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TIDAL Lossless Streaming Service

Has anyone else tried lossless streaming from Tidal? I've been a Spotify user for a while now. The catalog available is pretty stunning, and 320kbps is listenable, but I'm not satisfied with lossy material for serious listening.

Tidal launched a couple of weeks ago, streaming a lossless catalog in FLAC to a web-based player. They have a large catalog and the same kinds of curated playlists that Spotify offers.

I am clinging to my Squeezebox Touch until it dies, so I was not interested in a PC-based approach to stream the service. A user community, however, has created a SBT plugin called Ickstream that allows the Touch to play nicely with Tidal. It took me about an hour to get subscribed to Tidal (first seven days free) and get Ickstream implemented on my Touch.

Sound-wise, running into a PS Audio PWD II, Tidal is clearly more three-dimensional, tonally rich and satisfying than Spotify. Compared to FLAC rips from my hard-drive, however, it is lacking just a little bit of detail retrieval and seems a bit noisier in the spaces between the notes. The difference is small but definite.

So, I'm ditching Spotify in favor of Tidal. $20/mo is worth it to me to have damn-near best-available fidelity on damn-near every album I ever want to hear. And I can download unlimited mp3's to my phone for travel. Would love to hear your experiences.
cymbop

Showing 5 responses by mofimadness

mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
I have been with Tidal from the first day it was available here in the US. Up until a few days ago, I could only listen through my tablet or computer.

I have a Squeezebox Duet and ickstream finally opened up their service to beta testers. I had a few problems with the Duet working initially, but have been able to at least try Tidal on my main system.

I am still getting a few dropouts, but ickstream says they are working on corrections.

So far, I really like Tidal. It is WAY more open and throws a much nicer soundstage than any of the "lossy" providers. I have tried Spotify, Rhapsody, Beats, and MOG, (I really miss MOG).

I am only hoping that ickstream can get things working perfectly. If not, I might consider switching to Sonos, once they have Tidal on the device, (it's been sent to Sonos, but Sonos apparently has to "lab test" it before they release it to their units).
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
Evank...is Tidal an App on the Bluesound Node, or do you
have to do what us poor Squeezebox users have it and jury
rig it to make it work?

The Bluesound was the other unit I was looking at.

I should add that ickstream just released a new version
early this afternoon with a few "fixes" for initial problems
that were reported.

So far, I've played two complete albums with NO dropouts...a
first for me. So I am hoping that they got most of the bugs
worked out. Fingers crossed...
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
Mitch...you're probably right. Hopefully Tidal will be just the shot in the arm that audiophiles need and will support.

Time, (and money) will tell.

I'm sure enjoying it now that everything is working like it should.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
Sorry, but I need to clarify some of my comments.

Tidal itself has been perfect. I signed up on the first day that they were available here in the states. Tidal has worked fine on my laptop and tablet.

The reason I decided to try Tidal was because I had heard that someone was working on a plug-in for the Squeezebox devices. Since Logitech completely abandoned all of it's Squeezebox users, we have had to count on these 3rd parties to help us out.

ickstream is that 3rd party. They just launched the beta this last Friday (11/14/14). It's only taken these last few days for them to respond to the problems and try to fix them. I have the UTMOST respect for ickstream. They have been GREAT and very, very reactive to what was happening. Without them all of us Squeezebox users would be screwed.

Also, ickstream will work with Deezer, Qobuz and a few other services.

Overall, I consider us very lucky to have this available and indeed hope that it continues to work well.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
Dave...I'd love to try Deezer, but that is only available here in the states to Sonos users. I've given them my email address, (twice) for early admission, but haven't ever heard anything back.

Tidal sounds wonderful on my system, much better than Spotify or Beats or Rhapsody. Must be an interface thing?
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