I got 5/5 but I do listen to FLAC when I can (most of my iTines Library is ALAC and songs that aren't I have the best version I can get). From a business POV, the average consumer wouldn't even notice the difference/won't have the equipment to hear the difference and therefore I find it highly unlikely they'll pay double the price. TIDAL may end up crashing.
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Tidal, lossless Spotify competitor launches
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One assumes that Tidal's average consumer will have the equipment and thus is willing to pay a premium.
Maybe I should have said the average Tom, Dick and Harry rather than consumer as obviously those who sign up to TIDAL will most likely have the equipment...but I have a feeling you know what I meant.
I got your point, but it's a weird argument to make assuming that Tidal is looking to compete directly with Spotify/RDIO/et-all.
It's quite obvious they've identified a specific gap/niche and they're targeting it with their 'premium' service.
Whether it works is a different matter but comparing it to the 'average' consumer is not apples-to-apples.
Face it Tiger..
Banned
this is tight.
I don't think it's that weird to compare the 2 as they are essentially the same product, it's just that each service offer a different bitrate. I know where you're coming from, like Lambos and Fiestas are both cars but not in competition, but I think the gap between TIDAL and Spotify is much much smaller than that. As an Audiophile myself, I like owning my music so I can have the content actually on my phone for 2 reasons: I don't want to rely on my internet connection and, like others have said, streaming lossless quality would eat away my data plan. So I ask myself, would I use this service? No. So have they identified a niche or just made one up in the hope of being successful?
Edit: I wish them the best though.
CosmicSmash
Banned
4/5 using Sony MDR-ED21 earbuds lol.I got songs from The Killers, James Blake, Daft Punk, Eagles, and Dixie Chicks. I got the Eagles - Hotel California wrong.. but maybe because it's an older recording?
apocalidiot
Banned
What bands?
m_shortpants
Member
2/5 using Creative Aurvana Live headphones
guess I'll stick to spotify lol
guess I'll stick to spotify lol
Pancakes
hot, steaming, as melted butter slips into the cracks, drizzled with sticky sweet syrup OH GOD
Cost is too high for a difference I barely notice.
If you have a .edu email Spotify gives you a discounted rate of $5 per month.
If you have a .edu email Spotify gives you a discounted rate of $5 per month.
ZackieChan
Member
Scroogled
br0ken_shad0w
Member
Heh someone else thought the same thing too:
http://abx.digitalfeed.net/ (same test as the OP, but actually done better)
Phat Michael
Banned
5/5. using HD800s. I'm not paying $20pm though
Phat Michael
Banned
Jriver 19.Does anyone know of a good software to play music?
I just got my Sennheisser HD 600 and O2/ODAC.
Ampersands
Member
4/5 and the only one I took seriously was the one I missed.
rottingcore
Banned
I couldn't tell the difference between the two sources at all with my headphones. Of course, they aren't super high end.
So, i guess my question is, why should i get this service if none of MY equipment is going to compliment the material? Sure, you could argue that this service is exclusively for people with high end speakers and such, but i don't believe there's enough of those people out there to keep a service like this afloat. Also, datacaps.
So, i guess my question is, why should i get this service if none of MY equipment is going to compliment the material? Sure, you could argue that this service is exclusively for people with high end speakers and such, but i don't believe there's enough of those people out there to keep a service like this afloat. Also, datacaps.
Phat Michael
Banned
You definitely shouldnt get it unless you have a dedicated dac/amp and headphone combo that can take advantage of it for sure.
julesodies
Member
Got 4 out of 5, the one I missed was a EDM Daft Punk song. You can clearly hear/feel the difference with a raw voice and real instruments but not with EDM.
Btw I got a Sennheiser HD555 foam mod and Steelseries 5HV2 usb soundcard.
Def will do the trial .
Btw I got a Sennheiser HD555 foam mod and Steelseries 5HV2 usb soundcard.
Def will do the trial
.TommyTosser
Member
Never understood this "Lossness" of sound malarky.
So is FLAC better sound quality that your average MP3/CD quality?
I only listen to music though my mac speakers or ipod headphones. Am i missing out on the party?
So is FLAC better sound quality that your average MP3/CD quality?
