I would not go as far as to say Qobuz is completely flat and boring and completely unengaging - at least not in my system.

But Spotify is definitely more musical and enjoyable at the moment.

I have both at the moment and the only thing I am finding with Spotify is that there is not much classical music on there.

The spotify app still stubbornly fails to find my bedroom sneaky which is annoying but at least it reliably picks up the other 3 streamers - last year it seemed to flit from being able to find a streamer one day to not finding it the next - quite exasperating.

I have now evaluated Qobuz for almost three weeks and compared frequently with Spotify. I do also find Spotify more engaging and musical, with a few excemptions. Some (a few) tracks have been clearly better on Qobuz.
However, there might be an explanation, also concerning the different outcomes in this thread. On the Swedish Linn forum a member wrote that since a month Spotify is lossless in Sweden and UK but not in Germany.

PetterS wrote: ↑2021-05-04 17:36 On the Swedish Linn forum a member wrote that since a month Spotify is lossless in Sweden and UK but not in Germany.

Yes, I have seen this post:
In Sweden and the UK (but not in eg Germany) Spotify has been sending out lossless for about a month now.
Nothing is visible in the app, but if you look you will see that it says 44/16, and 1411kbit / s if you look in the display on a DS / DSM.

So you need a DS or DSM to know exactly if it is Spotify lossless?

Matt

matthias wrote: ↑2021-05-04 20:26
So you need a DS or DSM to know exactly if it is Spotify lossless?

Volumio Spotify Connect reports 44.1 KHz 16 bit

Comparing to Qobuz, so far everything I have listened to is more engaging on Spotify than Qobuz, but no more engaging than Radio Paradise

springwood64 wrote: ↑2021-05-04 20:57 Volumio Spotify Connect reports 44.1 KHz 16 bit

Pete,
what does Volumio report when Spotify sends Ogg Vorbis lossy?
Thanks

Matt

matthias wrote: ↑2021-05-04 21:03 Pete,
what does Volumio report when Spotify sends Ogg Vorbis lossy?
Thanks

Matt

I've rattled through a selection of random tracks but I can't see anything reported other than 44.1/16

springwood64 wrote: ↑2021-05-04 21:19 I've rattled through a selection of random tracks but I can't see anything reported other than 44.1/16

So Spotify might be lossless now in the UK?
Maybe the jump in musicality what @u252agz reported too?

Matt

matthias wrote: ↑2021-05-04 20:26

PetterS wrote: ↑2021-05-04 17:36 On the Swedish Linn forum a member wrote that since a month Spotify is lossless in Sweden and UK but not in Germany.

Yes, I have seen this post:
In Sweden and the UK (but not in eg Germany) Spotify has been sending out lossless for about a month now.
Nothing is visible in the app, but if you look you will see that it says 44/16, and 1411kbit / s if you look in the display on a DS / DSM.

So you need a DS or DSM to know exactly if it is Spotify lossless?

Matt

I 1st seen this detail on my Majik Ds a couple of.months ago. I reported it in another thread.

deleted

With the emphasis on Dloby Atmos and a slight mention of lossless at the end of the article I'm not so sure they aren't more focused on special effects and marketing than on sound quality.

Spotify HiFI ante portas?

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/05/18/sp ... otted-app/

Matt

After comparing Spotify with Qobuz for the last month - I have now cancelled my Qobuz subscription.

Spotify is so much more musical that at times Qobuz now seems flat and quite boring.

I was initially going to keep both so to have a bigger choice of music but after three weeks of Spotify I am struggling to listen with Qobuz.


Ps

I have resolved the issue of my bedroom sneaky not being seen by Spotify by simply switching it off and on. Amazing how this sorts out 99% of my network issues !

u252agz wrote: ↑2021-05-23 20:35 After comparing Spotify with Qobuz for the last month - I have now cancelled my Qobuz subscription.

Spotify is so much more musical that at times Qobuz now seems flat and quite boring.

I was initially going to keep both so to have a bigger choice of music but after three weeks of Spotify I am struggling to listen with Qobuz.

Same here. Cancelled Qobuz two days ago.

PetterS wrote: ↑2021-05-23 21:36

u252agz wrote: ↑2021-05-23 20:35 After comparing Spotify with Qobuz for the last month - I have now cancelled my Qobuz subscription.

Spotify is so much more musical that at times Qobuz now seems flat and quite boring.

I was initially going to keep both so to have a bigger choice of music but after three weeks of Spotify I am struggling to listen with Qobuz.

Same here. Cancelled Qobuz two days ago.

Yes I also cancelled Qobuz over a week ago, in favour of Spotify.

