# Best Streaming Music for Sound Quality Application?



## full dp

Im currently using Spotify premium but im not satisfied with the sound quality. what are other methods or better alternatives? Im looking for CD-like quality services for SQ application. 

Thanks


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## J.novak

I couldn't find the article, but the one independent review I read had Google ' s play music on top. That being said, I use spotify as well


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## ccapil

What source are you using? Is it using the setup in your sig?


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## full dp

ccapil said:


> What source are you using? Is it using the setup in your sig?


Im using iphone 4s, i currently change my head unit from alpine 9855 to alpine 117e.


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## SQLnovice

I'm glad the op started this thread. I'm using Spotify premium also and was wondering the same also if there's better quality. Note 3 via Bluetooth here.


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## ccapil

One of the best ways to stream wirelessly or via Bluetooth is with a high quality Bluetooth streaming chip, such as the AMAS used with the mosconi dsp. 
The good thing about AMAS is it Supports A2DP I'm high resolution, that supports most android , iphone and other Bluetooth devices.
I like it because it allows direct streaming from the device to the dsps digital input. And it has the ability to stream files that are higher resolution than a CD. Which works extremely well with spotify etc. 
I personally download music online and zip them to 320 kb which seems to get good results sound wise.
The thing is most Bluetooth setups that stream into a processor or through a active crossover/line driver, are done in analogue. To get the best SQ digital is the way to go.
Most people cannot tell the difference in SQ between the AMAS and a optical setup. 
AMAS / optical >>> analoug


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## damonryoung

I'm Spotify premium user too via optical. I came to Spotify after Beats bought MOG... Beats is the same quality as MOG, but the interface is horrible!


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## full dp

DRTHJTA said:


> I'm Spotify premium user too via optical. I came to Spotify after Beats bought MOG... Beats is the same quality as MOG, but the interface is horrible!


which one is better in terms of sound quality? spot or mog?


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## damonryoung

full dp said:


> which one is better in terms of sound quality? spot or mog?



I personally liked mog... The link below is a decent read on this subject. 

http://www.marcurselli.com/2014/03/...g-vs-play-music-by-google-vs-rdio-vs-spotify/


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## mfenske

I've found google play to be pretty good. I like Spotify but many of the bands I want to hear, especially at the gym like AC/DC, Metallica, Led Zepplin don't seem to be on their roster.


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## t3sn4f2

MOG/Beats stream at 256/320kbps. The newer stuff after 2000 tends to be 256kbps. Both are MP3 files encoded with a CBR and in joint stereo (not a good thing for phase depended multichannel rear fill setups though). 

I only know this because I "digitally dub" the files streams for more flexible personal use (ie Siri music library search on my iPhone). And those resulting mp3 files have those properties when opened up in Foobar2000 or something.

They sound fine to me. Though I never tried them in a home multichannel music setup to see how they sound there.


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## NealfromNZ

Linn music , has limited playlists but streams in 320kbits in most popular formats if your after streaming sq.


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## rxonmymind

Google play(I pay $10 a month) streams in 320kbps. I've been really happy with it. One is able to cherry pick songs on album's and compile a favorite list. There is two ways one cqn do this. One by a simple "thumbs up" vote which then starts to creates a list based on your "likes". Also another list by selecting "add to my library" tab. Pretty cool. So as long as you pay your monthly service you can continue to keep them. One can also obviously buy it. One can also create a radio station tailored to your taste based on a certain song you like.
The flexibility of Google play makes it an easy winner. No songs have ever sounded far away or tiny. A great service that I appreciate for my long commutes.


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## val69

Tidal.......with AMAS.


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## StevenVA

Spotify premium is pretty good if you select 320kbps “Extreme quality”. 
If that's not good enough then Tidal seems to be the best possibility for now. There are 2 versions. A $10 a month, (Tidal Premium), gets you pretty much the same quality as the other paid sources. If you want better than Spotify, then you must the pricey version, (Tidal Hi-Fi), it will cost you $20 a month. 
Tidal Hi-Fi streams music in the form of 16bit, 44.1kHz FLAC files with a bitrate of 1411kbps. It also streams Apples ALAC. Review linkTidal review | TechRadar
I do not own any Apple products so I didn't spend much time researching the quality of Bluetooth streaming from an Iphone to car stereo. 
However, To stream at those speeds your phone and head unit will have to have a Bluetooth version with AptX.

