Sound quality comparisons between Spotify and Amazon Music...

[struth]

there may be the odd difference on a mac I guess. as said you need to be on the my music screens if memory serves. may be a gear on ios

[Marco]

Also much improved from a dedicated music server.

Marco with the greatest of respect this is an apples and oranges comparison and you are not IMHO comparing objectively or reporting (again IMHO) without perhaps an element of bias - even if you think you are. Interesting nonetheless, but you need to do a lot more balanced and equal testing to draw any solid conclusions here. I personally would challenge a lot of your findings, using different equipment, but I'm not going to get into a circular discussion as we've been here many times before.

However I do totally agree that Spotify cannot compete with a very good file based audio system playing lossless files from either a NAS or attached hard drive, but it's not meant to. Or a good CDP system for that matter.

I'd like Jerry to go over and do it all, with you sitting blind, then I might think OK then fair do's

Hey Tim, I can only report what I'm currently hearing. There is no bias, I can assure you. I simply want to obtain the best results I can, with whichever music source I'm using.

Before I go anywhere else, perhaps you or someone else can successfully direct me to the area i need to access in order to ensure that I'm getting the best sound from Spotify?

Marco.

[struth]

Off my tablet ipad..



Gear wheel in top right.. touch it and.....

[Marco]

there may be the odd difference on a mac I guess. as said you need to be on the my music screens if memory serves. may be a gear on ios

It's not an odd difference, mate. We describing different screens. I'll give you a quick bell, and you can try and take me through it

Marco.

[mightymonoped]

Hey Tim, I can only report what I'm currently hearing. There is no bias, I can assure you. I simply want to obtain the best results I can, with whichever music source I'm using.

Before I go anywhere else, perhaps you or someone else can successfully direct me to the area i need to access in order to ensure that I'm getting the best sound from Spotify?

Marco.

On IOS app, it’s accessed via My Library then the Cogwheel at top right



On Mac desktop application it’s via ‘v’ shaped pull down menu icon next to username and picture at top right




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jandl100]

universal music group watermarking was a problem as it was faulty. its been fixed but dont know if spotify have re-uploaded the fixed copies. I know it was a problem on many classicals by producing a fluttering. it is also on their hi-res downloaded content as well.

Yes, I'd noticed on Spot that the watermark background burble had stopped. It isn't an issue any more as far as I am concerned.

[jandl100]

Also, before I comment further on other matters, the gross disparity between output levels of Spotify and CD (or streaming via the RPi, using Moode) would put me off using the former for long periods of time, regardless of anything else.

On the digital volume readout of my Sony amp, if I'm listening at say, 15, on CD, I have to turn it up to around 23, with Spotify to achieve the same listening level, and I can't see that changing when switching to my main system, as it's simply how both inherently are.

The master sound output level, on Spotify, has clearly been set too low - and that's with the little volume icon turned up to max.

Surely others, including you Jerry, must've have noticed this?

Marco.

x2

Firstly, I don't get a great disparity in volume level in my system between Spot and CD. It's not an issue for me.

Secondly, it's only a gain thing, anyway, nothing to do with dynamics or power.
I guess if you have an inherently higher noise floor in your system then having to raise the volume level may be a problem with reduced dynamic range above the noise floor affecting sound quality.

[Yomanze]

Yes, I'd noticed on Spot that the watermark background burble had stopped. It isn't an issue any more as far as I am concerned.

That's interesting. I haven't really been using Spotify, more TIDAL, glad they've fixed it.

[Marco]

On IOS app, it’s accessed via My Library then the Cogwheel at top right



On Mac desktop application it’s via ‘v’ shaped pull down menu icon next to username and picture at top right

Cheers, Tony

The difference is I wasn't getting the page you've just shown above, as I was using the web browser to access Spotify, not the app. Now I have the app up, I can access the the Settings menu, which I can confirm the sound quality was set at the highest bit rate.

Need to go and do a few things now, so will comment on recent posts made later.

Marco.

[montesquieu]

A key spotify setting to watch (under 'advanced settings') is 'set the same volume level for all songs'. That should be off, otherwise you have Spotify buggering around with the output. Obviously music quality should be 'High Quality Streaming' (I don't think even if you pay for a premium subscription this is turned on automatically it was a few days before I found it!).

Previously I had a few issues with it but I now use JRiver for my local files, Spotify and Qubuz (I've binned Tidal for its hopeless metadata and relatively poor classical catalogue - jury's still out on Spotify vs Qubuz so I'm running with both for a bit), and Audio Note transport for CDs. Both Mac (via USB) and transport (via AES/EBU) are connected into my new toy, a Mutec MC3+USB receiving/reclocking device, then on to the AN DAC via AES/EBU. So all going through the same reclocking and output/input.

I get no volume disparity between any of the options. And I've been impressed with the sound quality (on the main rig). I would now put JRiver first in quality (from last previously), followed by CD, followed by Spotify and Qubuz (I don't hear a difference between these). But all in all the difference is very small between all three, and the differences between well and poorly mastered recordings FAR outweighs any quality difference in the delivery mechanisms.

I still enjoy putting a CD on and having the physical object - it's great to acquire things as files but I don't see myself having a CD ripping orgy any time soon. I have to admit that getting it all working well has put a small dent in my vinyl listening. (Though vinyl is still king, natch).