Amazon lossless.

[jonners]

Amazon is now offering a free trial of lossless audio.

[Alex_UK]

Never knew they did lossless, thanks for the tip-off - might be worth investigating. :)

[jonners]

Never knew they did lossless, thanks for the tip-off - might be worth investigating. :)

I think it's a very recent development, Alex.
I'm listening now, streaming over Airplay to RPi/Katana with Moode and I have to say the sound quality is impressive. I haven't been a great fan of Airplay in the past but this is pretty good. 90 days free trial is generous too.
You need to download the Amazon music player to get the full HD.

Edit: Having just praised the sound it has now turned grainy and unpleasant. Streaming over UPnP, as can be done with Tidal and Qobuz, is more reliable in my experience.

[Alex_UK]

Thanks John - I'm moving house on Friday (and will be without internet for a week or so) but will check it out when I'm back in the 21st century!

[willbewill]

Just upgraded to the free trial, was already using unlimited, I also have an unlimited Mobile data plan with fast speeds so well pleased that I can now get HD on the move.

[jandl100]

Amazon is now offering a free trial of lossless audio.

Thanks for the heads up. :thumbsup:
Have signed on - good sound on my setup (previously the Amazon streaming was rubbish sound imo) but quite a limited (classical) music catalogue as yet.

[jonners]

Thanks for the heads up. :thumbsup:
Have signed on - good sound on my setup (previously the Amazon streaming was rubbish sound imo) but quite a limited (classical) music catalogue as yet.

I listen mostly to classical and I think the catalogue is pretty good but the search function isn't great.

[Bencat]

I have signed up to a free trial and using an Amazon Fire TV box feeding an Onkyo AT unit through Harbeth Compact Monitors . Firstly all the playlists that were on the old Amazon Music are now all tracks at HD (CD quality) with some in Ultra HD . There seems to be no control of this Amazon just uses the best quality version it can .

Now sound quality well I have listened to quite a number of tracks using Amazon then the same track as a Flac file from my Library and I have not been able to notice any difference. The sound ,separation and tone has been so close that I would not be able to say which was which .

As all of my Library tips are checked by Accurate Rip I can only assume that the Amazon streams are straight digital files of the original CD,s and they are not being filtered or mixed as some other streaming providers have been accused.

So I should be happy and considering signing up but I am not. Because Amazon do not have an APP/Plugin for LMS and others I would only be able to use this in one system in one room and that makes it not any use. Reading the Squeezebox Forums it appears that this will not change and unless Amazon decide to offer something I will be cancelling this at the end of the free period.

I am going to see if I can give this feedback to Amazon but no idea if they would consider a solution.

[jandl100]

I listen mostly to classical and I think the catalogue is pretty good but the search function isn't great.

Maybe I just need to try harder to find stuff!
But I did try quite hard. :)

[jonners]

Maybe I just need to try harder to find stuff!
But I did try quite hard. :)

Just to illustrate the perversity of the Search: A search for 'Anton Reicha' turns up 4 albums, whereas searching for 'Reicha' brings over 60 albums of music by Anton Reicha! :scratch:

[RMutt]

I went to look at this. When I went for the free trial of lossless music it said that it was going to charge £7.99 a month during the free trial period and £12.50 thereafter. I get Amazon Music with prime but do not normally use it. I know I will have missed something obvious but has anyone else had this? Thanks.

[Edward]

I went to look at this. When I went for the free trial of lossless music it said that it was going to charge £7.99 a month during the free trial period and £12.50 thereafter. I get Amazon Music with prime but do not normally use it. I know I will have missed something obvious but has anyone else had this? Thanks.

The HD 90 day free offering seems to be only for new subscribers. Existing Amazon Music subscribers will continue paying their normal £7.99pm and be able to get HD now and in 3 months time pay the £12.50pm.

I would like to take the Amazon Music HD service but so far there is no news of it being implemented in Roon.

[jonners]

I went to look at this. When I went for the free trial of lossless music it said that it was going to charge £7.99 a month during the free trial period and £12.50 thereafter. I get Amazon Music with prime but do not normally use it. I know I will have missed something obvious but has anyone else had this? Thanks.

The offer is for new subscribers only, so presumably you are not considered to be in that category.
EDIT: OK, Edward got there first!

[RMutt]

Thanks John. I’m wondering whether I may already be signed up. Is there any indication on the Amazon Music player interface that shows up as HD when playing music?

[RMutt]

Right I think I know what I have done. In my excitement of wanting to try the lossless music I signed up for a free trial of UNLIMITED, which is not free with prime and not, either, LOSSLESS. I then tried to sign up for the HD( lossless) and it obviously would not let me have the two free trials. Well, I think that’s what I’ve done, haha. Only fools rush in etc.

