Spotify settings for best musical performance

[ThomasOK]

Did someone brave compare .44 to .43?
BTW, I have the impression that on macOS the version 1.2.13 is better as well.

I had not intended to. But my iPad, which as noted above hadn't been doing a very good job of automatically updating, just chose to do so last night. So it is now at 8.8.44.458. My first impressions are not wonderful. I started it playing a Chet Baker track and it was OK but not wowing me. (I will interject that my system is just all back up and running having just been plugged in about an hour ago after the storms last night had me unplug it. So it is not fully warmed up.) So I played the same track on the iPhone 8+ and felt it was immediately better. Wanting to make sure I was giving both units a fair chance I disconnected the iPad from the power in the back room and brought it up front to the listening room. This improved the musicality of the iPad, I'm not sure if it is the power connection or that the WiFi access point changed to the one connected to the Källa via the GS308T. It was now close so I went back and forth a few times but I still feel that .43 on the iPhone 8+ is a little more musical, I feel a little more connected to the music, than with .44 on the iPad Mini 6. Since the iPad should be the better control device this does not bode well for .44 vs .43. For now I'd keep things at .43. Is there any way to revert?

[springwood64]

Unfortunately Android and iOS app eco systems enforce updates to the current version for a variety of reasons. If you disable updates you still risk your app becoming unusable as a result of OS changes unless you disable iOS updates as well.

There is no way that I know of to revert to an earlier version, unless the app supplier makes it available via Test Flight and sends you the invitation for that version.

If you have found a particular app version optimal, and dont want to risk that version becoming unusable, you should probably disable updates to iOS as well as the app.

Any musicality that derives from a particular version of an app has to be considered fragile, because of this.

[matthias]

I mean if .44 is at least as good as .43 some algorithms or something else might have been changed by Spotify for better ones.
If not then it might be just a lucky coincidence that .43 is better.
As macOS Spotify user I am curious how the desktop app behaves with coming updates.

[ThomasOK]

A further, and positive, update on the Spotify versions. For starters I am aware that you can't just necessarily stay with a specific firmware version forever (I spent 14 years in the Mac world and am an Apple certified computer technician). After all, some updates are bug fixes so sticking with an old version could lead to problems, even if a new IOS hasn't come out requiring the update.

But just for the fun of it I left my iPhone 8+ at the 8.8.43 version so that I could play with things more. I finally did that playing around this week and was pleasantly surprised. I compared my iPhone to my iPad 6 Mini without checking the numbers first and the iPad was more musical. Checking the iPad it showed it was at 8.8.48. I updated my iPhone and found it was now at 8.8.54.544. So I went back to the iPad and had it do an upgrade and it sounded a little better yet but only a tiny amount. Checking the version number I was surprised to find it was only at 8.8.50? It wouldn't let me update it again through the app so I went to the app store. I did a search for Spotify, clicked on it and it didn't give me a button to update, just one to open the app. I clicked on that button and it asked me if I wanted to update it! So I clicked yes and then it updated it to 8.8.54.544 as on the iPhone. If you read one of my earlier posts you will see that this same scenario happened last time i upgraded the iPad: it hadn't auto-updated to the latest version even though it is supposed to auto update (my iPhone is set to ask me first), then manually updating it only took it part of the way to the current version and I had to go through some rigamarole with the app store to finally get the latest version installed. The good news is that 8.8.54.544 is even better than the intermediate 8.8.50 which was itself better than 8.8.54.544 on my iPhone. So everything is sounding very good and mostly seems to be making at least slight musical progress with most of the updates.

[ThomasOK]

This isn't Spotify settings but it is about Spotify so maybe not too off topic. I often play jazz in the background for Lily when I am not here or working in the back. But as I had done the updates I noticed some other recommendations so I decided to try something new. Upon doing so I discovered that Spotify has at least one very strange playlist. It was simply titled "60s" and started with "My Girl" by the Temptations so I decided to give it a whirl. After letting it play in the background a few times I noticed it was rather strange and took a closer look at the playlist. I found track 2 was "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and 3 is "The Weight" by The Band. So far so good, three really solid choices from the 60s. However, these were then followed by 47 straight jazz pieces. They are good jazz pieces (things from Chet Baker, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Dave Brubeck and a Miles Davis track, etc., several of them with multiple tracks) but are the first three really the only R&B/Rock/Pop tracks of worth listening to from the 60s? Just seems like a strange mix.