Key Features of AptX: 
Compression ratio: 4:1
Audio Format: 16-bit, 44.1kHz (CD-Quality)
Data Rates: 352kbps
Frequency Response: 10Hz to 22kHz
Algorithmic Delay: <1.89ms @ Fs 48KHz
Dynamic Range: 16-bit: >92dB
THD+N: -68.8dB

To see if your devices have AptX here is a link. To save some people time, Apple is not on the list.Wireless Headphones and Bluetooth Speakers - aptX® Products
An unlimited data plan will help.


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## idelgado782

I've been streaming using spotify for a while now. I am taking advantage of the three month trial of apple music. I think I want to give tidal a shot and see if I notice any differences 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## t3sn4f2

Ive switched over to Apple. Simply for the greater library and the guarantee the my library will be there consitantly for years to come. I've gone from rhapsody to mog to beats and i'm not planning on rebuilding it yet again any time soon. Im sick of chasing my tail with these ******** half ass'd streaming services. Plus there's also the headunit integration compatibility benefit that you get with the apple music app, that you dont with any other app.


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## damonryoung

I'm pretty content with the 320k on Spotify, but am interested in Tidal's claims and the reviews.

Has anyone tried Tidal Hi-Fi out for themselves?


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## papasin

DRTHJTA said:


> I'm pretty content with the 320k on Spotify, but am interested in Tidal's claims and the reviews.
> 
> Has anyone tried Tidal Hi-Fi out for themselves?


Yep. MrsPapasin and BigRed.


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## Lord Raven

Tidal


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## ugnlol

I'm currently using spotify premium, with a dedicated iphone 4 32gb that I have synced a lot of playlists. Connected to a pioneer p99rs, using the DAC in the player.

It works ok, but can for sure notice the higher quality with CD's - So I am going to try Tidal and google music!


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## ugnlol

Is it possible to 'copy' playlists from spotify to google music or tidal?


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## DDFusionV2

No it's not


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## ugnlol

Bah, that sucks big time. Since spotify is the 'standard' in playlists atm :/


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## ugnlol

Found this one: https://freeyourmusic.com/

If you want to test out a new streaming service, this site can convert your playlist fram X to Y (for very many services).
Not tried it yet, but are going to when I have some spare time to test out google music 

EDIT: Ok. The free version s**ks big time, if I read their pricing right.. can only convert one playlist with 10 songs? Oh well. Then it's possible at least..


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## Jscoyne2

How does tidal work exactly? How do you get lossless through 3/4g?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk


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## nineball76

Jscoyne2 said:


> How does tidal work exactly? How do you get lossless through 3/4g?
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk


Stream it, using up 1.4 mb per second. Kiss your data plan goodbye


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## 20K-Warrs

Checkout basshead rdo on radionomy app...stream rebassed music all genre played

Mr. 10K


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## ugnlol

20K-Warrs said:


> Checkout basshead rdo on radionomy app...stream rebassed music all genre played
> 
> Mr. 10K


url?

From your description, it sounds like a 'radio' that applies "bass eq".. hope i'm wrong, because that is just bad.


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## MikeS

https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/201724441-How-do-I-import-playlists-to-TIDAL-


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## nineball76

20K-Warrs said:


> Checkout basshead rdo on radionomy app...stream rebassed music all genre played
> 
> Mr. 10K


It's 192 kbps. Crap in crap out. Not even Sq, gtfo


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## 20K-Warrs

Soooooooooo that means what? If anyone wants to stream rebassed music they can check it out...if not...don't do it...I found out bout it and like it...just because u don't due to its kps....someone else might not mind...so u can gtfo

Mr. 10K


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## 20K-Warrs

ugnlol said:


> url?
> 
> From your description, it sounds like a 'radio' that applies "bass eq".. hope i'm wrong, because that is just bad.


