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Amazon Music HD. A brand new Hi-Res streaming service.


314carpenter

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I'm on a merry-go-round with Spotify, Amazon HD and recently Qobuz.

Qobuz has the best sound quality but it's flaky.

Amazon, despite the badge saying it's either cd or hi-rez hi-rez quality....isn't always the case. One day a song will play lossless, another day it's an mp3.

Spotify rules......except for the fact that doesn't have a lossless option.

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3 hours ago, SWL said:

I'm on a merry-go-round with Spotify, Amazon HD and recently Qobuz.

I've been happy with Tidal.  They've started doing a couple new things that I like.  Either that or I just noticed it.  The first one is that they now have groups of just Master quality recordings.  The second is mix tapes.  They take songs from my favorites and group them together by genre and then add similar style music from other artists.  More often than not I'll hear something I like while listening and add it to my favorites.  The mix tapes just appeared on my home page with no input on my part.  It's a nice feature.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Me too.....dropped Qobuz and Amazon HD. Now it's Spotify and Tidal.

Spotify is solid as a rock but no lossless.

Tidal has come a long way and works very good now. I don't know why but the sound quality is much better streaming from my Android through Chromecast Audio vs listening through the desktop app on Windows 10.

Pretty disappointed today.....I tried the free trial to control Tidal desktop with Roon. The Roon Android app sucks. I was expecting it to be much, much better.

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I've been happy with Tidal.  They've started doing a couple new things that I like.  Either that or I just noticed it.  The first one is that they now have groups of just Master quality recordings.  The second is mix tapes.  They take songs from my favorites and group them together by genre and then add similar style music from other artists.  More often than not I'll hear something I like while listening and add it to my favorites.  The mix tapes just appeared on my home page with no input on my part.  It's a nice feature.

They're taking notes from Spotify. That's a good thing.

 

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Though not new to streaming music I am way lowdown on the learning curve. In reading these posts I ‘hear’ that these music providers are oddly formatted and inconsistent. They seem crusty to navigate and their sound quality varies. 
 

As for myself recently I purchased a dedicated streaming interface and continue to use ‘free’ pandora for service. Prior to this I used a simple ‘kindle’ pad and it’s streaming functions were quite frustrating. My new device (Marantz na6006) is certainly better but not at all flawless. Between it and my iPad the wireless connection is dropped at least once daily. The music from pandora is not bad....... it is not good either. For ‘free’ it is fine. If I were paying for it I’d be pissed 😤
 

So I come here seeking advice for some better service. I am not sold on streaming...... yet. It’s too twitchy, too touchy and not reliable. I had hoped for ‘at least’ routine operation and had plans to purchase additional Bluetooth speakers. Things are much better but not good enough for more product and from what I read here no service is worth paying for. It is all too problematic.

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3 hours ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

So I come here seeking advice for some better service. I am not sold on streaming...... yet. It’s too twitchy, too touchy and not reliable. I had hoped for ‘at least’ routine operation and had plans to purchase additional Bluetooth speakers. Things are much better but not good enough for more product and from what I read here no service is worth paying for. It is all too problematic.

 

Do you have Amazon Prime (just plain old Prime)?  If so, they have a free streaming service.   About 2 million songs, so decent selection.  It will give you a free choice to try out.  Some song sound good, others sound thin.  I am listening to Billy Joel right now, sounds OK for background.  It does sound pretty good on a near field system that I have in my office using B&W 805s (if the recording is decent).  It would probably sound better with lower resolution speakers.

 

I tried to set Amazon Music up for my mother on a Sony TV and it cannot be done.  This stinks, Google is trying to push they crappy service.  Anyone else deal with this?  I'd like to hook it up for her. 

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4 hours ago, tigerwoodKhorns said:

 

Do you have Amazon Prime (just plain old Prime)?  If so, they have a free streaming service.   About 2 million songs, so decent selection.  It will give you a free choice to try out.  Some song sound good, others sound thin.  I am listening to Billy Joel right now, sounds OK for background.  It does sound pretty good on a near field system that I have in my office using B&W 805s (if the recording is decent).  It would probably sound better with lower resolution speakers.

 

I tried to set Amazon Music up for my mother on a Sony TV and it cannot be done.  This stinks, Google is trying to push they crappy service.  Anyone else deal with this?  I'd like to hook it up for her. 

Yes we have amazon prime. I have used their streaming before and, as mentioned - it was lacking in ‘user’ friendly. I could fire it up and will give it a shot. I know that tidal offers a free trial period. But my concern is with the equipment in use. Like your project trying to fire up Amazon music for your mom. Too much makes too little sense to moi. It is illogical. Something that works once should not somehow compel itself to simply ‘stop’ working and require some remedy that itself varies. I cannot imagine adding other system layers in to the mix. 

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I'm currently on the 30 day trial with Amazon and the biggest gripe for me is the fact that non of the fire tv devices can go beyond 16bit so any of the 24 bit 192 Ultra recordings will have to go through another device which is aggravating.  The fact that I have a firestick and it would have been great to just pull it up and go instead of having to run it through the PC is something I hope they address soon.  My Marantz 8801 doesn't support Amazon music although there are units that do, but I'm not changing out my pre pro to do that.  I've been searching and looking for a solution but haven't found an acceptable one yet.  Hell, my phone has a quad dac and is capable of streaming at the higher rate, Amazon should have thought that through when they're pushing Ultra HD.  I'll report back as I'm trying to get the Amazon app and downloaded music to where it can just be a network source and recognized by the Marantz, but I'm not there yet. 

