View Full Version : Do I need Spotify Premium?
I have a usb input on my new amp so i thought i would try a quality Spotify stream. Tried it out last night and it sounded pretty good.
Just found out however, the usb DAC is only 16/44. Im guessing with it being an average dac i dont need 320 speed?
Reid Malenfant
13-05-2011, 15:03
320kbps will still sound much better than whatever spotify pump out as standard if that what you are asking? I'd be amazed if you couldn't hear the difference :eyebrows:
As i'm only a freebie member i have no idea what the kbps rate is for premium members :scratch:
Yeah, a tenner is a bit steep for me but i will give it a month.
Just from last night i found i need the Fleet foxes new album but i also enjoyed other music i wouldnt buy so good initial impressions.
16/44 is 1411kbs. Though its not that direct a comparison as the 320 is compressed where the 1411 is not.
In reality, I think you'll hear very little difference if any between Spotify at 320kbps and a CD... :sofa: May be my cloth ears, but I doubt I could spot the difference in a blind A/B test.
But you'll definitely notice the difference between the standard stream from Spotify (160kbps) I would think.
Stratmangler
13-05-2011, 19:12
In reality, I think you'll hear very little difference if any between Spotify at 320kbps and a CD... :sofa: May be my cloth ears, but I doubt I could spot the difference in a blind A/B test.
But you'll definitely notice the difference between the standard stream from Spotify (160kbps) I would think.
Methinks you need to go and get your ears checked out then :eyebrows:
Spotify @ 320kbps is good, but nowhere near the fidelity of a CD of the same music.
Methinks you need to go and get your ears checked out then :eyebrows:
Spotify @ 320kbps is good, but nowhere near the fidelity of a CD of the same music.
There's only one way to sort this out... FIGHT! ;)
Stratmangler
13-05-2011, 19:26
There's only one way to sort this out... FIGHT! ;)
The difference is not subtle - that's the point I'm making.
There's a whole layer of detail missing with Spotify.
Play a track on Spotify, then play the same track from CD - there's much more life in the CD version.
The Vinyl Adventure
13-05-2011, 20:06
Yeah I agree ... But a lot of what you get from spotify premium is more than listenable ... I spend probably more than 50% of my time listening to spotify through my main hifi and 100% o my time it's spotify through my office system and I'm rarely disappointed by the sound quality ...
Not to mention the iPhone app of premium allowing you to store music locally on the iPhone meaning that you have millions of possible tracks to put on your iPhone to listen to on the move ... AND the streaming to iPhone when you have good 3G or wireless ...
£10 a month is cheap if you ask me ... Much better money spent than on the likes of sky ...
Another reason to covet an iphone. Should have taken that upgrade.
dave2010
14-05-2011, 11:54
...
Not to mention the iPhone app of premium allowing you to store music locally on the iPhone meaning that you have millions of possible tracks to put on your iPhone to listen to on the move ... AND the streaming to iPhone when you have good 3G or wireless ...
£10 a month is cheap if you ask me ... Much better money spent than on the likes of sky ...
Hamish
I think I must have missed something here. I have Spotify premium, and I have the Spotify iPhone (?) app which I run on my iPad. I thought it behaved just like regular Spotify - streaming when used. How do I set it to download? Maybe it's just the same as "offline" mode in the Spotify program - which I've played with in the past on PCs, and is useful in case there might be disruptions to the broadband service or wireless connectivity. The interface on the app is a bit simple though, so maybe I'll have to root around to try to find that feature.
The Vinyl Adventure
14-05-2011, 12:07
Select a playlist, top right hand corner "available online"
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/d059fde4.jpg
Leave it doing it over night, by the moning music on iPhone
Just listening to Sibelius violin concerto. Sounds like cd quality to me.
Just listening to Sibelius violin concerto. Sounds like cd quality to me.
Maybe we can get a discount if we both get our ears tested at the same time Colin, :lol:
I'm not doubting Chris (Stratmangler) that you can hear a clear difference - but I struggled in the past - might try it on the missus later or get her to switch between the two and see if I can tell the difference. Then again, I might open a beer and watch the cup final! ;)
Im a city fan and i cant pick up ITV on my aerial :(
That's a nightmare Colin! :eek: Get down the pub! ;)
Another reason to covet an iphone. Should have taken that upgrade.
Covet an iPhone............ are you mad sir :scratch:
http://images.media.nscdn.com/index.php?src=http://cdn1.knowyourmeme.com/i/30403/original/YouMad.jpg&size=400x1000
;)
I dont want to get tied to itunes but i do like the easy way the Apple products all work together and the fact manufacturers fall over themselves to make things work with the Apple applications.
