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Life after Qobuz

This 'is it better' is not easy to pin down as you need to know if the Quobuz high resolution version really is a high Res recording and not just an upsampled one. HN&RRdid/do interesting analysis on recordings (not Quobuz) and all is not always what it seems.

Once you know for certain that it is High Res it is technically better but do you actually prefer it?

Saying this, (mostly) happy subscriber to both Quobuz and Tidal High Res services. Not a CD in sight. Both integrate in Roon which make Quobuz's sometimes questionable interface a moot point but they (Quobuz) have been getting better over the last year.

Anyway. There is no life after Quobuz.
 
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I've just started a trial and there's not much at 96kHz and less at 192 but it's interesting. The 44.1/24 bit is a straight con i.e. 8 bits of zeros added to the 16 to cover 6 or 7 dB of dynamics makes me laugh. I also think there's a problem with digitising older music that had digital parts within it (early synths, drums, effects) but would have been recorded to analogue tape i.e. much of the 80s output. Those parts were never 'hi res' and can never be made into 'hi res' and so it just sounds bad. I'm not sure that I'll keep it for too long but I just don't listen to Spoty on my main system...
 
I listen mainly to classical and jazz on Qobuz and find it pretty good for those. I don’t go hunting for hi-res but a lot of it professes to be.

Generally, I prefer it to Tidal, Amazon and Apple all of which I’ve had for a few months (Tidal a few years but the MQA scam eventually put me off).

Qobuz Connect might tip me to a dedicated streamer so I’m quite glad it doesn’t exist.
 
Thomsong said:
What have you been using for steaming Qobuz?
Click to expand...

I have run a QNAP NAS and Linn DS since around 2009.
The original Akurate DS back in 2009 had the measure of a CD player back then (I also had a Unidisk 1.1 at the time) We have now had another 10 years of development and HD formats to choose from.
Attempts to use a PC to feed a DAC has normally resulted in Windows mucking stuff up. Keep it simple, NAS, running media software software, dedicated streamer/DAC.
 
I've not noticed this problem with Qobuz & my streaming setup is nothing special.

In the car it's normally phone connected to android auto, sometimes Bluetooth via a Astel & Kern.
At home its either PC using Qobuz app & headphones plugged into 1 of 2 dacs... a Fostex or a Mojo. Mojo sounds better.
Connected to hifi using PC & Mojo with headphone out at line level.

Have to say tho' Qobuz isn't used daily & mostly in car. However I now need to check this out.

As for differences between Qobuz & Tidal (I have both) I find Tidal a richer, warmer & sweeter experience. Probably (can't be absolute sure) a bit more rounded for MQA. I find Qobuz a little bit more colder & clinical.
 
Alex S said:
I listen mainly to classical and jazz on Qobuz and find it pretty good for those. I don’t go hunting for hi-res but a lot of it professes to be.

Generally, I prefer it to Tidal, Amazon and Apple all of which I’ve had for a few months (Tidal a few years but the MQA scam eventually put me off).

Qobuz Connect might tip me to a dedicated streamer so I’m quite glad it doesn’t exist.
Click to expand...

I’ve been dilly-dallying over moving to a dedicated streamer for some time, having been very happy with Roon running through a high spec DAC card in a Quiet PC built Media PC, or with a NUC built as a Roon Rock previously using a Sonos Port as an end point, and now directly connected through a Musical Fidelity M1-DAC.

It all sounds excellent. So why look at a dedicated box? Well, I suppose a number of reasons.

Downstream improvements. My Avid Integra into B&W 802 D3s is as good as I’ve ever heard. Maybe I’m at a level where I’ll notice differences in the source.

Aesthetics. I’d prefer a hifi style box on the rack, rather than a NUC or Sonos Node. Ideally with a little window to show album art which would be especially nice when listening to “random” stuff on Roon Radio.

Functionality. I generally use Roon/Qobuz, but my daughter can never easily find her stuff on Qobuz, so being able to use her Spotify account would save frustration when we’re playing stuff for one another. Sonos Node allows for this, but I’d also like to be able to play the TV through the HiFi. Yes, the M1-DAC allows for that, but then I have two or three boxes on the rack.

Sound Quality. This is a contentious one (really, I hear you cry!). Related to my first point above, but although I’m definitely in the “there aren’t night and day differences” camp when it comes to competently implemented digital nowadays, I do think there are subtle and important gains to be had. I’ll report back when my new box arrives.

Should anyone care, I’ve plumped for the Matrix Audio X-Sabre 3. I’d seriously looked at the Auralic Altair G range, but ultimately realised I’d be paying for functions I don’t need. At G1 level that’s at least a headphone amp. At G2 level that’s also a phono stage, other analogue line in, plus a (presumably not cheap) analogue volume control. I looked at lots of other options and most/many either had things I don’t need, or missed things I needed, such as Roon support.

Matrix products also measure excellently on ASR, and although that’s only part of the picture it’s good to know. Equally importantly it reviews well in subjective listening. As I say, I’ll report back.
 
Some real hot takes in this thread. Qobuz and Tidal sound exactly the same as long as you're streaming the same master at the same bitrate (with no MQA molestation). Anything else is in your head.

