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Spotify HIFI is here!!!

Spotify Premium sounds very splendid indeed through Meridian Actives and a Topping DAC here. I have run this in parallel with Tidal and suspect the main differences were down to different masters being used on each platform rather than bitrate. YMMV, of course.

I would like to see BEIS and DCMS look into harmonising UK royalty rates across all streaming services to that of Tidal, though.
 
How did you listen?
Music choices were arguable in this test, as I said.

The compressed Spotify versions have little stage depth to them. Where is that cavernous soundstage you can get with analogue or proper digital?
You also lose subtle details and symphonic orchestras are much simplified. Individual instruments are just melted together in complex movements, like in early digital.

But then again, there is precious little difference with already heavily processed music (pop/rock).
And don’t mention Daft Punk!
My reference disc is Solo Monk - beautifully recorded solo piano and a great album to boot.

Streamed cd and spotify sound damn identical.

And self consciously hi fi French disco definitely sounds better on either of my two fancy systems than it does on the telly/Fostex bedroom setup.
 
Solo piano isn’t a good enough test. Nothing much to compress.
Listen to big orchestras in large venues. Your back wall should disappear completely. Ogg Vorbis fails this test every time.
 
Solo piano isn’t a good enough test. Nothing much to compress.
Listen to big orchestras in large venues. Your back wall should disappear completely. Ogg Vorbis fails this test every time.

In the 40 years I’ve been into Hifi I’ve never listened to a Big Orchestra.

Cheers BB
 
Solo piano isn’t a good enough test. Nothing much to compress.
Listen to big orchestras in large venues. Your back wall should disappear completely. Ogg Vorbis fails this test every time.

Until I have speakers that are flat to 30hz and go to 110dB, then I'm in no position to test this. One day I will have some Kef 107's, and I'll let you know. :)

Personally, I find that accurately reproducing well recorded piano, double bass, small kit drums and acoustic guitar is the acid test for any music reproduction system.

Spotify premium does well here. However, little Fostex studio monitors or Myryad A170's, for example, whilst very good, aren't a patch on Meridian Active monitors, Kef Reference series or Quad Electrostatics in this regard.
 
I'm going to listen to my Telarc CD-80133 of the Planets and then compare the same on Spotify, which has the same recording. Will report back later.
 
Is Spotify premium now cd quality? I had heard it was going that way but had a look at their website and couldn’t see anything specific stating this
 
I'm going to listen to my Telarc CD-80133 of the Planets and then compare the same on Spotify, which has the same recording. Will report back later.
Can’t wait. :) Depending on your speakers – I use ESL’s or big Cabasse monitors – I can tell you the difference is significant.
 
So I have done the test of Spotify v CD using the Telarc recording as above using 'The Magician' as the test track for its scale.

System sources are Linn Sekrit DSM and Sony CDP338ESD.

First up was Spotify and it was lovely, engaging and enjoyable. I then tried the CD and everything had more tonal range and a deeper 'bigger' soundstage. The tympani drums at 2:00 were so much more dynamic.

So I was wrong, Spotify is good but CD is much better.

I then tried CD v Quboz, with the exact same track. I could not really tell which one was which.
 
So I have done the test of Spotify v CD using the Telarc recording as above using 'The Magician' as the test track for its scale.

System sources are Linn Sekrit DSM and Sony CDP338ESD.

First up was Spotify and it was lovely, engaging and enjoyable. I then tried the CD and everything had more tonal range and a deeper 'bigger' soundstage. The tympani drums at 2:00 were so much more dynamic.

So I was wrong, Spotify is good but CD is much better.

I then tried CD v Quboz, with the exact same track. I could not really tell which one was which.
This is what I hear.
 
I looked at Spotify’s annual report and they seem to be doing well with little churn. I checked out the pricing for Apple’s family plan and it is priced the same as Spotify. I imagine Spotify’s original plan was to charge more for Hi-Fi and when they saw Apple and Amazon drop their rates, they figured it wasn’t worth adding the feature.

Most Spotify users are happy with their service and would not be willing to pay more. The added cost to store files 10 times larger and the headaches it may cause end users streaming larger files I’m sure factored in. The current Spotify users willing to pay more for Hi-Fi I’m sure is a very small percentage, past users likely left the service when Apple and Amazon dropped rates.
 
I’m trying Qobuz Studio Premier at the moment and it sounds great. However there really are frustrating gaps in their music library. So would also like Spotify to sort their sh*t out!
Out of interest what gaps are you finding? For my taste whenever I've found a gap on Qobuz it's replicated on Tidal, Apple and Spotify
 
I organised a free trial on Qoboz and forgot to cancel so I have just been charged for the year's subscription. Of course, Qoboz sounds better: it's natural that CD quality or above does sound better than a 320 bit-rate, nevertheless, the interface and catalogue and features on Spotify are far superior. Now, you may not listen to reggae much but it is, largely, absent from Qoboz, unless you want to listen to endless Bob Marley. Now, for me, when a whole genre is pretty much missing, it is a product for the audiophile rather than music lover. I shall enjoy my year's subscription and hope that the catalogue changes - it is really good for jazz and classical so I will use it for those and Spotify for the rest.
 


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