It's a radio app and that is s channel on there that is dedicated to bass music...slowed and rebassed...all genre...radionomy is the app...I like it

Mr. 10K


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## 20K-Warrs

ugnlol said:


> url?
> 
> From your description, it sounds like a 'radio' that applies "bass eq".. hope i'm wrong, because that is just bad.


No url...app

Mr. 10K


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## nineball76

20K-Warrs said:


> Soooooooooo that means what? If anyone wants to stream rebassed music they can check it out...if not...don't do it...I found out bout it and like it...just because u don't due to its kps....someone else might not mind...so u can gtfo
> 
> Mr. 10K


Because the title of the thread is best streaming service for SOUND QUALITY, bass boosted at low bitrate is not sound quality in no way shape or form.


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## Jtroutt19

Check out Tidal. The stream 24bit i believe.


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## madcowintucson

I stream slacker radio 320kbps and it works pretty well for me. Also I really loved milk music but they are shutting down. Slacker is $3.99 a month but you don't get all the features.


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## rogervs

With so many replies to your post, you have got so many options to choose from. The next question in your mind must be "How will I import music from spotify to any other music player?" Well, I have the answer for you. You can try MusConv.com tool to do this.


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## Arete

nineball76 said:


> Stream it, using up 1.4 mb per second. Kiss your data plan goodbye


That’s why you store it locally before you leave the house.


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## HAL3Y SRT

damonryoung said:


> I'm pretty content with the 320k on Spotify, but am interested in Tidal's claims and the reviews.
> 
> Has anyone tried Tidal Hi-Fi out for themselves?


I use Tidal HiFi and love it, I also have Spotifys version of HiFi, but its not nearly as good as Tidal. I like Spotifys playlists better and I feel like they have more songs (that im interested in anyways), but Tidal blows it out of the water. Tidal with an unlimited data plan is the way to go. I actually have a dedicated iPhone 6 for music in my Jeep and I will use my iPhone 7+ and tether it with my 6 and stream music that way using USB, then it runs TOSLINK to my Arc PS8. All digital 

Trust me, if you have the right equipment to hear the difference between Tidal HiFi vs any other app basically, you definitely wont regret getting Tidal HiFi.


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## Arete

HAL3Y SRT said:


> I use Tidal HiFi and love it, I also have Spotifys version of HiFi, but its not nearly as good as Tidal. I like Spotifys playlists better and I feel like they have more songs (that im interested in anyways), but Tidal blows it out of the water. Tidal with an unlimited data plan is the way to go. I actually have a dedicated iPhone 6 for music in my Jeep and I will use my iPhone 7+ and tether it with my 6 and stream music that way using USB, then it runs TOSLINK to my Arc PS8. All digital
> 
> Trust me, if you have the right equipment to hear the difference between Tidal HiFi vs any other app basically, you definitely wont regret getting Tidal HiFi.


Which unlimited data plan do you have? Some unlimited data plans aren’t actually unlimited, they throttle the speed after 20-25gb.


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## HAL3Y SRT

Arete said:


> Which unlimited data plan do you have? Some unlimited data plans aren’t actually unlimited, they throttle the speed after 20-25gb.




Verizon. I have heard the same thing but I haven’t had any issues with Verizon.


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## strohw

Verizon just made a bunch of changes to their unlimited data plans...mainly throttle limits but it seems entirely aimed at video. On their new go unlimited plan they say they can throttle your speed if their network is congested at any point. You have to be on their beyond unlimited plan to retain the 22gb per billing cycle potential throttle.


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## TitoPuente

Am I the only one who things spotify premium is pretty decent? Then again I dont really stream as I download the playlists on to my phone!


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## MikeS

TitoPuente said:


> Am I the only one who things spotify premium is pretty decent? Then again I dont really stream as I download the playlists on to my phone!


Nope, it is pretty good now. They had few android versions with very bad sound quality and they never announce what they are changing. 

