Streaming

[Bryn]

If they won't stream it here (currently 4 months past their announced arrival and holding), then I refuse to properly spell it...
My case might be unique, but they probably have lost a customer. I was hot to add it last fall, when it was due to come here, but with the realization that most streaming quality is in fact sub CD quality, and with thousands of the silver discs still in the house, I'm not willing to shell out the $300 that they want for a subscription for sub CD quality. No sense in taking a step backward and at a not inconsiderable cost.
Oh well, time to go see MTT conduct the Pathetique...

That does seem a bit questionable. I pay €199 per annum for lossless CD rate.

[Sir Velo]

If you want CD resolutions or better, forget Tidal and take the Qobuz trial to see how you get on; it is much more classically-focussed than most others. But it will work better from a dedicated, partnering music player, especially Audirvana+. (Direct off of the Qobuz site tends to occasional dropouts etc).

This all seems like over complicating matters! I use the in house Qobuz desktop app (NB not the web player) which works fine on Windows 10, without any dropouts. I select the ASIO exclusive mode (there are WASAPI and Direct Sound options) which is hooked up to my Audiolab DAC+, and the sound is as good as anything I get from my Marantz CD player, or hi res downloads.

Pace Bryn, I would definitely opt for the studio subscription. For a mere extra £5 a month you get unlimited hi res streaming (up to 24/192). With an increasing number of releases available as hi res, the gain in audio quality is startling.

[jayne lee wilson]

This all seems like over complicating matters! I use the in house Qobuz desktop app (NB not the web player) which works fine on Windows 10, without any dropouts. I select the ASIO exclusive mode (there are WASAPI and Direct Sound options) which is hooked up to my Audiolab DAC+, and the sound is as good as anything I get from my Marantz CD player, or hi res downloads.

Pace Bryn, I would definitely opt for the studio subscription. For a mere extra £5 a month you get unlimited hi res streaming (up to 24/192). With an increasing number of releases available as hi res, the gain in audio quality is startling.

Absolutely with you on the Qobuz Studio choice... just wonderful....

I like Audirvana also because of its clear and attractive, fast and smooth, uncluttered user interface, and of course it does offer similar disabling of Mac functions up to "extreme" level, etc....during use. Integer Modes are useful as well. (It was designed specificially for Macs of course, so...)

I feel it sounds better than other media player systems I've tried, but beauty is as ever in the ear of the beholder....

[Bryn]

Absolutely with you on the Qobuz Studio choice... just wonderful....

I like Audirvana also because of its clear and attractive, fast and smooth, uncluttered user interface, and of course it does offer similar disabling of Mac functions up to "extreme" level, etc....during use. Integer Modes are useful as well. (It was designed specificially for Macs of course, so...)

I feel it sounds better than other media player systems I've tried, but beauty is as ever in the ear of the beholder....

Time for me to try emailing QOBUZ France again re. upgrading mid-subscription. I think I might as well stay with the French site, however, since it costs somewhat less, €249.99, as against £249.99. Of course, once the £ drops below the € . . .

[johnb]

Just use the search box, then when you find what you are looking for, switch to the Web Player for the actual streaming. I find the Web Player a lot more reliable but its own search facility less straightforward.

Thanks for the informatio, Bryn.

Although I will be playing Qobuz through LMS (running on a server) to my Squeezebox Touch - controlled via an app on my iPad. This way the Flac data is directed to my Squeezebox Touch where it is decoded to PCM, feeding the DAC in my audio system.

(It would be interesting to compare LMS/Squeezebox Touch with Audirvana beloved by Jayne.)

[Bryn]

Thanks for the informatio, Bryn.

Although I will be playing Qobuz through LMS (running on a server) to my Squeezebox Touch - controlled via an app on my iPad. This way the Flac data is directed to my Squeezebox Touch where it is decoded to PCM, feeding the DAC in my audio system.

(It would be interesting to compare LMS/Squeezebox Touch with Audirvana beloved by Jayne.)

In the interim, I have at last got round to installing the most recent version of the QOBUZ app for Windows 10 (64 bit). With the audio setting adjusted to Wasapi (exclusive mode) I am getting reliable results from the desktop, rather than the Web Player.

[richardfinegold]

I've just been pointed in the direction of IDAGIO clasical music streaming service. Has anyone used this and, if so, does it intelligently recommend stuff based on what you've already streamed? Their spiel says:



Thanks.

I tried Idagio (free trial) perhaps a year ago. The sonics were ok but the catalog was very limited. I have been using Qobuz for a week now and find it sonically superior with a much deeper catalog