DAC That Streams Hi-Res Tidal

Matt...you're insane dude :-)

Spotify and Pandora and Rhapsody and Beats are all MP3 with the highest resolution being 320kbps. You can of course up sample that, if your DAC allows it.

Tidal, Qobuz, and Deezer are all 16 bit, 44.1 (standard CD quality). This comes out to be around 1411kbps.

Also, you don't have to have a USB input to get Tidal or the others. Your device just needs to have access to the services. My Sonos has this, so did my Squeezebox Duet with a 3rd party plug-in.

HEREis a list that shows the differences.

Matt, I think you are mixing up sample rate and bit rate. As Mofi indicated, standard ("redbook") CD quality is 16 bits/44.1 kHz. That means each sample for each of the two channels consists of 16 bits, and 44,100 samples are taken each second. 16 bits/sample x 44100 samples/second x 2 channels = 1,411,200 bits per second, as Mofi indicated, and as is indicated at the Tidal site. That is lower quality than 24/96, not higher.

I suspect that your reference to 33 bits/1500 kHz is a loose approximation of the number of bits per sample for both channels combined (16 x 2), and the bit rate rather than the sample rate.

Regards,
-- Al

MOFI, What resolution is DEEZER and Tidal?? Yes AL, I am mixed up on this digital stuff. Help. I have a old MSB 24/96 DAC. I thought that for me to enjoy a service like Tidal, I would have to Upgrade my DAC. Also, I use spotify because Its a lower rez service that my old DAC is compatible with. Ok I know I am sounding like a major newbie because I need you guys to explain this to me in this way ...lol

No need to upgrade the DAC, Matt, assuming it provides an interface that can be connected to the signal source. It would be extremely unusual for a DAC that can handle 24/96 to not also be able to handle 16/44.1, which is a much lower bit rate. I'm not familiar with Deezer, but I don't doubt that Mofi is correct about it being 16/44.1, like Tidal.

Regards,
-- Al

wow ! that's good news. My MSB DAC has Toslink,RCA,XLR. So I can connect to a lot of different sources. I have it hooked up right now using a Toslink from my PC motherboard to a 24/96 DIP then digital XLR to the DAC and out to a tubed headphone amp driving a pair of Sennheiser 600's...Sounds really good using spotify.