Finally 100% in on streaming!

[Flint]

I have vivid memories of discussing the failings inherent to music streaming for high fidelity. We ran in circles on data rates, lossy compression codecs, and the bandwidth we could get from our ISPs.

Well, until about a year ago if I wanted to sit down in my main listening room for some critical listening of my favorite music, I still used CDs as my source - and I was certain that was the best I could get for my ears.

I've been streaming via Amazon Music HD for casual and mobile music (when my mobile data is working), and it has been more than good enough. Then I discovered overed my Amazon Fire TV in my main room could stream in true HD (meaning, not compressed or altered from the source). That was great, but I like to cover my TV screen with a acoustic baffle, like a studio GOBO, when critically listening.

So, today I installed an Amazon Echo Link streaming preamp, and it works perfectly. The Echo ecosystem automagically setup everything, I assigned a nickname, and now I can either tell Alexa to play music over it, or I can use the Amazon music app on my phone, tablet, PC or Laptop to control it. I get perfect full resolution reproduction, always uncompressed, and have access to 98% of my catalog plus access to millions of additional albums.

Really nice!

 

[CMonster]

+1
I'm using Apple Music and really digging it.

Is anyone here using Roon and/or Qobuz? I'd be interested in hearing thoughts on those two services...

 

[Flint]

+1
I'm using Apple Music and really digging it.

Is anyone here using Roon and/or Qobuz? I'd be interested in hearing thoughts on those two services...

What are you not receiving from Apple music which leads you to seek other options?

Personally, I've tried Quboz, Tidal, and others, but they weren't any better than the ultra easy to use Amazon Music HD, and in some cases the remastered versions of songs I love were quite disappointing.

 

[Towen7]

… but they weren't any better than the ultra easy to use Amazon Music HD…

This
I love how easy Amazon Music is to use And how well it integrates with all my devices like Sonos speakers.

 

[CMonster]

Just trying to help move the conversation along...

I really like the band R.E.M. and Apple Music has interviews with group members about their album remasters. I find that type of stuff really interesting and that sort of user experience is Roon's purpose; just not sure it's worth the monthly fee. I know, I should probably try it myself: our living room int amp just had a free software upgrade making it a Roon endpoint and we have an under-utilized desktop computer that's always on that could run Roon Core. I'm just incredibly lazy and don't feel like messing with it unless someone I trust convinces me it's worth the hassle.

 

[Randy]

And on that note a big storm just knocked Charter and we have nothing but cell service.

 

[Kazaam]

I’m still waiting for Spotify so-called HiFi. Not really. I want it, sure, but I don’t use Spotify enough to warrant paying extra for lossless CD quality.

I might’ve gone with Amazon Music HD but it didn’t have Siri when using CarPlay, if I recall correctly.

And I would’ve gone with Apple Music since they include lossless but Apple Music oddly enough wrecks Siri voice commands for my iTunes Match subscription. For instance, I have dozens of songs by Wondermints. But Apple Music only has two. Until my Apple Music trial ended I was unable to easily access my uploaded Wondermints songs via Siri. She would only play the 2 songs in Apple Music. There should’ve been a voice command along the lines of “Play Wondermints FROM MY LIBRARY” but they didn’t during the 6 months I endured Apple Music.

 

[Haywood]

I am seriously considering a second music streaming service. I get YouTube Music with my YouTube Premium subscription, but I'm not all that wild about it. I hate to spend money on something I already have, but I am considering either the Tidal integration with Plex or Amazon Music HD.

 

[Kazaam]

I switched from being a part-time Apple user with Android phone but iOS iPads to an all-Apple user with an iPhone after Google killed Google Play Music and forced everyone onto YouTube Music. I wouldn’t blame you for paying for another music service.

On a different note…

What’s kind of weird is that I figured I wouldn’t still be buying music after paying for a Spotify subscription. Yet I’m finding if there is something I really really really like that I’ll sometimes buy a song or two if not an entire CD. Not that I’ve done this a ton, but I’ve done it enough to see a pattern. Regardless, at $99 annually it’s a pretty cheap way to have the option of checking out all kinds of music. Just wish Spotify had decent radio. Their artist-styled radio stations are essentially just the same playlist over and over in my experience.

 

[Haywood]

I switched from being a part-time Apple user with Android phone but iOS iPads to an all-Apple user with an iPhone after Google killed Google Play Music and forced everyone onto YouTube Music. I wouldn’t blame you for paying for another music service.

YouTube Music was very disappointing after years of using Google Play Music. The phone interface is okay. Not great, but passable. The TV interface is completely useless. All it does is send you back to YouTube.

 

[walls]

I still use Spotify, had Tidal but it wasn’t worth the price for me because my main music is 80’s and 90’s thrash/death metal and I would say at least 80% of what I listen to wasn’t in lossless.
If Spotify gets their hifi tier going and it includes my personal library I’ll be a happy camper.

 

[Flint]

I am really shocked at how few people are using Amazing Music HD. Why do people not like it?
I love it because it has one of the largest catalogs, compatibility with every single common device, plug and play with Alexa services and apps, nearly every single track is at a minimum uncompressed 16/44.1 and many are 24/48 or 24/96, and there is absolutely no additional processing (Tidal's stupid HDA encoding is actually detrimental). My only real complaint is that if I ask for a track I have known and loved since the olden days, like something from 1981, it will default to the latest remastered version which can often be disgustingly over-compressed.

 

[mzpro5]

I am really shocked at how few people are using Amazing Music HD. Why do people not like it?
I love it because it has one of the largest catalogs, compatibility with every single common device, plug and play with Alexa services and apps, nearly every single track is at a minimum uncompressed 16/44.1 and many are 24/48 or 24/96, and there is absolutely no additional processing (Tidal's stupid HDA encoding is actually detrimental). My only real complaint is that if I ask for a track I have known and loved since the olden days, like something from 1981, it will default to the latest remastered version which can often be disgustingly over-compressed.

I've been using Amazon music to listen to music for about 2 years. I'm with you on not understanding why more don't

 

[Kazaam]

Lack of Siri support when using Amazon Music HD with CarPlay. No desire to use Alexa when there are other services that do work with Siri. Amazon Music HD is no doubt a great deal, though.