I mostly have been using Tidal recently but haven’t tried Qobuz. On the MQA topic I have to say that I’ve noticed that all the Tidal tracks that have been MQA’d have an output of something like +3db-+6db over other tracks for some reason. I don’t know if you’ve noticed the same? The cynical side of me thinks they might be trying to artificially make you feel like it’s better sound quality by bumping up the output level 🤷🏾♂️. It’s particularly annoying when you have a playlist of both types of tracks and have to juggle the volume when it switches from one to the other.
MQA is such a scam. What you experience with Tidal/MQA is sound compression and should be a deal breaker for all HiFi people.
I have just read a detailed report on MQA testing & the MQA guys are refusing to fully cooperative and are in denial. YOU GET MORE NOISE CREATED ON MQA. They are still refusing to accept these individual findings from other scientific testers. Obviously they have a lot to lose. Flac is as good if not better, we are talking minute differences in file size but big differences in the final quality. MQA is not the money spinner they thought it would be for the creators & are refusing to fully cooperate with others specialists who have pointed out the MQA flaws. I bet they are squirming in their office chairs at MQA head office.
Adrian, I am with you completely in regard to your experience with getting older. It’s funny how one day you just “notice” that you are not as young as your mind thinks you are! Be well and thanks for the videos.
Thank You for such an interesting video. I am currently using TIDAL Premium, but have been looking into Qobuz.
The big guy in the middle has a great vocabulary. Props
I prefer native FLAC on Qobuz per track to the MQA track on Tidal. The 192 kHz 24 bit tracks are better on Qobuz.
Seems like Tidal needs to start listening to their customers and start streaming real hi rez files and stop the processing and lossy compression. I have seriously compared Tidal and Qobuz and to me Tidal sounds so much worse that I am cancelling my subscription. I would be happy to go back to them if they drop MQA and any other processing they may be using and just stream honest content, up to 24/192. I don't think it is just me, a lot of other people have commented online that Qobuz sounds better to them.
What would I be doing if I had Tidal shares? Selling them and buying Qobuz stock, that is for sure.
Both Tidal and MQA are loosing support in droves. They push out a lot of marketing b s.
Once trust is gone it's hard to win back.
I agree completely, I liked Tidal for the 2.5 years I had it but I can do without MQA. They don't offer a plan that has just regular HiFi tracks so I switched.
Listen to a side by side comparison between FLAC v MQA: ruclips.net/video/Cl5ULnX4viU/видео.html
Sound: QOBUZ hands down, no competition. Usability of the provided app: Tidal (again hands down, no competition)
Its really great to see you back. Your doing a great job with all your videos.
Both suffer from release delay, depending on the source material one will be delayed over the other. Qobuz generally sounds better in my opinion, except for specific MQA tracks that as stated below are specifically engineered to be more pleasing. Also, your setup is VERY important. As an example, I use Stax Electrostatic headphones with a tube-based energizer most of the time when I'm listening to either/both and Qobuz wins out in my setup when comparing track for track. Qobuz also seems to have more hi-res tracks in general making it difficult to not have both.. I also use Roon in this setup and regularly compare versions just to see if there are further differences at the same resolution.
Problem number one with Qobuz: Not available as widely as Tidal. I don't have a choice. So it's tidal for me.
Yeah I'm casting Qobuz to my TV right now and it sounds great. Has that little bit of more clarity when turned up at high volumes. Tidal sounds great too but the voices tends to clip a bit. They both have a good clean sound compared to other services I've tried. Tidal has a nice library with music videos that sound and look great. I'm testing them both out for a month on their trial. I will update at the end of the month who I stuck with.
@@oysteinsoreide4323 there is deezer hifi (or what ever the call it)
In my system Tidal has more depth and better 3d soundstage while qobuz sound is warmer and clearer comparing tracks side by side using audirvana . So for me it is a matter of taste if you choose one or the other . Qobuz has a more "relaxed" sound so for casual listening I think it is a better option than TIDAL but for focused listening I think that in general Tidal MQA files are the best . The problem with MQA files is that they are not consistent enough , some albums sound REALLY good , audible better than Qobus HIres versions, but other MQA albums sound not so good. Trust your ears and choose the one you like the most , both services are splendid and I am more than happy using one or the other .😊
Such a great ending there : let's just spin vinyl.