[markiteight]

Posts about Spotify Hi-Fi have been moved here.

-Moderator

[markiteight]

It's been a while since I went through my Spotify settings to make sure they were still set properly. There's a new feature that's appeared since the last time I checked (so I don't know how long it's been there) called Picture in Picture. It's located under the Playback menu toward the top. Some quick backing-and-forthing using Avalon (thanks Charlie1 for the inspiration) and I prefer it off (it's on by default).

[lejonklou]

Thanks markiteight! I can confirm your finding.

We also made some other discoveries this evening:

Under 'Video Quality', we set everything to Very High.

Under 'Audio Quality', at the bottom there are settings called 'Download'. We set it to Very High and disabled Download Using Mobile Data.

Although we played music and didn't watch videos, didn't download anything and didn't use mobile data, it did sound better with these settings.

I updated the first post in this thread with the latest findings.

[springwood64]

Later my wife switched between the 3 services so I could test blind, and again you could easily pick out Spotify as the best and Tidal as the worst.... great effort! :)

Thanks for sharing, would be interesting how Qobuz rank in this competition.

I did that test today with Glen Campbell Wichita Lineman.

Easy test:

1. Spotify
2. Qobuz
....
3. Tidal

Spotify and Qobuz closer than Qobuz and Tidal. I've deleted my Tidal trial account.

[matthias]

Thanks Pete!

[lejonklou]

We've gone through all the settings on the Spotify app again.

I recommend that you check yours, because the difference in musical quality can be big. If you did check them a while back, you might need to redo it, because when the app is updated, some settings can change. And new settings are sometimes added.

Here's what we found optimal:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6130&p=67940#p67940

[Kalle05]

Is it just me or is Spotify ”sounding” much better lately,
has anybody else noticed any difference ?
Is Spotify perhaps pushing out hifi on trial :-)

[David Neel]

Is it just me or is Spotify ”sounding” much better lately,
has anybody else noticed any difference ?
Is Spotify perhaps pushing out hifi on trial :-)

I've had auto updates switched off since 8.8.43, and been very happy. After reading this I decided to update my iPad mini 6, and now have 8.9.66.

Yes, it "sounds" better in some ways, but a piano is less like a piano and interplay between musicians is reduced. I wish there was a way to revert - but I did accept the risk!

[Kalle05]

Is it just me or is Spotify ”sounding” much better lately,
has anybody else noticed any difference ?
Is Spotify perhaps pushing out hifi on trial :-)

I've had auto updates switched off since 8.8.43, and been very happy. After reading this I decided to update my iPad mini 6, and now have 8.9.66.

Yes, it "sounds" better in some ways, but a piano is less like a piano and interplay between musicians is reduced. I wish there was a way to revert - but I did accept the risk!

Sorry that i tricked you to update Spotify :-(
I assume you are streaming to Källa from the Spotify app, there is always a risk involved when
the streaming is based on that the ipad gets the mp3 file and then converts it and sends it to Källa,
there are many components involved and the ipad hardware and the condition of the ipad (bad battery, components getting old and tired etc.) makes more of a difference than the Spotify app itself.

[lejonklou]

Don’t forget to re-check your settings, David Neel!

I have relaxed completely regarding the Spotify updates, as the sound randomly improves a tiny bit and then degrades a tiny bit an upgrade or two later.

Over time my impression is that the quality remains constant. As we have not seen any sign of changes to the music data, the variations are likely all due to the app-code variations affecting the app’s musical performance. And these effects are essentially random over time as long as the core rendering processes remain unchanged.

EDIT: “firmware” changed to “app-code” in the text above. Was a bit too tired when I wrote it.

[David Neel]

Sorry that i tricked you to update Spotify :-(

My fault completely! I had read earlier posts about newer versions than 8.43 sounding good without checking the date, then read yours and decided to update on the spur of the moment. I was well aware that there was no guarantee, but completely unprepared for the margin of degradation and fundamental loss of musicality.

Don’t forget to re-check your settings, David Neel!

I re-checked all my settings prior to playing any music. Also afterwards when it sounded so poor. I'll continue to look for other things...

Is anybody else on 8.9.66?