People preferring their CDs to high res are also likely comparing completely different masters. The latter having more dynamic range compression no doubt.
 
Qobuz sounds great to me, I use it with Roon on a Macmini M1 (which is overkill, but I had it anyway). Roon gives you options to allow it to take exclusive control of the audio path, in which case it is bit accurate, and my DAC always displays the expected sample rate, so I have no doubt that nothing dodgy is happening to the signal. I gave up long ago worrying about possible differences between my rips and Qobuz versions; many times Qobuz has higher res masters than cd. Just can't see what's not to like. I'd suggest that the o/p check his signal path - maybe it is going through the windows mixer or there is some downsampling going on or even Qobuz has got set to a lower quality.
 
Having Tidal or Qobuz natively via Innuos Zen is a real bonus for me.

The number of times I get ‘this just can’t sound any better’ moments with my current system grows by the day. I’ll still end up changing the speakers though;)
 
Raspberry Pi running LMS with Qobuz here - assuming the same mastering sounds identical to the CD played through the same DAC.
 
I always think calling CD quality 44.1 16 bit High Res is a con. I have a download of Kind of Blue at 96 24 and it is truly and noticeably High Res
 
I have spotted hi-res vs redbook pretty reliably in blind tests. Whether it was my preference is another matter.
 
Whaleblue said:
I’ve been dilly-dallying over moving to a dedicated streamer for some time, having been very happy with Roon running through a high spec DAC card in a Quiet PC built Media PC, or with a NUC built as a Roon Rock previously using a Sonos Port as an end point, and now directly connected through a Musical Fidelity M1-DAC.

It all sounds excellent. So why look at a dedicated box? Well, I suppose a number of reasons.

Downstream improvements. My Avid Integra into B&W 802 D3s is as good as I’ve ever heard. Maybe I’m at a level where I’ll notice differences in the source.

Aesthetics. I’d prefer a hifi style box on the rack, rather than a NUC or Sonos Node. Ideally with a little window to show album art which would be especially nice when listening to “random” stuff on Roon Radio.

Functionality. I generally use Roon/Qobuz, but my daughter can never easily find her stuff on Qobuz, so being able to use her Spotify account would save frustration when we’re playing stuff for one another. Sonos Node allows for this, but I’d also like to be able to play the TV through the HiFi. Yes, the M1-DAC allows for that, but then I have two or three boxes on the rack.

Sound Quality. This is a contentious one (really, I hear you cry!). Related to my first point above, but although I’m definitely in the “there aren’t night and day differences” camp when it comes to competently implemented digital nowadays, I do think there are subtle and important gains to be had. I’ll report back when my new box arrives.

Should anyone care, I’ve plumped for the Matrix Audio X-Sabre 3. I’d seriously looked at the Auralic Altair G range, but ultimately realised I’d be paying for functions I don’t need. At G1 level that’s at least a headphone amp. At G2 level that’s also a phono stage, other analogue line in, plus a (presumably not cheap) analogue volume control. I looked at lots of other options and most/many either had things I don’t need, or missed things I needed, such as Roon support.

Matrix products also measure excellently on ASR, and although that’s only part of the picture it’s good to know. Equally importantly it reviews well in subjective listening. As I say, I’ll report back.
Click to expand...

I’ve had similar thoughts but for now conclude differently: I’m certain that my MacBook Pro is a better computer than anything in a streamer. I run Audirvāna and like the interface, see no reason to use a different one that may be less slick. Also it shuts down most of the computer noise when playing. My laptop is on a desk in my listening room anyway (as is a TV and half my possessions):

99-B472-BF-C9-EB-43-C6-8-D42-185-BA8-FFF0-EB.jpg
 
AndyU said:
Qobuz sounds great to me, I use it with Roon on a Macmini M1 (which is overkill, but I had it anyway). Roon gives you options to allow it to take exclusive control of the audio path, in which case it is bit accurate, and my DAC always displays the expected sample rate, so I have no doubt that nothing dodgy is happening to the signal. I gave up long ago worrying about possible differences between my rips and Qobuz versions; many times Qobuz has higher res masters than cd. Just can't see what's not to like. I'd suggest that the o/p check his signal path - maybe it is going through the windows mixer or there is some downsampling going on or even Qobuz has got set to a lower quality.
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Andy I get the same perceived distortion on my head phone set up and to a lesser degree on my 2 channel system. Both fed from different sources. I suppose the only steady thing is my router. The pc and steamer both work off Wi-Fi maybe just maybe that’s a bottle neck?
 
Trialled Qobuz hi res at one point and preffered CD - into the same DAC. Just sounded that bit fuller and more real and involving. Compared recent releases too so presume same mastering.

Was trialling Spotify premium and some high res Tidal at the same time too - same finding. Tidal just sounded odd sometimes, processed. TBH is was inconsistent between them all - felt like watermarking differences, or maybe was masterings. Sometimes Spotify version was the nicest of the three. Stuck with that and CD.

Maybe a better streamer would have helped lift them - was a Node 2i. Dunno!
 
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