I now listen to Spotify 90% of the time. In comparison to itunes lossless I find that itunes sounds clearer, but sometimes a bit too clinical. So I can find goosebump moments with Spotify (premium rate) that I don't get with the same track off itunes.
The other internet site I use is Grooveshark, but its sound quality varies and can be better or worse than Spotify.
I also enjoy music off Youtube which can be surprisingly good, if it put there by the group invloved, rather than DIY concert footage or amature downloads with home made backing videos. Try And So I Watch You From Afar and their tracks from a gig supporting Them Crooked Vultures for an example of well done Youtube sound quality.
In any case, I refuse to get hung up on the last small % of SQ as I think it causes frustration, which in turn spils the musical experience.
Just remember if you upgrade to Premium on Spotify you need to manually enable the higher bit rate, Edit - Preferences - Sound - tick the High Quality Streaming box.
God damm i had no idea. Thanks. That sounds better :lol:
In reality, I think you'll hear very little difference if any between Spotify at 320kbps and a CD... :sofa: May be my cloth ears, but I doubt I could spot the difference in a blind A/B test.
But you'll definitely notice the difference between the standard stream from Spotify (160kbps) I would think.
Maybe it's your upper-frequency hearing range or system, but a couple of us with my system are easily able to tell between 320Kbps mp3 & lossless (ripped from the same CD with the same software) in blind listening tests with 100% confidence. The main differences do tend to be more 'air' and better detail in the very high frequencies rather than night & day.
Also yes, pretty much ANY system will see huge benefits from Spotify Premium. Bitrates below 256Kbps are pretty much un-listenable for HiFi, but acceptable on your portable mp3 player.
Er it is possible to rip tracks onto a walkmen using premium or should i have an early night tonight.
Er it is possible to rip tracks onto a walkmen using premium or should i have an early night tonight.
You can have your playlists on certain devices (not sure what you mean by a Walkmen :scratch:), you would need to check the Spotify site for those that are compatible. You can then play these off-line too, but only if you are a Premium member. Well worth it IMO :)
Sounds promising. Ill check. I meant a sony mp3 not a cassette player :)
Nah! Wireless devices only. That will teach me to stay with sony.
Sounds promising. Ill check. I meant a sony mp3 not a cassette player :)
Don't think that's supported, iPhones and such like, that have connectivity to the Internet - you need the Spotify App I believe.
Maybe it's your upper-frequency hearing range or system, but a couple of us with my system are easily able to tell between 320Kbps mp3 & lossless (ripped from the same CD with the same software) in blind listening tests with 100% confidence. The main differences do tend to be more 'air' and better detail in the very high frequencies rather than night & day.
Also yes, pretty much ANY system will see huge benefits from Spotify Premium. Bitrates below 256Kbps are pretty much un-listenable for HiFi, but acceptable on your portable mp3 player.
Just to clarify, Spotify doesn't use mp3 - it uses the Ogg Vorbis format. IMO/E this is preferable to mp3.
Yes, And Sony doesnt use ogg. :steam:
Just to clarify, Spotify doesn't use mp3 - it uses the Ogg Vorbis format. IMO/E this is preferable to mp3.
That's very interesting considering the differences between Spofify / Ogg & lossless playback. IIRC Ogg Vorbis is already cutting everything stuff off past 18khz & opting to compress less, but at a smaller starting sample frequency. Makes sense when you think about it.
There's noticeably more air and depth with lossless playback, which is annoying to a so-called 'audiophile' in certain circumstances.
I wonder to what extent Ogg Vobis or bit rate is responsible for the overall SQ?
I read an article online where blind listening tests were carried out, comparing tracks ripped in both OGG Vorbis and Mp3, both at the same rate of 128kbps. Almost everyone preferred the OGG Vorbis rips. Regarding the Spotify Premium vs, the Standard service, when the Premium tracks ARE streamed in 356kbps, there is a noticeable improvement over 128kbps to my ears and through my system.
Upgraded to premium recently, and very glad I did. Those damn adverts really ruin the music experience (of course).
Very easy to tell whether you're getting high or low bit rates recording dependent of course).
alfie2902
09-07-2011, 12:34
Just posted this elsewhere on the forum, but http://crave.cnet.co.uk/homecinema/spotify-and-virgin-media-team-up-to-put-tunes-in-your-telly-50004322/
Looks quite interesting!
The Pink Panther
09-07-2011, 18:15
Do you need Spotify premium? Yes
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