I only listen to music though my mac speakers or ipod headphones. Am i missing out on the party?
rottingcore
Banned
Yeah. FLAC is a "lossless" audio format. MP3 is the standard because the file size is much more accommodating and the sound quality is typically pretty decent. FLAC is of a higher quality, but the file size is also much larger.
You aren't really missing out on much, IMO. Mp3's are fine.
George Costanza
Banned
PetriP-TNT
Member
4/5 but I couldn't hear any difference.
Same here. And I'm using good equipment.
I can hear nothing at all in Firefox, and IE11 isn't supported. I don't have Chrome installed to try that.
*edit* Impressive. The site has apparently managed to break ALL audio in my system from any source. Game, web browser, audio control panel, doesn't matter. Unplugging and replugging my headphones doesn't fix it either.
*edit* Impressive. The site has apparently managed to break ALL audio in my system from any source. Game, web browser, audio control panel, doesn't matter. Unplugging and replugging my headphones doesn't fix it either.
Actually, they are Norwegian.
Coreda
Member
Couldn't care less about FLAC quality for streaming. Defeats the purpose of streaming imo, considering how good lossy bitrates have proven to be transparent to many audiophiles in public listening tests, despite claims otherwise.
What I'm interested in is a service with a large library of FLAC downloads. That I'd like, as nowhere offers a range that covers most popular releases, which means many albums have to be purchased as CDs to rip.
What I'm interested in is a service with a large library of FLAC downloads. That I'd like, as nowhere offers a range that covers most popular releases, which means many albums have to be purchased as CDs to rip.
Lol.
I got 3/5 but really had to push myself to notice a difference with a few.
Seems like 320 is great tbh. Sometimes I could swear it sounded punchier with the bass too, even though they said it would be otherwise.
It's too long really, you aren't listening to the same piece side by side, -you can't just quickly rewind or reset it to listen to the same exact piece.
You have to story the tiny quality difference in your mind till the next play.
So basically now I feel insulted and also don't care for your service.
So what you are saying is, you are willing to pay a grand for headphones but don't want to pay 20$ a month to listen to lossless music on them. Gotcha.
Yes, the price is too high. But coming from someone who has audio equipment worth thousands of dollars this just sounds wrong.
5/5 with DT880s and a Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard btw. Upper middle class audio equipment I guess. Didn't expect this though, since I can't hear anything above 14-15khz.
Metalic Sand
who is Emo-Beas?
I couldn't tell the difference at all but when i use FLAC files i have on my HD instead of streaming the difference is clear :/
Phat Michael
Banned
Nah not that. I have a huge collection of CD's, SACDs and digital - so i dont really need to join. I didnt join spotify for the same reason.
Phat Michael
Banned
i think the daft punk one was the hardest to tell. The dixie chicks and eagles ones i could tell much easier because i have those files in very high def recording format. The daft punk one was just a guess for me as they both sounded very similar.
(HD800s w Centrance DACMini)
When my new system arrives tonight ill test it again.
(HD800s w Centrance DACMini)
When my new system arrives tonight ill test it again.
julesodies
Member
Is there any reason to switch over to buying lossless albums at the Pono music store instead of streaming with Tidal?
Nice, I won't switch but hopefully this will get Google to step up it's game.
I had this problem. Seems like whatever codec they are using isn't friendly to certain levels of upsampling and I had to go change the "Shared Mode" settings for my audio device in Windows to 24/96khz instead of the 32/192 it was at. That fixed all the audio artifacts i was hearing and I was able get 5/5.
SB X-Fi --> AudioEngine D1 --> Matrix M-Stage -> AKG Q701s
I had this problem. Seems like whatever codec they are using isn't friendly to certain levels of upsampling and I had to go change the "Shared Mode" settings for my audio device in Windows to 24/96khz instead of the 32/192 it was at. That fixed all the audio artifacts i was hearing and I was able get 5/5.
SB X-Fi --> AudioEngine D1 --> Matrix M-Stage -> AKG Q701s
George Costanza
Banned
Semantics.
"The service is made by the Norwegian company WiMP Music, which is owned by Swedish Aspiro AB"
Also... Wimp is available in the US the UK, where it is called Tidal.
WorriedCitizen
Member
This test is bullshit right? They all sounded the same to me and i got 5/5.
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