STREAMING - QOBUZ VS TIDAL AND ROON'S PREFERENCES

@moonwatcher Yes Qobuz supports bit-perfect. and it's high-res files 24/192 are lossless. as opposed to MQA lossy snake oil 

Now the can of worms is how do we know the 24/192 version is not a resampled 16/44 file, etc. the industry as a whole leaves a lot to be desired regarding transparency on this. 

I think some have analyzed files bought from Qobuz to show they are legit. 

too much trouble/work honestly, just enjoy! (at least Qobuz)

@kray thank you. I may have to give Qobuz a try then. Just wish there was a "Qobuz Connect" app that streamers could have. Such an app makes life much easier when you can pass off the stream.  Maybe one day...

@moonwatcher

I have made direct comparisons between red book CD, the same Qobuz recording, files located locally… exact same sound quality… however Qobuz is frequently better because the have 1/2 million high Rez albums. My DAC is my CD player… and my preamp allows volume leveling between sources.

Having said that… the streamer and DAC make the biggest difference in the sound you get. My system is very good, so I can hear subtitle differences in sources. But of course if you are not changing your equipment, tyou are going to get the best sound from Qobuz.

@ghdprentice I read a posting on another forum by a guy (a musician) who had uploaded his files to Deezer and then downloaded them and he found they were indeed "bit-perfect" without any mumbo-jumbo changes.  Perhaps Qobuz is the same. 

I like Tidal's interface and catalog just fine, (and the Tidal Connect app which is being supported by more streamers) but I've read where the Hi-Fi tier of CD quality often gets you files that had MQA but with it stripped out. They sound OK, but are not "bit-perfect". 

I love my CD player and will always use it as long as it lasts, but streaming is a great tool for music discovery and general listening.  Would be nice to know exactly what we are getting for our money from the various services - and if they are altering the music in any way. Thanks. I'll give Qobuz a try soon. 

@moonwatcher 

😊👍