Tidal - Is HiFi service worth the extra moolah?

[geeqner]

I know that this is probably yet ANOTHER of those questions where the REAL answer is "it depends".

So, I am new to this "Streaming" stuff and just got my shiny new BlueSound Node 2i set-up and starting to play-around with it.

I want to look at the Streaming Services - I know that several have a "free" Trial Period (Tidal and Qobuz Sublime, and perhaps others)

I have what I think is a pretty decent system, given the limitations of the listening room (Living Room).
I'm nowhere near the "top of the heap" gear-wise, but not the bottom either
I also believe that I have pretty good ears for a 50-something guy

But:  In reality - how likely am I to notice the difference in sound quality between Tidal's "Premium" (CD or better) vs. "HiFi" (MQA) Service?
If you have tested their service - how BIG of a difference did YOU notice?
(The Internal DAC / Streamer within the Node 2i is supposed to be "Optimized" for use with Tidal's MQA Service.)

[liv2teach]

Jan 14, 2019 16:53:16 GMT -5 geeqner said:

I know that this is probably yet ANOTHER of those questions where the REAL answer is "it depends".

So, I am new to this "Streaming" stuff and just got my shiny new BlueSound Node 2i set-up and starting to play-around with it.

I want to look at the Streaming Services - I know that several have a "free" Trial Period (Tidal and Qobuz Sublime, and perhaps others)

I have what I think is a pretty decent system, given the limitations of the listening room (Living Room).
I'm nowhere near the "top of the heap" gear-wise, but not the bottom either
I also believe that I have pretty good ears for a 50-something guy

But:  In reality - how likely am I to notice the difference in sound quality between Tidal's "Premium" (CD or better) vs. "HiFi" (MQA) Service?
If you have tested their service - how BIG of a difference did YOU notice?
(The Internal DAC / Streamer within the Node 2i is supposed to be "Optimized" for use with Tidal's MQA Service.)

Good questions.... I can only relate what I know from using and loving the Bluesound Node 2i. I use the higher end service (I get a veteran's discount which brings the cost to about $11 a month). That way I can play the MQA tracks as well as the standard tracks. I do believe the MQA has a fuller more open sound.... (perhaps it's in my head though). I do know the CD quality sound, sounds pretty darn good though. Tidal has a free trial, why don't you just do the high-end free trial and compare for yourself and if you don't hear a difference, subscribe to the standard service?  Good luck and enjoy.

[klinemj]

Jan 14, 2019 16:53:16 GMT -5 geeqner said:

In reality - how likely am I to notice the difference in sound quality between Tidal's "Premium" (CD or better) vs. "HiFi" (MQA) Service?
If you have tested their service - how BIG of a difference did YOU notice?

Tidal "Premium" is not CD quality. It's MP3 quality. Tidal HiFi includes CD quality or better (with better being MQA).

I have personally heard MP3 on my critical listening system and hear clear differences vs. the same tracks at CD quality. So, for me, it was no question...I pay for the HiFi Tidal version. The bonus of a lot of MQA releases is great. Some sound a lot better to me.

Mark

[Boomzilla]

First, thanks for asking this question, geeqner! It's a good one.

The factors that have so far led me to eschew the TIDAL "upscale" options are as follows:

1. I don't use TIDAL as a primary music source but only for supplementing other sources
2. I don't have a DAC right now that's MQA-capable
3. The MP3 quality is sufficient for "internet radio" and anything that I like, I'll buy a CD (yes, I know that this option is time-limited, and that eventually I will have to go "streaming-only")

So although I may be a future "upscale-TIDAL" customer, that time isn't yet.

Boom

[Loop 7]

I prefer Qobuz lossless but they are still in beta in the United States and, I think, still moving through the licensing process for some music.

Qobuz doesn't have any MQA content and I've not read of any plans to do so. They have tons of high resolution but, again, the total % of released music in high resolution is still microscopic.

Now, I am making myself vulnerable for a slamming but I cannot tell any difference between a securely ripped CD and Qobuz streaming.

[chicagorspec]

For me, I would say it depends on your goals for using Tidal. I started out with a 30-day trial of the $20 version. At 29 days, I cancelled it because I was too busy doing other things to feel like $20 a month was justified for how little I was using it.

A month later, Tidal sends me an email asking me to come back with another 30 day trial, so I took them up on it. This time, however, they give me the $10 version; I’m not sure why and they didn’t specifically say. At the end of the trial I decided to keep it, because 1) I thought it still sounds pretty good, and most importantly 2) I use Tidal almost exclusively to explore music that is new to me, not to have it as my primary source and do super critical listening splitting hairs about what I can hear and can’t, blah, blah, blah. If that’s you, probably the $20 version is a better choice. For me, the $10 version works fine, and if I get busy and don’t use it very much it doesn’t bug me as much to spend/waste $10 a month as $20.

YMMV...