And this is precisely my conclusion as well. As a person getting more into their 30s, and with quite extensive computer engineering knowledge.
It's too much that we have 3-7 masters of a file, then mqa comes and alters thouse masters, then there are 3 resolution available for each masters.
Sure there's also the physicality and collectability of a vinyl that contributes to the appeal but yeah..
Just bought my first turntable and can't wait to set it all up. After more than 20 years of listening only to digital music only.
I have Spotify for the family and Qobuz for myself. I have tried Tidal and definitely prefer Qobuz for sound quality and Spotify is for song discovery and the algorithm is great for that. I don’t like the MQA idea because of the need for it messing with the signal and don’t have a DAC to utilise it anyway. Qobuz uses hi res in formats that can be used by any DAC and the ability to purchase the music is also a bonus. Roon is a great piece of software but is very expensive. I use the Naim app to play music stored locally and I can store playlists from Qobuz or Tidal within its functionality which I really like, despite some not liking it. It would be nice to utilise all of them via Roon but I don’t have the money for that.
Can't get Qoubuz in Sweden 😕
The home of Spotify.
Using Tidal but getting really tired of the hip-hop/rap shit popping.
Qobuz is available in Sweden 🇸🇪 now
You can get it now. :)
I would like to see comparison between :
The New PS Audio Stellar Strata - Nad M10 - Hegel H120,H190 - Naim Uniti Atom
Aussie here: I find RUclips music has the biggest library; and awesome chat learnt alot!
Been into decent sound reproduction for more years than I can remember. Write songs and produce a little. Use a well researched assemblage of amps and speakers as well as turntables at homes. Never rated digital music too highly when it comes to what music is about - the emotional, experiential, sheer physical engagement of what is one of the highest art forms. Just auditioned Qobuz hi res etc. - sticking with Tidal - it simply sounds closer to good music reproduction and I couldn't give a toss about whether it is 'lossy' (unlike with mp3 below 320 which is truly ugly and wrong) because it is far more engaging than the Qobuz alternative 90% of the time. That is good enough for me. Music is an entirely qualitative thing - I've heard some wonderful sounding guitars that were full of holes and cracks but the wood was good in the first place and they sounded better than the blinged up 'new design' alternatives. I'm not a Tidal fanboy - not anyone's fanboy - but as far as digital goes - I can dance to the way they put it over - like I said - good enough.
I agree with you guys there is a sonic difference. I like the tidal interface but prefer the Qobuz algorithms to discover music and to me it sounds clearer and meatier when I do an A-B switch. I use Roon too and it works well with both. If I could get Qobuz in Canada without using VPN I would switch over permanently instead of Tidal.
You can't make any statements about listening differences unless you are listening on high-end speakers with a full frequency response representation!
Switched to Quobuz a few months ago. It is vastly superior to TIDAL. It is not even close. I still think CD is king.
11:34 that is the look of a man who has well and truly checked out of the discussion
I just ditched Tidal of following reasons: MQA is in tracks regardless if you are playing CD quality or HD quality. They say they hide the MQA signals under the hearable range, but a signal is a signal. And also they faked listening numbers for some artists some years back, and that thing is something I have never forgotten. The only reason I have held on to Tidal is that Qobuz have not been available here. But a couple of days ago it became available here in Norway. And I have now stopped my Tidal subscription after quite a few years with Tidal.
I heard that the CD quality Streams on TIDAL are in normal FLAC Files that you could download or stream on Qobuz
Tidal pays the artists *LESS THAN A PENNY* per song. Quboz pays them *500 % MORE* than Tidal.
...Don't use Tidal.[And MQA is loaded with Audible Lossy Distortion. That's what people claim is "Airy": it's 13 bit distortion errors. CD is 16 bit. So what is this "extra" people are hearing if the information wasn't there? [It's compression distortion; to spell it out for MQA executives].
Such a great channel, good discussion guys. My thinking on MQA is that it is just a way to make money and copy protect, who needs smaller files these days, we stream 4K for heavens sake !
I went down the digital route a few years ago. It ended up being a case of sticking plasters on top of plasters to get the music to sound less harsh. A bricasti m1, a pair of Faber Olympica iii’s , pc . Audio research vs115. Etc etc. Went with tidal when it came out, then roon on a Samsung tab.
