What is you TIDAL setup?


A lot of audiophiles are waxing lyrical about this new HD streaming technology, proclaiming that this may be the best thing that happened to audio since the dawn of CDs. Positive reviews abound everywhere online. I succumbed and ordered a subscription. I'm glad I did, because TIDAL is freaking awesome! For a meager 20 clams a month, you suddenly have a 25 million CD collection at your fingertips! That alone is mind boggling and unthinkable a decade or so ago. I have been a SPOTIFY subscriber for a long time and can confidently say that TIDAL's streaming service is significantly better sounding and worth the extra subscription fee. I still kept SPOTIFY because, simply put, it has more selections. If SPOTIFY will offer HD streaming in the future, I will be in sonic nirvana! Pardon me for burying the leade. How did you incorporate TIDAL into your system? Here's my setup:

My system is composed of:

Shelter 7000
Well Tempered Amadeus
OPPO 103D - Transport and Blu ray Player
MAC MINI - upgraded SSD w/ 16GB RAM. Loaded with Amarra software
Auralic VEGA
Hovland HP100MC
Symphonic Line RG7 MK4
ISOCLEAN 80A3
Gemme Audio Tanto Karbon V3
iPAD Gen 2 with Retina Display
Wireworld Silver Eclipse Cables

I did not want to go through the hassle of moving my tricked-out MAC MINi from the computer nook to the listening room so I figured out a way to use my iPAD as the source. You cannot plug your iPAD directly into the VEGA. You need an interface. This is where the OPPO comes in where it also serves as a CD and Blu Ray discs transport. You have to buy an iPAD HDMI adapter. Plug in the iPAD using the adapter to the back of the OPPO and you're in business. Did I mention that the OPPO can also play whatever music file you throw at it?! Be it AIFF, FLAC, DSD, etc.. For the price, it's one amazing technologically-packed piece of gadgetry. Let's move on. Ensure you have the TIDAL app downloaded to the iPAD. Connect OPPO to the VEGA via toslink or COAX and Vega to the preamp, receiver or amp and you're ready to play!

In my setup, I plugged the VEGA straight to the amp using ENDLER attenuators. I found the resultant sound much more transparent and dynamic than going through a preamp. For additional info, using the VEGA's built in volume control is not as sonically satisfying. I found the frequency extremes truncated and the overall sound dynamically constricted. This is especially true at lower listening levels.

So there! In the end, I believe I was able to save some money by buying the OPPO vice the Auralic Aries. Plus I now have a very capable transport that can also play my old CD and Blu Ray collections. I'm immensely enjoying TIDAL. I haven't touched my turntable or played any CDs for almost a month. Well..., gotta go! I still have 24,999,824 CDs to listen to.
aisip
A word of CAUTION.
I have just been charged the full amount during the trial period without my knowledge. I get constant dropouts with the track stopping entirely within 30 seconds.
Now I can't even log in to manage my account to cancel. I get a server error message. Does anyone else have this problem?
I just started my trial period of TIDAL. I like it, but I probably won't continue it because I already have a Beats Music plan that covers our whole family for $15/month. The TIDAL sound is definitely a little bit better, though. Note that you have to run it using the Chrome browser to get the lossless stream. If you run it through Safari or another browser, it only streams at 320kbs.

My office system is: MacBook Pro (15" Retina) --> Wadia 121 DAC/Digital Preamp --> Bel Canto Ref 500S power amp --> Linn Majik 140 speakers.

Cables are Pangea USB, Kimber Hero XLR interconnects, Hovland Nine Lines speaker cables. I need a power conditioner, I think, though. My office building has pretty shoddy, old electric wiring, I think.
Mateored - Thanks for that info. Did not know Tidal via Mac/Safari was limited to 320 kbs.
Ghosthouse - you can check your streaming rate by clicking on the "Settings" tab on the left side of the browser, and then clicking the "Streaming" tab.

I was listening last night in bed using MBP --> Wireworld Ultraviolet USB cable --> Centrance DACport --> B&O H6 headphones. It sounded nice.

I need a new USB to USB mini cable though. this one isn't flexible enough. Any recommendations? There aren't many out there.
Mateored -

Would this work?

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AQMUSBFOR

Re Tidal, I haven't tried it yet. Very happy with Spotify. You comments about limitations on the Tidal streaming rate make me think I'll be staying with the Spot.