iPhone - Apple Music louder than tidal

[pd44]

When in my car, with lightening to usb, Apple Music sounding much louder/better than tidal. I’ve selected “High” quality for tidal when on mobile data, so in theory should be getting same quality? Plus tidal is a little bit sharper (in a negative way - old ears, slightly damaged)
Thoughts?

 

[RTHerringbone]

It'll sound louder (not necessarily better) as I believe Apple Music is widely considered to have a different volume normalisation default to most / other streaming services.

As for quality, it'll really depend on a few factors. The best "test" would be to download rather than stream the same tracks of the same quality on both services and then compare - making some allowance for the volume difference. There's no real reason for them to sound noticeably different if similar quality recordings of the same track are used, especially via the speaker system in a car. It could just be that the different services are using different masters of tracks.

 

[jjbomber]

When in my car, with lightening to usb, Apple Music sounding much louder/better than tidal. I’ve selected “High” quality for tidal when on mobile data, so in theory should be getting same quality? Plus tidal is a little bit sharper (in a negative way - old ears, slightly damaged)
Thoughts?

Cr-Apple is more compressed, hence louder. The ears respond to loudness far more than quality. If you go for an audition at a hi-fi shop, they always turn the volume up on the system they want you to buy, so that you think it is 'better' when it is actually 'louder'.

 

[SenseiKofi]

When in my car, with lightening to usb, Apple Music sounding much louder/better than tidal. I’ve selected “High” quality for tidal when on mobile data, so in theory should be getting same quality? Plus tidal is a little bit sharper (in a negative way - old ears, slightly damaged)
Thoughts?

Loudness Normalisation differences

 

[pd44]

I've come a little further in my researches. I discovered a new tune on tidal - too late to lie by Lila Iké - during the verse I could hear that the ghost of a massive bass - typical for a modern reggae tune, but I couldn't hear the bass properly, not even on my wharfedales. So I bought the tune on bandcamp and imported to itunes etc, now I can hear the bass. I would say the quality of the rest was similar tidal/apple, but tidal are definitely throttling the bass, or doing something so it doesn't come through true.

I'll try & get round to comparing the hi-res versions - i.e. flac vs tidal - and report; need to fiddle around with some kit first ...

Cr-Apple is more compressed, hence louder. The ears respond to loudness far more than quality. If you go for an audition at a hi-fi shop, they always turn the volume up on the system they want you to buy, so that you think it is 'better' when it is actually 'louder'.

what is "cr-apple"? Crapple?

 

[nopiano]

what is "cr-apple"? Crapple?

A derogatory term used by someone who cares not for Apple products or services.

 

[manicm]

Tidal 'High' quality is MP3, if I'm correct. If you want CD quality or higher then download or stream at 'Hifi' quality or higher.

 

[encoresound]

I have noticed this as well in my car. But I read somewhere that Tidal is still better in terms of audio quality than Apple Music. Though I cannot figure it out myself which one is better after listening to the same song on my Sony XM4 headphones. I use Apple Music now.

 

[hooram95]

I also experience this apple Music is often better-optimized for iOS devices and car integration, whereas Tidal may require a bit of tweaking to match.

 

[pd44]

Tidal 'High' quality is MP3, if I'm correct. If you want CD quality or higher then download or stream at 'Hifi' quality or higher.

No, tidal is hi-res flac. when I'm out & about (mobile data) it's 44.1 kHz with higher bit rates than mp3.

 

[pd44]

I also experience this apple Music is often better-optimized for iOS devices and car integration, whereas Tidal may require a bit of tweaking to match.

I've thought about this some more - and realised I missed an important detail in my original post - I'm listening using the lightening->USB cable; so if I understand right both Tidal & Apple Music are passing the bits to the car's DAC? So should sound similar/same; now I'm more confused that when I originally posted ...

 

[nopiano]

I've thought about this some more - and realised I missed an important detail in my original post - I'm listening using the lightening->USB cable; so if I understand right both Tidal & Apple Music are passing the bits to the car's DAC? So should sound similar/same; now I'm more confused that when I originally posted ...

Have you compared the same music tracks? If so, might the difference be between FLAC and AAC, ALAC or some other codec?

Don’t ask me to explain the difference, as I don’t really understand them! But Apple Music seems to have a different protocol than other services.

 

[pd44]

Have you compared the same music tracks? If so, might the difference be between FLAC and AAC, ALAC or some other codec?

Don’t ask me to explain the difference, as I don’t really understand them! But Apple Music seems to have a different protocol than other services.

Yeah, could be a difference between ALAC & FLAC; I only understand that both are lossless yet compressed (?) so should sound like cd