Tidal then added 24 master recordings which helped with a better presentation . Qobuz were going down the pan fast at the time and needed a backer. Luckily they have turned it around.
Haven’t used qobuz I’ll be honest. But I just couldn’t listen for long periods with tidal.Maybe it’s because they didn’t add decent recordings .
Sold it all apart from the amp and now I’m back to cd’s, with a better system. It’s bliss.A cd will sound better than streaming any day of the week. But that’s a discussion for another time.
I did have a look at the auralic g2 streamer. But it seems they are bending people over with their prices.
@str1xt
So what CD or multi-disc player did you settle on for CD playback?
@@bbfoto7248 I have a teac vrds 25. I have been looking at some of the Sony players., but as a transport the teac is a good player.
I have sort of shot myself in the foot. I got an auralic g2 streamer for a cheap price. Going to run it with a kubala aes/ebu. . Thats after I get my amp sorted. Blown a valve. So no music at present.
As always another interesting video. Thank you very much.
U guys got it right
Tidal has more detailed , better soundstage, 3D sound. Qobuz is fuller sounding, more easy on the ear. I think in your case because of the speakers you carry , Qobuz is better for Wilson and tidal better for sonus faber. Thanks for your time, experience and effort to share great info.
Please do a video on the cables u use
I have both running through Roon. I prefer Qobuz because A) it sounds better to me B) they only offer music at CD resolution and higher and C) you can purchase music at a discount. There are some tracks that Qobuz doesn’t have so I keep Tidal for. I love that there are options and interesting that Amazon is in the game.
Jay hit the nail on the head - fussing around with digital is just too much hassle and is annoying. Vinyl is more straightforward... once you’ve chosen and set up the table, arm, cartridge, photo stage, etc!
Good stuff guys. Always like to hear what you have to say. I’m a vinyl guy looking to explore the digital streaming world. I’ll probably start with a Bluesound Node 2i and see where it takes me. Just watched your Streaming 101 moments before this. Thanks for the content 👍and for your donations to your local Salvation Army❤️
Just got a HE1000se after years of saving and just tried Deezer today. Woah compared to Tidal I feel like Deezer is a bit more clear? Is it just in my mind? It is also 5/month CAD cheaper
Yes yes, I too feel 20 years in my mind yet I'm in my 50s!!!
mqa is the biggest reason i dont use tidal, tidal sounds a bit better than spotify on my systerm but paying extra for mqa i wont do.
Another reason I'm not going to shift from vinyl to streaming. And I work in IT, but I don't want to do work stuff at home. But having said that, there are plenty of albums I own that I wish I listened to on a streaming service first.
Neil Young dropped his music files off Tidal. Stating "MQA is not my master". He says the MQA did not sound the same as how he mastered them.
Neil Young gave 44.1 kHz files to Tidal. He pulled back when they were converted to MQA and claimed to be "the original file" by Tidal. Neil Young is very fussy about these things. He doesn't want any "sausage making" behind closed doors without consultation with the artist. He goes ballistic with the concept "master quality" "authenticated". In his case he said that "faithful to original" was a misnomer. The processed files were not faithful to the files the artist had given them.
It seems that MQA states that the onus is on the author to give the final OK to files that the service has chosen to process, package and display under the MQA label. I expect many authors do not complain when this is done. In fact some may even feel honored by being given "pride of place".
But the key concepts of authentication and faithfulness to origin that are central to MQA fly out the window.
That's a consequence of 'black box' technology. If it makes a significant difference most people are willing to accept it.
If the "black box" does not deliver as promised and no explanations are forthcoming disappointment and distrust may ensue.
I have Tidal, and it does not sound nearly as good as my ripped wave files. And their cheap solution is really bad.
MQA basically just another a lossy audio. So its not about the artist.
yeah, qobuz for the win and amazon music too
I hate MQA but use Tidal because I got it through Best Buy for literally like $8 a month for the hifi version, and they have a much better selection. Because I have the Chord M Scaler I just play 44.1 files which are upscaled up to 705k anyway so I don’t have to even use MQA. Tidal all the way for me
Spotify HiFi announced today for late 2021! Oh happy day!
I hope apple follows soon.
@@edgarp66 They have ;) (And Amazon Music also)
@@edgarp66 they already have.
Sahzam automaticly adds to a spotify list if you enable it.