If one can't have decent sound out of baddest quality of spotify there is something wrong with the setup.


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## HAL3Y SRT

MikeS said:


> Nope, it is pretty good now. They had few android versions with very bad sound quality and they never announce what they are changing.
> 
> 
> 
> If one can't have decent sound out of baddest quality of spotify there is something wrong with the setup.




Don’t get me wrong. Spotify premium is good. But music playing at 320 vs 1411 with a high tech system is very very noticeable. Anyone who disagrees, is more than welcome to come listen to my system . 

Honestly I use Spotify to hear new tracks because they have custom playlists generated for me based on what I listen to, and Spotify updates more often and has more of the music I listen to, if I hear a track I like, I’ll go on Tidal and see if they have it. If they do, I’ll download it there and listen via Tidal. But listening to Spotify vs Tidal on my computer or whatever, no real noticeable difference.


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## EvAnA

There were some rumors earlier this year that Spotify was testing a HiFi plan with select users.

Hoping it turns into something, I would jump from Tidal in an instant.


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## HAL3Y SRT

EvAnA said:


> There were some rumors earlier this year that Spotify was testing a HiFi plan with select users.
> 
> 
> 
> Hoping it turns into something, I would jump from Tidal in an instant.




As would I.


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## EvAnA

Microsoft just announced they're ditching their own Groove music service and partnering with Spotify.

Fingers crossed that with that boost Spotify will be able to take on the Hifi market.


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## HAL3Y SRT

EvAnA said:


> Microsoft just announced they're ditching their own Groove music service and partnering with Spotify.
> 
> Fingers crossed that with that boost Spotify will be able to take on the Hifi market.


That would be awesome. I would ditch Tidal if Spotify could play HiFi. Spotify is just more user friendly, and I love how it will generate new playlists everyday based on the music you listen to. Spotify always has the newest music before Tidal does.


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## Kcmtbr

Tidal HIFI sounds excellent in my system , but I’d dump them in a heartbeat when Spotify goes HiFi , Spotify is built into my touch screen head unit and I’d be able to use the touch screen menus vs tidal and having to use the phone to change up what I’m listening to . Be nice if Pandora would go HIFI too .


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## Hyperlite147

The streaming aspect is limiting, but whatever you choose, try to go with aux over bluetooth.


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## SQ_Blaze

Tidal here. 

I select the albums I want to "download" on my iPhone and play them that way through the system instead of actually streaming them. Minimal cell data used and no worries of dropouts due to poor signal.


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## Kcmtbr

Hyperlite147 said:


> The streaming aspect is limiting, but whatever you choose, try to go with aux over bluetooth.


I use one of my USB’s


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## HAL3Y SRT

Hyperlite147 said:


> The streaming aspect is limiting, but whatever you choose, try to go with aux over bluetooth.




Aux is better than bluetooth. But USB is better than Aux. 

I use USB with my iPhone.


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## HAL3Y SRT

SQ_Blaze said:


> Tidal here.
> 
> 
> 
> I select the albums I want to "download" on my iPhone and play them that way through the system instead of actually streaming them. Minimal cell data used and no worries of dropouts due to poor signal.




Yea so do I. I make my own playlists, then add songs to them and download them to my phone so there’s no streaming problems. Best way to go.


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## ab12c3d4

HAL3Y SRT said:


> Yea so do I. I make my own playlists, then add songs to them and download them to my phone so there’s no streaming problems. Best way to go.


that's not really streaming thought. it's the same as listening to music you put on a usb stick or sd card.


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## HAL3Y SRT

ab12c3d4 said:


> that's not really streaming thought. it's the same as listening to music you put on a usb stick or sd card.




Yea I know.


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## banshee28

HAL3Y SRT said:


> Aux is better than bluetooth. But USB is better than Aux.
> 
> I use USB with my iPhone.


What about Bluetooth on Android with aptX. This is supposed to provide much better SQ.


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## Kcmtbr

banshee28 said:


> What about Bluetooth on Android with aptX. This is supposed to provide much better SQ.