[Spannko]

….. there are many components involved and the ipad hardware and the condition of the ipad (bad battery, components getting old and tired etc.) makes more of a difference than the Spotify app itself.

This is the first time I’ve heard this mentioned, Kalle05. How did you discover this?

[Kalle05]

….. there are many components involved and the ipad hardware and the condition of the ipad (bad battery, components getting old and tired etc.) makes more of a difference than the Spotify app itself.

This is the first time I’ve heard this mentioned, Kalle05. How did you discover this?

Of course the condition of the hardware makes a difference,
why would streaming from the ipad vary between different models of ipad if the hardware doesn’t make a difference, you use the same spotify app and same streamer, Källa, and the output from Källa is different with different ipads.

[Hermann]

The experience is interesting. I started each of the latest updates from Sportfy while streaming. The interruption is very short and each time I played the piece of music from the beginning to see if there were any differences. In fact, I didn't succeed.I thought I noticed slight changes, but I think this is more due to listening to music in a somewhat tense manner at the time.

[David Neel]

I'm baffled. Yesterday I did the spotify update and within two minutes was listening to a really poor system, the comparison was stark. Settings have remained constant and optimised throughout. It was still bad this afternoon, despite restarting both the ipad and the spotify app a couple of times. Finally, I tried switching off the ipad and using my iphone 13 mini instead, also on 8.9.66.

MUCH better! So after listening to several tracks, I switched the iphone off and restarted the ipad again, now convinced that if things were okay with the iphone, I needed to find what was wrong with ipad. I've not been able to, because this time, it's working fine, and sounding better than the iphone! Piano is more like a piano again, the musicians are communicating with each other, and the sound no longer follows the main voice to the detriment of others.

So I'm still baffled, but relieved to be enjoying streaming again...

[Spannko]

I'm baffled. Yesterday I did the spotify update and within two minutes was listening to a really poor system, the comparison was stark. Settings have remained constant and optimised throughout. It was still bad this afternoon, despite restarting both the ipad and the spotify app a couple of times. Finally, I tried switching off the ipad and using my iphone 13 mini instead, also on 8.9.66.

MUCH better! So after listening to several tracks, I switched the iphone off and restarted the ipad again, now convinced that if things were okay with the iphone, I needed to find what was wrong with ipad. I've not been able to, because this time, it's working fine, and sounding better than the iphone! Piano is more like a piano again, the musicians are communicating with each other, and the sound no longer follows the main voice to the detriment of others.

So I'm still baffled, but relieved to be enjoying streaming again...

Thank goodness for that, Mr Neel!!! 😊

[Spannko]

….. there are many components involved and the ipad hardware and the condition of the ipad (bad battery, components getting old and tired etc.) makes more of a difference than the Spotify app itself.

This is the first time I’ve heard this mentioned, Kalle05. How did you discover this?

Of course the condition of the hardware makes a difference,
why would streaming from the ipad vary between different models of ipad if the hardware doesn’t make a difference, you use the same spotify app and same streamer, Källa, and the output from Källa is different with different ipads.

Rude! You’re conflating configuration and condition. We know that hardware configuration has an effect on källa’s musicality, however this is the first time I’ve heard that hardware condition can also affect musicality. How did you discover this?

[David Neel]

Thank goodness for that, Mr Neel!!! 😊

I can only conclude (from logic) that something about the update process triggered a change in the ipad (which had been sounding fine two minutes earlier), which then took more than one reboot to clear.

So that's vindication of the old answer when you can't fix it - turn it off and start again! Understanding and logic is not necessary... :)

[lejonklou]

I'm baffled.

MUCH better!

Very happy to hear that, David!

I might have experienced something similar once. A single reboot of the iPad solved it.

Of course the condition of the hardware makes a difference,
why would streaming from the ipad vary between different models of ipad if the hardware doesn’t make a difference, you use the same spotify app and same streamer, Källa, and the output from Källa is different with different ipads.

We have not noted any performance differences related to the condition or age of the hardware. For instance, old phones with bad batteries have performed the same as we remember them, and ranked the same as in previous tests when compared with other models.

Although all control points sound a little different, our impressions so far is that they retain their musical performance when getting old.

[lejonklou]

The first post in this thread has been updated when checked with the latest Spotify app version; 8.9.84.543.

Which sounds really good, by the way, as does iOS/iPadOS 18.1.