Is Spotify's price rise a joke?

[DCarmi]

For me it would be playing through Chromecast audio with a toslink into my Yamaha AV receiver.

A CCA will limit you to 96 KHz / 24-bit audio. Still theoretically better than CD but not the full-blown 192/24 you could get from Ultra HD.

You will likely hear a difference. My issue is just how much beyond CD and I guess this is where equipment and ear quality come in.

You should be able to pick up a 90 day free trial.

 

[DCarmi]

Having done a direct comparison between Spotify and Ultra HD Amazon, I'll eat humble pie.

There is a significant difference in sound quality. Amazon is much more detailed, spacious and warmer. Better, basically.

Still don't like the Amazon interface.

 

[Edbostan]

I keep thinking of upgrading my Amazon Prime music to a pro account. My son pays for a family Spotify account and keeps saying, why? I always wonder with my equipment would I hear a difference between HD etc on Amazon and Spotify and CD. For me it would be playing through Chromecast audio with a toslink into my Yamaha AV receiver.

Having done a direct comparison between Spotify and Ultra HD Amazon, I'll eat humble pie.

There is a significant difference in sound quality. Amazon is much more detailed, spacious and warmer. Better, basically.

Still don't like the Amazon interface.

I listen to Amazon Music using the Sonos S2 app which I have no complaints.

 

[Cricketbat70]

I listen to Amazon Music using the Sonos S2 app which I have no complaints.

I do have a sonis connect amp in a cupboard I put it away when the series 2 app was released because mine stopped working with the series 1 app. It's only recently that I found out my connect amp was made at the right time to be compatible with the series 2 app.

 

[Jasonovich]

Does any one know of any streaming service that provide DSD quality recordings?

 

[Al ears]

Does any one know of any streaming service that provide DSD quality recordings?

Most that offer that quality are download sites not streaming.

 

[Jasonovich]

Most that offer that quality are download sites not streaming.

Thanks I suspected so.
Flac @ 24bit 192khz seems to be the best they can offer. Oh well, I will have to make do with NativeDSD. They're great but it would be nice to have a streaming option.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks I suspected so.
Flac @ 24bit 192khz seems to be the best they can offer. Oh well, I will have to make do with NativeDSD. They're great but it would be nice to have a streaming option.

Streaming, to me, is for those that want easy access to music and are not overly worried about the quality of it.

 

[record_spot]

Music, podcasts, audio books. Nope, I think the £1 a month increase is absolutely fine.

 

[jjbomber]

Music, podcasts, audio books. Nope, I think the £1 a month increase is absolutely fine.

First increase in 10 years. Just brings it in to line with the others.

 

[Jasonovich]

Streaming, to me, is for those that want easy access to music and are not overly worried about the quality of it.

Yes it's a fair point. The streaming portal, I use mainly for browsing new artist.

 

[Rodolfo]

Too late for me. I dropped them last year, in large part for their political offerings choices, but also because I'd been leaning away for two reasons: no hi-res music, and no annual plan price. When Amazon hi-res offerings multiplied and improved last year, I jumped. A big incentive was also that I can leverage my Prime membership fee, PLUS Amazon does offer an annual plan lower price. I stream Amazon HD gems through my HiBy R5 II and my stereo setups, and it all sounds marvelous.

 

[Rodolfo]

Have you set the Amazon App to play Hi Res?

Thanks! I checked on my recent Win 11 system app, and I had not selected that setting.

 

[Edbostan]

Having done a direct comparison between Spotify and Ultra HD Amazon, I'll eat humble pie.

There is a significant difference in sound quality. Amazon is much more detailed, spacious and warmer. Better, basically.

Still don't like the Amazon interface.

I listen to Amazon Music using the Sonos app which has a good interface. My legacy products use the S1 app and Sonos Beam the S2 app. The S2 app supports Amazon HD, Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos music tracks.

 

[DCarmi]

I listen to Amazon Music using the Sonos app which has a good interface.

I find the Amazon interface awful. Whilst I can tell the difference between Spotify and Az, I don't think the difference is enough for me to be paying for Az after my free trial ends.

 

[Witterings]

I find the Amazon interface awful. Whilst I can tell the difference between Spotify and Az, I don't think the difference is enough for me to be paying for Az after my free trial ends.

I've herad this quite a few times and don't get why people say the Amazon interface is so awful although it's the only one I've really used and I'm comparing it to things like the Apps that come with streamers like the WiiM App and find it much better / easier to use than that.

I have used Qobuz brirfly as well and I actually preferred the Amazon one but that may just be because I'm familiar with it.

What is it people don't like about the Amazon App?

 

[Revolutions]

Dear Amazon Music app,

You are quite simply ugly. But I’m not shallow, so I didn’t let that put me off. Then I realised I didn’t understand you or how to find what I needed. But you were cheap so I persevered. When I figured out how to search out my desires you took ages to think about it. But I knew it would be worth waiting to hear the result, so I held out. When I wanted to store my desires, I found myself back in your confused jumble of nonsensical features & I felt dirty. And still I continued.

All until I reflected on 10 years with my ex, and realised quite how much work I’d need to do with you, Amazon. That is why I left you. And I have no guilt.