If your deck has aptx also your sq should be pretty good . Try your usb and aux then bt and see if you notice the sq for the better or worse .


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## banshee28

Kcmtbr said:


> If your deck has aptx also your sq should be pretty good . Try your usb and aux then bt and see if you notice the sq for the better or worse .


Yes, my SQ does seem very good and clean. I cant test the USB since I dont have that connection on my DSP...yet...I may try it one day.


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## Kcmtbr

Tidal is a part of Apple car play now with the apps latest update :rockon::thumbsup:


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## jazzpassine

banshee28 said:


> What about Bluetooth on Android with aptX. This is supposed to provide much better SQ.



I'm wondering about this as well. Considering going aptX bluetooth instead of USB to save money if the quality is good.


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## EvAnA

jazzpassine said:


> I'm wondering about this as well. Considering going aptX bluetooth instead of USB to save money if the quality is good.


aptX HD would be best if you can get two devices that support it. Supposedly the HiFi tier with support for 48kHz / 24bit LPCM audio data.


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## roygabba

Spotify and Apple Music are best for sound quality and you can use MusConv.com tool to transfer between.


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## Holmz

roygabba said:


> Spotify and Apple Music are best for sound quality and you can use MusConv.com tool to transfer between.


Can you support this statement with facts or data? Or is it an opinion?


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## roygabba

*Mr*



Holmz said:


> Can you support this statement with facts or data? Or is it an opinion?


Yes, I will post the data. Let me get to my safe location.


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## M HPR

I'm using TIDAL hi-res over android auto and Apple car play directly connected to the usb ports. I do try to download all of my music on wifi though because the format is so large that I get lag while on the road so I have to switch to normal quality over cell. I also have Google play and sounds good enough.


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## Annie_Yazbeck

The best streaming music with sound quality must be Tidal, which has the Hi-Wi output quality. But best audio quality means high subscrbtion fee. 
So I usually use Spotify to listen to my favorite songs and playlists. The other reason I use Spotify is that I have a professionl *AudFree Spotify Music Converter*, which can convert Spotify music to MP3 so that I can move Spotify music to my MP3 device. 
But up to now, I didn't find such software for Tidal. So I use Spotify now.


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## imickey503

When my data was limited, (Or to cheap to pay for unlimited data plans) I got spotify premium, downloaded all the music to my 128Gb sd card, and enjoyed it over bluetooth. However, I have yet to try the USB audio feature on my deck since it takes away the head unit controls over the phone that way. What bothers me is that there are tracks on Spotify that are actually recorded badly enough to hear microphone overload, bad mixing etc. and somehow, made it to SPotify? Now that was a new one for me. 

I have tried google music, and its not bad. But I prefer Spotify. The cool thing with Googles service is that it will be happy to take your entire library. But with how easy it is with Spotify? I just use that. If I really have the big, TPB, FLAC files and a USB drive is the way to go when I really want to hear something at its best quality.


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## planaport

doesn't tidal have almost FLAC quality?


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## EvAnA

planaport said:


> doesn't tidal have almost FLAC quality?


Tidal's entire library is lossless if you pay for their premium plan. With the addition of tracks that are available in the higher master quality.


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## rockinridgeline

I was using Tidal for HiRes streaming but am seriously considering Qobuz at this point while I use both. Qobuz allows HiRes download to my iphone which I connect via USB to my Helix processor for conversion and playback. Best possible signal chain. Qobuz also allows purchase of HiRes music at a discount with the top subscription plans if you want to own the music regardless of whether you subscribe. Their catalog is vast. In addition, I appreciate that Qobuz doesn't give most of their screen space to promoting urban music like Tidal. I am just not a big fan of the Rap worldview. Spotify's search capabilities are much better than Tidal or Qobuz. If they decided to go HiRes they would easily win. Sadly, they, along with Apple, may never go after the HiRes streaming market because the market isn't that large due to the fact that on most factory radios and Phone-maker supplied headphones you can't really tell a difference between compressed and lossless so most people don't care about HiRes.


