Qobuz is slightly better sounding. More weight and body. Tidal is a tad thin or lean.
Tidal vs. Others- End of 2021
I've been using Tidal HiFi Plus for a few years and I like the desktop app features and robust content. Until recently my Mac PC USB interfaces with a Benchmark DAC3 HCG, so only have 2 "unfolds" for MQA content.
I recently trialed the Apple Music app which I thought inferier regarding features. Apple Music desktop app has no "exclusive mode," so even when trying to match sample rates using "Audio MIDI Setup" it was hard to tell just what I was getting. Apple/Tidal A/B listening tests didn't yield much sonic difference, so I dropped Apple Music as not mature.
Like John Siau and others I am leery of MQA, but now I am trialing an iFi ZEN DAC Signature V2 for full MQA unfold- using the ZEN fixed output mode analog into a DAC3 analog input. A/B listening of 2 (PC to DAC3 USB) vs 3 (Zen DAC) unfolds seems mixed, depending on content. MQA doesn't license a full decoder so you have to buy a DAC with integral MQA.
My conclusion is digital streaming at the end of 2021 is still "teething." Does anyone have strong opinion of alternatives to Tidal for sonics and features at similar price point?
I'm using B&W Signature 800 speakers driven by Bryson 28B SST2 monoblocks.
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I have not yet tried Qobuz but plan to. Is the content difference between that and Tidal (which I use now) really just “a couple of tracks“ as @zyphryx stated, or is it more significant wrt rock, blues, and other popular genres? Also, does Qobuz have a feature that continues playing the type of music that was most recently selected once your specific selections have finished playing? Also, can any of you recommend whether the “Sublime” package is worth the extra money over “Premire”? I do have a server/streamer that holds my own content as well as streams, so are there advantages to Sublime if I wanted to occasionally purchase content? |
Why limit yourself to one? You can have 3 or 4 services for about the price of 1 or 2 vinyl records a month? I have Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal, and Pandora. Qobuz mainly for "serious" listening and the best sound quality. Tidal is great when I just want to put on some music and not pick, the My Mix feature is great and sometimes there are things there that aren't on Qobuz. Spotify is nice in the car, less drop outs while I'm driving. Pandora is good for background music, like when I'm working out. If I had to pick one, it would be Qobuz for sure. If you do decide to go with Tidal, I wouldn't get too hung up on the MQA thing. You don't "have" to have a DAC that does MQA. Any DAC will do. The MQA files may sound a little different if you have a DAC that will do the last "unfold", but different isn't always better. Tidal's player or Roon will do the first "unfold" of the MQA file. If you have a good DAC, it should sound great. I would start out with Premiere. You can always upgrade to Sublime if you think you're going to buy a bunch of music files. I've bought a couple of albums of DSD files, and they did sound pretty amazing, but I have compared them back to back with the streaming version of the same album. Qobuz does not have the "radio" feature like Tidal, where it keeps playing after you finish an album, however if you get Roon, it will do that. |
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