High Infidelity


I’m unapologetically old school. I own rather than lease my car and not because I think it drives better that way. I own my music and not because I think it sounds better than streaming. I’m puzzled as to why it’s cheaper to buy a CD, have it shipped home and rip it rather than downloading it from a popular digital audio store. I’m disappointed that artists who bypass the CD process seem to only offer MP3 downloads. But I digress…

I recently purchased music for download on Qobuz. The website identified the download as CD quality 16 bits, 44.1 kHz. The downloaded files turned out to have varying bitrates between 756 & 938 Kbps rather than 1,411 Kbps. I contacted Qobuz through their help messaging. They thanked me for bringing this to their attention and stated they would request a corrected copy from the record label. They unfortunately could not give me a timeframe as this would be up to the record label.

I requested a refund on the basis that I purchased CD quality tracks for immediate download per their website description and the prospect of potentially getting them at an undermined time in the future was not acceptable. I was told that Qobuz does not provide any refunds on purchased music in any circumstance. There are no exceptions to this rule. I asked to speak to a supervisor but my request was denied.

I’d like to get feedback on:
-     whether others have encountered downloads that weren’t as advertised or if this was truly an exception
-    what you think of their refund policy
-    any possible recourse

Thanks
 

rpmpam

Just a note on Qobuz when you have favorite tunes or anlbums and put them in your library. Occasionally, you will click on them and you get an error message… something like no longer available. But, frequently that only means the URL has changed. The cut is still available… but the adress has changed (your streamer stores the address). You only need to look it up and store it in your library again.

I just listen to the music. Qubuz and Tidal are fine, so are CDs. Don't worry about resolution or the like. If it sounds good while I am listening... I am happy. Although different albums sound better than others because they were recorded and produced at different quality levels?!?

... If it sounds good while I am listening... I am happy ...

Same here! For me, enjoying the music is the #1 goal of all of this.

What I find really annoying is how stuff comes and goes from streaming catalogues.  Also annoying is how some albums have one or more tracks missing; some people who don't know the album might not even notice this, but, it is often the best track that is missing.