The switch from Qobuz to Spotify is a big upgrade for me - lets hope Spotify keeps up the musicality it is currently delivering.

I get the impression that we are only just beginning to find out just how good digital replay can be when done well, and am hoping that Fredrik and his team will be realizing some of this potential with Kalla.

Linn also seem to be moving the digital musical bar to a very high level with their new KDSM - its exciting times for the world of digital music.

Although it is tempting to give the LP12 upgrades a rest for now, each time a put on a good vinyl recording (I recently got a great 1982 pressing of a Mozart violin concerto by Anne Sophie Mutter) I realise just how amazing it can sound.

u252agz wrote: ↑2021-05-25 08:57 ...lets hope Spotify keeps up the musicality it is currently delivering.

Ron The Mon mentioned that there is a bigger difference from Spotify Premium to Hi-Fi than any DACs he has ever compared. So Spotify HiFi might be a winner.

I also prefer Spotify Premium to Qobuz from a musicality POV. However, I do not think that a lossy compressed format is a desirable solution. I really hope to get with Spotify HiFi the best of both worlds.

Matt

I still can’t tell if I am listening to Spotify Hi Fi or not - nothing on my KDS display to indicate this: but there has definitely been a big jump in musicality recently.

If this is due to Spotify Hi Fi being utilised in the UK, I am inclined to believe Ron the Mons view regarding this difference being as important as using better streamers/ DACs.

u252agz wrote: ↑2021-05-30 22:17 I still can’t tell if I am listening to Spotify Hi Fi or not - nothing on my KDS display to indicate this: but there has definitely been a big jump in musicality recently.

If this is due to Spotify Hi Fi being utilised in the UK, I am inclined to believe Ron the Mons view regarding this difference being as important as using better streamers/ DACs.

If this is the case you guys in the US and UK seem to be very fortunate. In Germany there is nothing which would indicate that Spotify HiFi is being utilised. Surely Spotify is more engaging than Qobuz, however it is also more raw and harsh sounding than Qobuz. I really hope Spotify HiFi will come to Germany soon too.

Matt

I see Spotify in Kazoo with PCM 44.1 kHz / 16bit 1.4 Mbps. I live in Germany.

Into a KDS, I still find Qobuz more tuneful than Spotify. However, the “sound” of Spotify appears to have improved considerably though. In the past, Spotify’s sound was clearly worse than Qobuz, whereas now they seem to be quite similar.

Eli7 wrote: ↑2021-05-31 08:11 I see Spotify in Kazoo with PCM 44.1 kHz / 16bit 1.4 Mbps. I live in Germany.

Did Spotify in Kazoo show always this or did they change recently?
From the SQ I get with Spotify in Germany I can not imagine that it is HiFi.

Matt

matthias wrote: ↑2021-05-30 22:37

u252agz wrote: ↑2021-05-30 22:17 I still can’t tell if I am listening to Spotify Hi Fi or not - nothing on my KDS display to indicate this: but there has definitely been a big jump in musicality recently.

If this is due to Spotify Hi Fi being utilised in the UK, I am inclined to believe Ron the Mons view regarding this difference being as important as using better streamers/ DACs.

If this is the case you guys in the US and UK seem to be very fortunate. In Germany there is nothing which would indicate that Spotify HiFi is being utilised. Surely Spotify is more engaging than Qobuz, however it is also more raw and harsh sounding than Qobuz. I really hope Spotify HiFi will come to Germany soon too.

Matt

I think we’d be seeing more written on the internet if Spotify Hi-Fi was released in the US unless Ron is the only person getting the stream.

matthias wrote: ↑2021-05-31 08:51

Eli7 wrote: ↑2021-05-31 08:11 I see Spotify in Kazoo with PCM 44.1 kHz / 16bit 1.4 Mbps. I live in Germany.

Did Spotify in Kazoo show always this or did they change recently?
From the SQ I get with Spotify in Germany I can not imagine that it is HiFi.

Matt

I looked it up in Kazoo just a little while ago. I don't know what it was like before.
I think the sound of Spotify is very good. It was significantly worse some time ago.

I think there will be an official announcement and the apps will undergo some modifications before Spotify HiFi will be released.

Matt

Spannko wrote: ↑2021-05-31 08:28 Into a KDS, I still find Qobuz more tuneful than Spotify. However, the “sound” of Spotify appears to have improved considerably though. In the past, Spotify’s sound was clearly worse than Qobuz, whereas now they seem to be quite similar.

Interesting

Unfortunately, last Autumn I renewed Qobuz until Nov. 2021

M.