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## flgfish

I'm pretty happy with Spotify on HQ. It seems to be all 320kbps CBR MP3. I know I'm eating up way, way more bandwidth than when I was living with free Pandora streams.


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## caddiesytgvwo

Kcmtbr said:


> Tidal HIFI sounds excellent in my system , but I’d dump them in a heartbeat when Spotify goes HiFi , Spotifyis built into my touch screen head unit and I’d be able to use the touch screen menus vs tidal and having to use the phone to change up what I’m listening to . Be nice if Pandora would go HIFI too .


The Tidal is the exclusive music, it absolutely has best quality. However, it can't be downloaded offline as there is no such Tidal Downloader. Spotify doesn't have the lossless quality, but you can use the *DRmare Spotify Music Converter* to download songs offline. Give it a try.


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## saltyone

So...is Tidal worth it if you’re using an iPhone? I use USB to my HU. Signal is then fed to JL FiX-LSA-4, then to JL FiX 82, then optically to JL TwK D8. 

I presently use iTunes. All music from iTunes is downloaded to my phone. Would I be able to tell a difference in SQ using Tidal?


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## Kerryling

When it comes to sound quality, the best streaming music application could be Tidal. It offers Hi-Fi and MQA music-quality streams for all users. 
Besides, I get a professional AudFree Tidal Converter, which allows me to convert Tidal to MP3, FLAC, WAV for offline playback on my favorite MP3 player. 
So I love Tidal very much.


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## Mahapederdon

Has anybody tried the new Amazon high quality? I'm getting sick of how my songs change order in spotify. I usually add a bunch of stuff at home and just play all when in the car. It's always changing order. And it's also a pain to add full albums now also.


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## banshee28

Mahapederdon said:


> Has anybody tried the new Amazon high quality? I'm getting sick of how my songs change order in spotify. I usually add a bunch of stuff at home and just play all when in the car. It's always changing order. And it's also a pain to add full albums now also.


Actually I just signed up for this yesterday, So far its great! Most songs at 44.1k and some at super hi res, all for a decent price compared to the others. I have been waiting for this option from Amazon, so I am planning on sticking to it! :laugh:


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## fmedrano1977

Kerryling said:


> When it comes to sound quality, the best streaming music application could be Tidal. It offers Hi-Fi and MQA music-quality streams for all users.
> Besides, I get a professional AudFree Tidal Converter, which allows me to convert Tidal to MP3, FLAC, WAV for offline playback on my favorite MP3 player.
> So I love Tidal very much.


I use Athame.


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## Wlee2060

I've tried Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal. Among these three, I think Spotify might be the best music streaming service for me. It offers a totally free chance for me to listen to the songs so that I can decide whether to upgrade or not. Usually, I use TunesKit Spotify Converter to download Spotify songs and save as MP3 files. Apple Music is not so friendly to me, and Tidal is expensive for me.


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## Likeabat

I realize much of this thread is old but I’m interested in current answers/opinions. I’m an old (52) guy getting back into car audio after a 20+ year hiatus - obviously the source music has changed.

Any opinions of this Amazon Music HD service?










I have been planning to use this from my iPhone 6S through a USB into a Sony XAV1000 Head Unit. Any flaws in that plan?


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## Mahapederdon

Amazon hd is fine. Don't listen to the guy above your post. I think it's a scam.


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## fmedrano1977

I use Deezer and Tidal. But prefer to download FLACs from them and put them on a USB drive.


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## Grizzfly

Wlee2060 said:


> I've tried Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal. Among these three, I think Spotify might be the best music streaming service for me. It offers a totally free chance for me to listen to the songs so that I can decide whether to upgrade or not. Usually, I use TunesKit Spotify Converter to download Spotify songs and save as MP3 files. Apple Music is not so friendly to me, and Tidal is expensive for me.


I am used only Apple Music


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## jtrosky

fmedrano1977 said:


> I use Deezer and Tidal. But prefer to download FLACs from them and put them on a USB drive.