Them you can convert the list to tidal via soundiiz. You can set soudiiz to automaticly sync the list if you have a paid account also.
Hey guys great topic. Here in the states Qubuz is less expensive than Tidal. The top plan is $14.99 opposed to Tidal's top plan $19.99 as far as sound my personal taste leans towards Qubuz. I also use Roon and would love for Amazon HD to be available with Roon. I wish I would have sprung for the lifetime plan before they raised it. My year's subscription ends in October. I don't know if I can justify paying for it again. I have a suggestion for you guys. How about telling us your personal choice for speakers and equipment source, amplifier etc.
I just signed up for Qobuz and I really prefer the sound of it, but it’a chore to find some songs (if I can find them at all) when I had no trouble finding them on Tidal. Finding the Chicago movie soundtrack was tedious, and can’t find any Postmodern Jukebox at all. would hate that to be the deal breaker since I’m only on my second day of Qobuz. I pulled back from upgrading to an MQA DAC just for Tidal because Qobuz sounds so good on my system, but I may have to rethink. Oh, and SongShift works pretty well going from Tidal to Qobuz, but couldn’t match all of the songs and mismatched a few.
So you like Qobuz better? I like Tidal MQA but never tried anything else, I like its interface. So should I switch to Qobuz? What type of DAC do you use if you don't mind to share? And please explain more details about how does SongShift work.Thanks much.
Awesome discussion, guys! Keep up the good work and welcome back!
I have both Qobuz and Tidal. My system consists of a Cambridge AXR 100 reciever,JBL Northridge E90's, and dual SVS SB 1000 pro subwoofers. I stream two ways, either through the built in Bluetooth of the AXR 100 or a new Blu Me Pro hooked to the AXR. I'm going to go against the tide here and say that the sound quality on Tidal is better overall than Qobuz. At least on my system and to my ears. To each his own. Cheers.
In Europe Tidal offers a student abo at half price, Qubuz doesn’t. Qubuz sounds better to me, but the library is more classics and a lot of french music. Tidal has the better library offering to my music taste and at lower cost, this is reason I subscribed to Tidal. Don’t like the MQAs of Tidal, as I think the files are just 1-2 dBA louder, that’s why most people think MQA sounds better.
As a "more mature" audio/cinemaphile, I totally agree with "...in my mind I'm in my 20's..." I got a big smile during this part of the video, as I say this all the time.
I've compared both and at least in terms of sound quality there is no contest Qobuz is the winner.
30:44 ... i've been asking that for years, thank you Adrian!
@Mircea Anca
@Audio Excellence Canada
Each streaming service has SPECIFIC requirements for Mastering files BEFORE they can be uploaded to that service for public consumption.
So, in essence, even though two different streaming services may be playing files that ORIGINATED from the exact same analog master tapes or digital master, each file is RE-mastered differently for that particular streaming service.
Ok last comment: good show guys. Tidal has a military discount as well which is significant.
That's why I finally decided on it. Though I don't like how shady MQA seems to be.
Can you take some particular recording and compare different sources from vinyl, cd, to tidal, qobuz etc.
A direct comparison with vinyl could be unfair in some cases. Depending on the content of the recording, the mastering would have to be different for the vinyl, due to the limitations of vinyl.
I much prefer cd and vinyl than tidal streaming. I have heard annoying midrange glare/shoutiness in tidal in some albums. I understand its not apple to apple comparison but still that bothers me with streaming. Its funny how cd sounds more “analogue” than tidal when both are digital.
As of July 2022, when I did the comparison, interestingly enough I found that Qobuz was more open. The soundstage was far bigger. There's more room around each instrument. There's more depth both in width and in depth. And height for that matter.
And as far as I can tell there's more common with high res tracks than in the Tidal catalogue.
I will for sure test it to a bigger extent, to make up my mind.
And Tidal is not cheaper, at least if you want the MQA tracks. Then Qobuz is actually cheaper. At least where I live.
I haver had both and I feel that Tidal has a big push on Hip Hop and Rap. This is not a plus for me. This music exists on Qobuz as well but it seems that as a listener you can make it less present in what you are looking for. To me it feels like Tidal has it out front all of the time. I bought a DAC to play the Tidal MQA files but the Qobuz presentation is quality enough that I do not miss the absence of these files. So, sticking with Qobuz for now.
Keep up the great work gentlemen! Always a pleasure to watch.
