Amazon Launches Lossless "Hi-rez" HD Music Service

I have been intrigued by the Amazon HD music service - and finally did get motivated to pay for streaming when Amazon entered the game. First impressions: sounds far better than the free services I have been tolerating for years. I have not run into a situation where I couldn't find something I was looking for. I do wish their playlists or recommendations were a bit more intelligent like Spotify, but I imagine things like this will get ironed out.

Does it sound better than Tidal or Qobuz? A challenge difficult to abx objectively without the right gear in place.    

My biggest gripe?  I can't use the android app to control the playback in hi-res formats ( per tech support ) when playing through AV gear... it only plays aac quality files. So if I want to hear hi-res in all its glory - you have to use the desktop app ( or a native app in a streamer ).  Or use the app with some headphones plugged in.

I am not sure this is the case with other services mobile apps.

So, my immediate work around was to use HEOS on my Marantz AV7704 - but honestly the HEOS app sucks balls -- BUT -- it does allow me to play back content in hi-res. At least it worked. I am hoping that bubbleupnp or something like it - gains support for the Amazon Music service.  There has got to be something better than HEOS.

I am eager to see if Roon or others will support Amazon Music integration - when that happens I think Tidal and others will be put on notice to up their game further.

The Amazon desktop app works, its stable - looks good, and is functional.

On a side note: What is the best way to connect my laptop/desktop to my preamp for streaming?... usb vs hdmi vs spdif?

I recently chatted with one recording engineer whom found some of work on Amazon that is being sold as HD when in fact it’s 16/44 .

I enjoy streaming as much as the next guy however what is being offered as premium Hi-Res , HD and what have you at is not as advertised and all the services do it of course .
Im going to be speaking with another recording engineer whom also subscribes to another popular streaming service whoms work he noticed at least one of his recordings is offered as Hi-Res which in fact was originally recorded on tape .

I recently chatted with one recording engineer whom found some of work on Amazon that is being sold as HD when in fact it’s 16/44 .

If you pay attention, you will realize that this is just a matter of semantics. Amazon calls 16/44 "HD". And anything above that is "Ultra HD".


That said, I have found that a few titles are not in either. Just whatever the standard stream rate is, 320 kbps I am assuming.

If you pay attention, you will realize that this is just a matter of semantics. Amazon calls 16/44 "HD". And anything above that is "Ultra HD".

Yes....but anything "above" 16/44 or ULTRA HD (as Amazon claims) would have to have been originally recorded in a 24bit studio to be actually be superior to 16bit....and little has.