[jandl100]

More haste, less speed (and less rez).
:doh:

[jandl100]

Just to illustrate the perversity of the Search: A search for 'Anton Reicha' turns up 4 albums, whereas searching for 'Reicha' brings over 60 albums of music by Anton Reicha! :scratch:

I find that sort of thing with most/all of the streaming services.

But to illustrate my own findings about poor catalogue depth with Amazon, I am very fond of the Naxos series of Weiss solo lute sonatas with Robert Barto. There are 11 in the series, and Qobuz/Spotify/Tidal have them all - I can only find 3 of them on Amazon, and my fave Vol. 1 is missing. :(

And the wonderful set of complete Beethoven piano sonatas by Maria Grinberg on Melodiya isn't there either. :(
It is on Qobuz and Spotify.

[RMutt]

More haste, less speed (and less rez).
:doh:

The story of my life!

[Edward]

Right I think I know what I have done. In my excitement of wanting to try the lossless music I signed up for a free trial of UNLIMITED, which is not free with prime and not, either, LOSSLESS. I then tried to sign up for the HD( lossless) and it obviously would not let me have the two free trials. Well, I think that’s what I’ve done, haha. Only fools rush in etc.

I've always found Amazon to be good in sorting out problems (either theirs or mine) when you get them on the 'phone. Their call back service works very well.

One time they missed an important delivery time (birthday present), they refunded me in full and said keep the package.

[jonners]

Duplicate post

[jonners]

But to illustrate my own findings about poor catalogue depth with Amazon, I am very fond of the Naxos series of Weiss solo lute sonatas with Robert Barto. There are 11 in the series, and Qobuz/Spotify/Tidal have them all - I can only find 3 of them on Amazon, and my fave Vol. 1 is missing. :(


Well, I'm a Weiss/Barto fan too as it happens, and when I search in 'Unlimited' on the Amazon Music Player (not the web player) on my Macbook I find all 11 volumes of this wonderful stuff, plus the Dresden Manuscript duets! There's a 9CD set of Maria Grinberg's Beethoven too. I'll give that a listen on your recommendation Jerry!

Edit: The 9CD Grinberg set is only in 'Standard' format but there are also 7 of the individual discs in 'HD'.

[willbewill]

Right I think I know what I have done. In my excitement of wanting to try the lossless music I signed up for a free trial of UNLIMITED, which is not free with prime and not, either, LOSSLESS. I then tried to sign up for the HD( lossless) and it obviously would not let me have the two free trials. Well, I think that’s what I’ve done, haha. Only fools rush in etc.Yeah I did exactly the same [emoji23]

[mikeyb]

Biggest problem is finding something that will natively stream it AND match the sound quality of the rest of my system, yeah loads of manufacturers work with Amazon however most don't do a dedicated streamer and any that do I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

Airplay?

Yeah fair enough but that just flattens the battery on the device that's sending the music to your hifi. Not really practical if you want to have it on all day and not plugged into the wall.

I've taken the trial but only because it's free, until it appears on MoOde, Volumio, Picoreplayer, SoTm, Auralic, etc etc I'll not be going beyond the 90 days.

Biggest issue with the ones mentioned above is that Amazon won't release their API to make it work.

I don't think it'll force any other providers to rush out and do their own HD service because their core listeners listen on phones and Bluetooth speakers.

Be great if they did because it's so much easier to use Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz on more devices.

[Bencat]

Had this service for a couple of days and the solidity of the sound and the quality has been just what was promised. Then there is the issue of Ultra (24/192 quality) . I use a Fire TV player connected to an Onkyo Reciever (32/386 capable) but when you switch on the quality tab which shows the original recording quality etc it say that my source device can only play at 16/44.1 level.

Looked at settings on the Fire TV under Amazon HD muisc and the only thing you can change is allowing or blocking songs with this has not been carried over to the Fire TV . Not very good by Amazon and something I hope they will address but will not hold my breath . So a really good service that could be very popular but held back becuase they will not let it have universal usage like other streaming services , shame .

[AD Audio]

Here's a glitch. Michel Petrucciani Dreyfus night live. Track 3. Track length 16 mins or thereabouts: it cuts out at 3.34!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

[mikeyb]

Here's a glitch. Michel Petrucciani Dreyfus night live. Track 3. Track length 16 mins or thereabouts: it cuts out at 3.34!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using TapatalkTried it to see if it was the same for me and it is, you can see they only have 3:50 or so of the track as the buffer runs along much faster than it should for a 16 minute track.