Very informative. Just getting into high rez streaming now.
Thanks for bringing this subject. What you missed here is how these two services are compared with a CD stored as flac or alac on Roon. I had these two services for 6 month until i dropped Tidal. I can not tell the difference between qobuz and cd on Roon but easily can do it with Tidal. To me Tidal does some prossesing to pliain CD ( non master) as well.
I Got Qobuz on my iPad 11 pro Max with my Bose radio Bluetooth it sounds really amazing .
Great talk - haven’t heard the two services compared as such. And good to know that others have “brain farts” as we go about our business.
I bought the Matrix Pro (MQA) version DAC and not only did the Tidal MQA sounded way way better on my Megnapan 3.7l but streaming web radio stations like JAZZ 24 made it awesome. For MQA you need a descent DAC to get the true sound stage from it
Mark Roles Good to know. I just bought a Topping D90 a few months ago and almost pulled the trigger on an MQA version, but just signed up for Qobuz and I like the sound better (not the song selection or the more intuitive Tidal). Now I’m in a quandry: keep Tidal but put out $800 and get some money back on the D90, or switch to Qobuz and live with better sound but frustrating song searches and less user-friendliness.
@@homerjones3291 Why not "Spotify"?.
If you’re listening with Roon it is said that Roon makes a difference if compared too the proprietary apps. So take that into account as well. And what about Deezer, which has a very good HIfi prescription.
Hey Audio excellence team, please could you give some front end advice, I have B&W 804 d3 with Rega elicit amp, currently using Bluesound node 2i, I have a budget of about £2500, I only stream with my system (Tidle), thanks 😊
Robert I have a bluesound 2i with a Rega Brio amp ,I have just upgraded to the Rega R dac I am very pleased now with the sound its better than the bluesound dac .
I find I can listen for hours with out fatigue it just let's the music flow in a very engaging way .... hope this helps ....
Keep the bluesound and save your cash.
If the two sound different, at least one of them is wrong. A lossless streaming service should sound identical to a lossless file at the same resolution, or to a CD if that's the source.
Have you tried A/B comparison with either of the services against high resolution downloads from sources such as HDTracks?
Also, what about Deezer and Amazon Music HD? These are no longer the only two companies offering high quality streaming. And there are rumors that Spotify will launch a lossless tier.
MQA adding dither noise doesn't make it highres. Biggest sham in the market atm. Lookup Goldenaudio's videos on the matter.
mqa has loss, only reason it exists is for DRM essentially.
EDIT: mqa also distorts intentionally to make music more pleasing, likely in a similar way to tubes.
XD You don't try MQA yet... Right?
This guy talking about "Tidal is more spacious" etc. Like yeah dude... Guess you didn't realize it probably was MQA you were listening to still. If it has a MQA version, The "regular FLAC" is the same file...
Any updates on this subject 2 years later?
I prefer Tidal for exactly the same reason Vilip says. And I prefer MQA.
welcome back. Love your video's
MQA is not lossless. a mastering engineer did a full analysis using his own test files, and MQA was very shifty in their response. it's a complete gimmick.
It wasn't a proper test - he would have needed a MQA enabled DAW to have been able to produce a real level-3 MQA.
He didn't even understand that much.
The day Qobuz has been available in my region I left Tidal and subscribed to Qobuz. I had great exceptions about Qobuz and it was looking just like all I can ask for streaming: no MQA, higher resolution. After fifteen day I left Qobuz and never looked back and just returned to Tidal. Too many difference of plans between different regions, a very great part of the Qobuz catalogue is available only for purchase and not for streaming (check John Zorn for an example) and too many albums I love missing. I also prefer the more "airy" sound from Tidal for Baroque music like harpsichord and similar. Thank you so much for sharing your discussion and for the suggestions I got from it
I don't find this to be true at all. I have had Qobuz for over a year and only pay 14.99(which include HIGH RES music as well). Tidal cost is 20.00 per month for High Res. I listen mostly to Jazz and R&B and everything i look for in these two areas on Qobuz is there. Tidal is hit or miss. Plus Tidal do not pay artist anything compared to Qobuz. That's what some songs/albums are missing from Tidal.
