Tidal versus Quobuz

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Audio4me

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What are your opinions of sound quality of Tidal versus Quobuz streaming on a Lumin. I have a T2 and thought Quobuz was going to sound better than Tidal but at this point I'm not so sure.
 
Jack said:
I've always thought Qobuz sounded better on multiple brands of streamers including Lumin.
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Even taking out MQA vs Hi-Res variable, 16/44.1 Qobuz sounds better than 16/44.1 Tidal to you?

My impression of reading Roon forum is that more people prefer Qobuz to Tidal than the other way round. However, some of them are influenced by their anti-MQA stance.
 
Yes Peter and that was using the D1/Sbooster, NT-505, Oppo Sonica, Bridge II and three different Auralic models including the G1. Tidal is getting better to my ears lately but for the longest time after the MQA phenomenon started an upper mid-range grain appeared and seemed to coincide with their content servers overloading and dropping out. As the reliabilty has returned the sound has gotten better. I still however give the edge to Qobuz in both of my systems through multiple changes from the streamers through to speakers.
 
Jack said:
Tidal is getting better to my ears lately but for the longest time after the MQA phenomenon started an upper mid-range grain appeared and seemed to coincide with their content servers overloading and dropping out. As the reliabilty has returned the sound has gotten better.
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That's an interesting observation. Do you have LPS for the modem, router, switch(es)? Are your streamers wired to the router/switch or goes through a WiFi to Ethernet device? Ever tried any sort of isolation such as fiber conversion or GigaFOIL?
 
Peter

At the present they are all hard wired to a Mesh network pod. At one point I had the D1 and the Bridge II in the same system so I was using an un-managed switch between the pod and the two hard wired streamers. My Xfinity modem is straight AC into an APC UPS to the wall outlet. No aftermarket isolation devices like the Gigafoil as I don't have any desire to make my streaming complicated. The Aries G1 is plugged in to a PSA Power Plant with a quality Digital specific TWL power cord. The Teac in the Family Room system uses the same power cord into a SurgeX and both it and the Aries are both connected to the Mesh pods with a Supra ethernet cable.
 
I'm curious how you can set a level playing field while comparing streaming services.

First there is the issue of level matching. Can you assume that the levels on identical pieces are the same on each service? Different encoding processes are used for each. Is there a way to compare levels easily? Even a small change in level will favor the louder service.

Then there is the issue of understanding if the source is identically mastered in both services. I suppose there are some records where this is possible, but I've found it vexingly difficult to figure out exactly what source master each service is playing.

I'm not dissing anyone's observations here - it's just that I'm having a hell of a time deciding which sounds better with casual listening. Sometimes they sound the same, sometimes I hear gross differences that I can't believe are caused by the services themselves - so I assume I am listening to different files.
 
I personally could not tell a difference between the two when playing 16/44. I kept Tidal only because it had a bigger library (at the time). I do realize that Qobuz offers fulll hi Resolution while Tidal does not (since MQA is lossy), but that does not bother me since I am using 16/44 and upsampling via software. I am hoping for Amazon HD to be able to connect with Roon and if that happens I will move to Amazon.
 
We all hear what we hear so it is good we have two choices. I have both services but only use Tidal when something I am looking for specifically is not on Qobuz as they are still bargaining with some of the smaller distributors.
 
The differences between Tidal And Quobuz aren't related to the sound quality of either IMO. The differences are content and format.
 
Regardless of whether it is lossy, I believe MQA still has an advantage over redbook (some people will disagree and I respect that), especially when it's free with Tidal HiFi subscription. Going beyond redbook with Qobuz costs quite a bit more.
 
Jack said:
I've always thought Qobuz sounded better
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Just talked to somebody who has the same view. In my spare time I'll try to digitally compare 16/44.1 of the same tracks from the two services, although I'm not sure I can get any useful or valid result or how long this will take. If anyone has suggestions of 16/44.1 tracks that you believe to be from the same master, please let me know - MQA and Hi-Res are excluded.
 
Peter

I don't consider $5 a month more a month to be quite a bit more and in over two years with either the UK or US service have never had a drop out which for about six months was a constant with Tidal regardless of the DNS including Cloudfare. As I said both the service and sound quality have improved this year but at this point I am satisfied with the $25 a month Hi-Res service from Qobuz and am just waiting for them to fill out the rest of their US catalog so I can cancel Tidal.
 
I wish Qobuz offered a family plan, my Wife and Kids use Tidal, and I use both with 90% to Qobuz


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If I'm not mistaken, you are allowed to use the same Qobuz account on up to three devices, but they cannot be used simultaneously.
 
Just curious, does listening to Qobuz or Tidal in a moving vehicle create more drop outs? I seem to experience more drop outs while listening to Qobuz or Tidal in a moving vehicle. Can't prove it though.
 
I had both Tidal and Qobuz. I found I preferred the sound quality of Tidal cd quality and MQA over Qobuz cd quality and Hi-Res by the slightest of margins on my system. I did end up cancelling Qobuz but could have been happy with it if I wasn't trying to be so picky. I still prefer the sound quality of an actual CD or SACD over both of the services but since I am lazy I generally use Tidal. Since everything is system dependent I can see where some would prefer Qobuz over Tidal and visa versa.
 
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