Anon x

 

[jjbomber]

Dear Amazon Music app,

Then I realised I didn’t understand you, I found myself back in your confused jumble of nonsensical

Dear Revolutions,

How I felt reading your post!

 

[DCarmi]

Dear Amazon Music app,

You are quite simply ugly. But I’m not shallow, so I didn’t let that put me off. Then I realised I didn’t understand you or how to find what I needed. But you were cheap so I persevered. When I figured out how to search out my desires you took ages to think about it. But I knew it would be worth waiting to hear the result, so I held out. When I wanted to store my desires, I found myself back in your confused jumble of nonsensical features & I felt dirty. And still I continued.

All until I reflected on 10 years with my ex, and realised quite how much work I’d need to do with you, Amazon. That is why I left you. And I have no guilt.

Anon x

PS. I gave you all the permissions you asked for on my phone. I also set unrestricted battery access. Any yet, you still decide you need to take a rest and pause the music for a little while. I apologise if I am being dim but your the only app this happens with.

PPS. I'd rather you didn't list albums by an in a seemingly random order. If I am searching through the catalogue of a prolific artist, it makes it difficult to find the one you want. Also separating out studio albums and compilations would be helpful.

 

[Rodolfo]

I'm committed to Amazon Music Unlimited, but I would definitely like to see improvements in how it looks and feels. I liked Spotify more, but then I had years of experience with that one. I'm guessing some or much of this is because Amazon is as much about selling its music, and that artists and publishers also influence/pay for what I'll see. I'm hopeful that Amazon will learn my behavior and preferences and adapt what I see each time I run it. I think it is doing this somewhat, slowly as I approach the first anniversary of my subscription. We'll see, but I do love their HD/hi-res offerings.

 

[manicm]

I moved from Apple Music to Spotify since Apple Music's subscription price increased last year. In July 2023, Spotify also increased the price of all of its service tiers which is now on par with Apple Music. Using Spotify I can still listen to music in a free account as I am willing to put up with ads. I can also find tons of popular podcasts. The only bad thing is offline downloading. Free users are not allowed to download music as local files. I googled for a Spotify to MP3 converter free to help me download music from Spotify. Here I recommend AMusicSoft. AMusicSoft offers me a free trial to try the downloading feature. It works well on my Windows. And I can really download songs even if I am a free Spotify user.

The big headache with free Spotify is listening on the phone - you'll never be able to listen to an entire album or even your own playlists, as Spotify will shuffle music externally.

Only on the PC can you listen in any meaningful way. But you can stream from the PC to your Spotify Connect enables hifi system.

 

[Romulus]

I mainly listen to music via ripped and burned cds, also use Youtube (great reference point). Recently I have been listening to Spotify for free. I like the increase in sound quality, also like the way spotify second guesses the music I may like by suggesting playlists. Thanks to spotify I have discovered many other artists. Ofcourse this is all for free. I am just wondering if I enlisted Qubuz or Tidal or other high res music would the difference in sound quality from Spotify be obvious to the demand of increase in cost monthly in a direct debit situation? The pop up ads were a nuisance in the beginning but now I just expect them because I don't know any different (apart to listening Cds). So maybe all other services may not be worth the money...?

 

[daveh75]

I am just wondering if I enlisted Qubuz or Tidal or other high res music would the difference in sound quality from Spotify be obvious to the demand of increase in cost monthly in a direct debit situation?

No!

And you can easily test it for yourself

ABX High Fidelity Test list

A set of browser-based ABX tests comparing lossless and lossy music samples

abx.digitalfeed.net

 

[abacus]

I mainly listen to music via ripped and burned cds, also use Youtube (great reference point). Recently I have been listening to Spotify for free. I like the increase in sound quality, also like the way spotify second guesses the music I may like by suggesting playlists. Thanks to spotify I have discovered many other artists. Ofcourse this is all for free. I am just wondering if I enlisted Qubuz or Tidal or other high res music would the difference in sound quality from Spotify be obvious to the demand of increase in cost monthly in a direct debit situation? The pop up ads were a nuisance in the beginning but now I just expect them because I don't know any different (apart to listening Cds). So maybe all other services may not be worth the money...?

The Spotify free tier has a much lower bit rate than the paid tier, so there will be a big difference if you go to Qubuz etc. Why not try the paid tier of Spotify for a month to see if it gives you any improvement you can hear. (Other services also offer free trials at full quality)
The elephant in the room is not so much the service, but the master's they use, which can make a big difference.
The only way to know for sure is to try some different ones out.

Bill

 

[Rodolfo]

...Only on the PC can you listen in any meaningful way. But you can stream from the PC to your Spotify Connect enables hifi system.

I agree, but note that Spotify Connect requires a Premium account; it is a Premium account feature that goes with its higher-fidelity feature. I lost the connection to my Spotify Connect device (one of my 2 internet radios) when I closed my account last year. Indeed, that was the main reason I resisted unsubscribing for months. I just downloaded the app onto my Windows 11 Pro NUC to see if anything had changed, and the device does show in the lower right as ever, but it is still grayed out and a note still reads "Get Spotify Premium to listen".. I did really like it when I had it.

So, to "listen meaningfully", joyously one would require a Premium subscription and a Spotify Connect-equipped device capable of reproducing/transmitting nice sound. Spotify Connect was the main, if not only reason I invested in a second internet radio.