I’ve dropped my Tidal account for now and am using Qobuz - thought it sounded better with my modest system somehow, but not definitively so. I do notice (I’m in the states, east coast) that Qobuz buffers from time to time and the music doesn’t pick up again, so I have to select another song or close out completely. Tidal never did this. I’m running Verizon Fios 50/50 so that should be fast enough (?), I would think. It might be a deal breaker for me if it continues or gets worse.
I have Qobuz and have used Tidal. Qobuz music have never dropped on me. I find that Tidal does not sound as good and some songs I have on Qobuz was not available on Tidal. Qobuz interface is cleaner and you are not bombarded with all the Hip hop/rap mess.
I know it’s been a yr since y’all posted this vid but I just got tired of the sound of Spotify. Now I get AP music for free through Verizon. Went back to tidal and gonna stay with it. Tidal just sounds better to me that Qobuz. Now hearing is subjective. I’ve had a TBI (traumatic brain injury) in Afghanistan so I’m pretty sure the way I hear is different than the 3 of y’all. I listen to only metal music and tidal just seems to push the sound better
Thanks a lot for this kind of conversation!!! It helps me to make a choise...
Can you please suggest to me how best to ‘audition’ the two services…. Is it best to trial purchase both and then delete the one you dont want? That way do they offer true quality? Which tracks would you suggest to compare? Both services together with Roon would be so very expensive for me to try
I like to buy my music and share with my friends on Qobuz but some of my favorite artists are missing a lot of music. NIN being one of them, all of their EP's are missing and The Slip isn't there either
did you try looking on Spotify? Pandora? or LivexLive?.
Qobuz is the winner for me.
I'd love for you guys to compare Amazon Music HD vs Tidal
People have had issues in the formula trying to get the same signal out that was uploaded ie, not true lossless, but nowhere near as bad as MQA
Amazon makes Frankenstein albums from different releases, and even mixes up some live versions of songs in studio albums.
Interesting discussion on the audio, but I bet if you recorded and substracted the spectrums all else being equal the resulting spectrum would be zero.
Qobuz sounds better to me at least on my PC though my Schiit Yggdrassil Gen1 with matched settings. Sounds more like my Vinyl collection. If I love the album i try to purchase the record locally but I'm old school.
I hear actual distortion due to loudness on Tidal and not on Qobus. So for me Qobus all the way.
Song used i.e: Massive attack - Angel.
I can assure it's not an issue of the hifi equipment :)
Lately people have been measuring mqa and found quite some added noise and its not lossless as advertised. They aggressively try taking down critical comments too. It is very dodgy..... i stick to flac / qobus here..
This video says it all regarding mqa. Not going out of my way even though I'm paying for tidal. If spotify would offer a lossless version I would dump tidal. User interface and algorithm on spotify is so much better like Adrian said. I pay for spotify premium and the bit rate is 320 kbps. Some intersting observations of systems and their ability to hear the differences with streaming. Lower resolution systems won't pick up much of a difference. With My sennheisers hd650 or ether 1.1open you will definitely hear the difference
You should try Audirvana as a simple alternative to Roon. It is also a "bit perfect" playback.
Classical listener? Game, set, match to Qobuz. I subscribe to both Qobuz and Idagio (classical only). The libraries of the two services overlap greatly and the audio quality of the streams through my BlueSound Node 2i is, for the most part, excellent and indistinguishable (on my system, of course). Not impressed by Tidal's MQA, a format-du-jour which hasn't made much headway in the classical realm.
How is your bluesound system? I've currently got a pretty extensive Sonos network in my home but I hear that bluesound is much better audio wise. Would it be worth the switch?
So. Mqa takes the master? Are you sure.? Because I don't think that music companies give their masters to stream services. On top of that I think that putting another filter in the chain of a digital file surely distorts the outcome. Even mp3 which is lossy don't mess up with the file it just removes information. Mqa is also lossy. Wav or dsd is not. In my opinion you shouldn't hear any differences between Mqa and hi res on qobuz. If you do then a spatial filter is applied and someone is telling lies about his files (I mean tidal or qobuz).... Thanks for the video.
I dropped Tidal because they began double charging me. Tidal stated that I started a 2nd account but the only change I made was changing my password. At no time did I give them permission to charge my credit card for a 2nd account and they refused to credit me. Hello Qobuz!
WAV is what I like :)
famous quote by Abraham Lincoln says: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” .
Abraham must have just cancelled his tidal subscription.