^^This. None of the streaming services sound as good as locally-stored music - at least not with my phone and my stock head-unit (2018 Dodge Challenger).


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## Likeabat

With my crappy cell service (Sprint) I can’t reliably “stream” from any source in my local area as things constantly stop to buffer - the higher quality the music (larger file) the more the buffering.

I wound up downloading a considerable amount of HD and ultra HD music onto my phone through Amazon HD and, while the quality is great, it seems the Amazon app and CarPlay don’t work well together. Lots of glitchy bugs and freezing and such. Apple Music - as you would expect - works flawlessly with Apple CarPlay. Then again, I’ve got a 7 year old iPhone 6 so that could be part of the problem.

I personally hate the idea of having to plug a phone into my car stereo. It all seems so jerry-rigged to me - regardless of the sound quality. I’d prefer a head unit with a built in hard drive or perhaps just loading everything onto a thumb drive and leaving it plugged into the head unit. Still searching for a source solution that I really like.


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## jtrosky

Likeabat said:


> With my crappy cell service (Sprint) I can’t reliably “stream” from any source in my local area as things constantly stop to buffer - the higher quality the music (larger file) the more the buffering.
> 
> I wound up downloading a considerable amount of HD and ultra HD music onto my phone through Amazon HD and, while the quality is great, it seems the Amazon app and CarPlay don’t work well together. Lots of glitchy bugs and freezing and such. Apple Music - as you would expect - works flawlessly with Apple CarPlay. Then again, I’ve got a 7 year old iPhone 6 so that could be part of the problem.
> 
> *I personally hate the idea of having to plug a phone into my car stereo. It all seems so jerry-rigged to me - regardless of the sound quality. I’d prefer a head unit with a built in hard drive or perhaps just loading everything onto a thumb drive and leaving it plugged into the head unit. Still searching for a source solution that I really like.*


THat is exactly what I do. I bought a 256gb "stubby" thumb drive (they're like $30 on Amazon and I even get "free" same day delivery with prime) and I just keep it installed in my cars USB port. Works perfectly. It's amazing how much space that is available on these tiny thumb drive. 

Amazon.com: SanDisk 256GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive - SDCZ430-256G-G46: Computers & Accessories


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## Likeabat

jtrosky said:


> THat is exactly what I do. I bought a 256gb "stubby" thumb drive (they're like $30 on Amazon and I even get "free" same day delivery with prime) and I just keep it installed in my cars USB port. Works perfectly. It's amazing how much space that is available on these tiny thumb drive.
> 
> Amazon.com: SanDisk 256GB Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive - SDCZ430-256G-G46: Computers & Accessories


That’s perfect. 👍 I’m curious what the interface would be like using the flash drive with my Sony head unit. I should get one and play around with it. I do like the various different playlists and interface with Amazon/CarPlay....when it works.


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## DaveG

I've been using Apple Music and they have a great selection and also group an "essential" playlist with most artist. Recently I signed up with Amazon HD and they too have a huge selection. Amazon also has some Ultra HD recordings available. I agree the interface is much better with car play. Currently the biggest difference is I can airdrop apple music and get toslink out of my topping d10 digitally but can't with Amazon HD. It show's the airdrop and connects but no output. I'll figure it out sooner or later. Toslink definitely is the way to go regardless of service if possible.


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## jtrosky

Likeabat said:


> That’s perfect.  I’m curious what the interface would be like using the flash drive with my Sony head unit. I should get one and play around with it. I do like the various different playlists and interface with Amazon/CarPlay....when it works.


Yeah, it all comes down to what the head-unit supports. Since my car is pretty new (2018), the factory 8.4" toucshcreen head-unit actually directly supports all file types (mp3, wav, flac, etc) and even supports playlists and iPods - so it does everything that I need for music playback - and does it extremely well (nice album art, voice recognition, etc). So I really don't even use AndroidAuto for music playback - I usually just use it for navigation. I would probably use it it more, but i get better sound quality from the locally-stored music - and I love being able to create my own playlists and being able to set them to "shuffle" mode.


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