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@Pete H

 

"You think you hate it now but just wait until till you drive it..."   (Vacation movie quote...lol)

 

I have Firesticks, too, but didn't try to use them for streaming.  What got me most was the usability....the UI, finding things, saving an Artist and never being able to go back to that Artist again to see their catalog.  It was only saving it so it could send you updates when they released something new.  Stupid.  

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26 minutes ago, avguytx said:

@Pete H

 

"You think you hate it now but just wait until till you drive it..."   (Vacation movie quote...lol)

 

I have Firesticks, too, but didn't try to use them for streaming.  What got me most was the usability....the UI, finding things, saving an Artist and never being able to go back to that Artist again to see their catalog.  It was only saving it so it could send you updates when they released something new.  Stupid.  

I'm not sure but think that I will still be searching at the end of this trial.  For me, this is the first service I've tried so I have nothing to compare it to.  

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20 minutes ago, Pete H said:

I'm not sure but think that I will still be searching at the end of this trial.  For me, this is the first service I've tried so I have nothing to compare it to.  

 

I did have really good luck in streaming Amazon Music HD (and Spotify too) from my Galaxy S9 phone or Samsung Tablet to a Chromecast Audio.  Worked and sounded really good.  But, it was that clunky interface.  I thought I could work around it but it finally got the best of me.  Same when when I tried to use it in my truck where I have a Pioneer Media radio and I plug my phone it; Spotify is awesome in there but AHD not so much.  Plus voice prompts work flawlessly for music with Spotify; just a good team.  ha

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I've had it since it came out. I have my pc connected direct to receiver. I think it sounds great, great selection. Just as easy as playing a cd, album etc.... so... For 12.99 I think its a good deal, you can use it anywhere you go, at least I have. I dont do playlist and all that, I have several thousand albums I really like (still loading) and they just play random, nice way to hear stuff i passed by decades ago.....

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5 minutes ago, Fish said:

I've had it since it came out. I have my pc connected direct to receiver. I think it sounds great, great selection. Just as easy as playing a cd, album etc.... so... For 12.99 I think its a good deal, you can use it anywhere you go, at least I have. I dont do playlist and all that, I have several thousand albums I really like (still loading) and they just play random, nice way to hear stuff i passed by decades ago.....

Receiver has a dac, outboard unit, or not using one? 

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I run an optical cable in my garage and an hdmi in my den, from pc to receivers. As mentioned w/firestick you only get 16/44, cd quality. still ok.  With optical or hdmi out I get up to 24/192. The app shows the bit rate when you click on HD / Ultra HD.

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First subscription was Spotify premium , then Apple Music , then tidal premium , then Qobuz. Premium now amazon ,music hd and is amazing quality 24/192khz love it.. use HEOS is excellent quality but this app no woks complete in amazon music hd  , because you can add your personal playlist.

And tried echo link to streaming DAC but is not ultra HD only HD (cd quality)

my system : I have marantz AV 7705 (pre amp)+Monolith 11X (amp) +Klipsch RP280F (only stereo) for music hi res using streaming amazon music HD awesome.. !! I am looking streaming device DAC, what do you recommend ? I tested node 2i bluesound (good streaming but not like it audio, lack ) in Heos(Marantz AV 7705) music is awesome 24/96 khz but , I can't use my playlist on amazon music HD.. this is cause for streaming dac..

Do I need external DAc for this new device? and if was like this..DAC Marantz av 7705 inside is better than Schiit modi?

thanks.your opinion is important..

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On 1/3/2020 at 9:23 PM, Fish said:

I run an optical cable in my garage and an hdmi in my den, from pc to receivers. As mentioned w/firestick you only get 16/44, cd quality. still ok.  With optical or hdmi out I get up to 24/192. The app shows the bit rate when you click on HD / Ultra HD.

I'm going to do the same thing from the PC, just waiting for the toslink adapter to come because my sound card is a mini.  I would agree that the 16/44 is Ok, but iMO, it's no better or worse than playing music through youtube although jacking in through my phone at 24/48 is noticeably better than the 16/44.  The only thing I have capable of 24/192 is the sound card in my home tower but I've got a pretty long run to get to the receiver.  Still really debating on weather or not I shouldn't just increase my music library over time instead of the monthly fee.   

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The thing that bugs me is the 4k stick don't do the hi rez, kinda kooky....I'm still trying to figure out why but.....The Amazon HD sounds as good or better than most any source I have (flac etc..). Maybe a setting or Amazon doing something (my avr has amazon built in), under investigation ........

 

I kinda hear ya on the library thing. I do like having the physical media. I do have several thousand disc (and a small fortune in em') But....as I get older I realize I could never own all that"s out there.  I can try to listen to as much as possible and streaming allows for stuff I just would not buy to try...I have already found lots of great music I passed on long ago that's like new all over again. And if you have a kid or two or a friend split a family deal and it's like $5 an month. Can't buy much hi rez for that.

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  • 3 months later...
On 9/18/2019 at 12:08 PM, 314carpenter said:

Just released today. Undercutting and directly competing against Tidal and Qobuz.

If you already have Prime, you can save a couple more bucks. I left a couple of links to get you caught up on the news.

 

These guys can say it better than I can, you can just read what they have to say.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/amazon-music-hd-hi-res-streaming/

90 days free trial if you are new to the service

https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd

Amazon Music is only available in the US and UK. How do you get Amazon Prime Music to work?

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  • 3 months later...

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