[creimes]

I have the $30 Family HIFI plan as I share it with my wife, mother and a buddy, up to six users can stream at the same time, I use Tidal daily so for me the HIFI is totally worth it.

Chad

[novisnick]

Jan 14, 2019 21:36:02 GMT -5 creimes said:

I have the $30 Family HIFI plan as I share it with my wife, mother and a buddy, up to six users can stream at the same time, I use Tidal daily so for me the HIFI is totally worth it.

Chad

Thanks for the information Chad, I didn’t know they offered such a plan. I don’t have a use for it but it’s nice to know. 👍⚜️

[wilburthegoose]

I started the trial at the MP3 quality, really liked it, and decided to try the CD/MQA quality. I've been using it for over a year now. Use it every day (integrated with Roon)

[mountain]

I subscribe to hifi tidal with Mqa and run with Roon.  I’m very happy with sq, ease of use, and access to their music library.  I save a lot of money w/o the need for purchasing so many cds.  Recommended.

[siggie]

I suggest trying some of the blind tests of high/medium/low res music available on the interweb to see if you can hear a difference. This is probably blasphemy around here, but other than not picking the 128 files, I could not consistently tell the difference. I was using a little ego dac and a variety of decent headphones.

If you can’t tell the difference and go with the basic subscription, you don’t have to tell anyone.

siggie

[ottaone]

Long time ago,I had a deal with my son for him to rip my CDs to two formats - 128Kbps and FLAC (some WAV). But at the beginning, we also tested each other, not scientific but single blind test, on 128Kbps vs 320kbps; 128k vs FLAC/WAV; 320K vs FLAC/WAV. We both, individually, could tell 128 vs 320 or FLAC with over 80% certainty (better than guessing).H owever, we had a hard time between 320k vs FLAC/WAV.

When activelly listening, I use my lossless or look at youtube for at least 320k. Otherwise, spotify at 128k or Linn Jazz at 320k.

[pedrocols]

Tidal rules HiFi rules!

[novisnick]

Jan 15, 2019 12:37:04 GMT -5 pedrocols said:

Tidal rules HiFi rules!

Somebody call a medic! “Two Channel Rules!” 😋🎶

[ngmitter]

Jan 14, 2019 21:17:15 GMT -5 chicagorspec said:

For me, I would say it depends on your goals for using Tidal. I started out with a 30-day trial of the $20 version. At 29 days, I cancelled it because I was too busy doing other things to feel like $20 a month was justified for how little I was using it.

A month later, Tidal sends me an email asking me to come back with another 30 day trial, so I took them up on it. This time, however, they give me the $10 version; I’m not sure why and they didn’t specifically say. At the end of the trial I decided to keep it, because 1) I thought it still sounds pretty good, and most importantly 2) I use Tidal almost exclusively to explore music that is new to me, not to have it as my primary source and do super critical listening splitting hairs about what I can hear and can’t, blah, blah, blah. If that’s you, probably the $20 version is a better choice. For me, the $10 version works fine, and if I get busy and don’t use it very much it doesn’t bug me as much to spend/waste $10 a month as $20.

YMMV...

I had the same experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the HiFi trial, but really didn't spent much time listening to it. Also, I found the interface a little buggy on android when casting to my Shield TV. I got the same lower-bitrate offer and decided to skip it. I'm hoping they follow up with an extended offer for the HiFi version.

My issue is that I already have the Google Play Music subscription (since beta), which gives me Youtube Red (or whatever they call it now). It's hard to justify giving all that up for $10, or paying for another service on top of that for $20.

[Loop 7]

Jan 15, 2019 16:07:52 GMT -5 ngmitter said:

...I already have the Google Play Music subscription (since beta), which gives me Youtube Red (or whatever they call it now).

YouTube Red, now YouTube Premium, has spoiled me rotten. Never watching a single ad is really nice.

[audiobill]

If you're a vet, Tidal is $11.99 per month for HiFi (CD resolution). It has been that for me for a long time now.

[Cogito]

Jan 16, 2019 18:16:07 GMT -5 audiobill said:

If you're a vet, Tidal is $11.99 per month for HiFi (CD resolution). It has been that for me for a long time now.

I finally bit the bullet and decided to take Tidal's offer for their HiFi subscription for vets (Been a Slacker radio customer for several years at $9.99). For $11.99, the price of a single CD, I have over 40 MILLION CD quality tracks to choose from and is an absolute deal.

So far, it's been great. I guess the only worry I have is that Tidal is in very rough financial shape right now. In fact, almost ALL of the streaming services can't seem to make a profit. Something has to give and most likely, subscriptions are going to have to increase significantly in the near future if any of these service are going to be viable. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the service tremendously.

[klinemj]

At the vet price, Tidal is indeed a no-brainer. And frankly, if streaming services do increase their rates for profitability, it's worth a lot to me to have access to all the great music without having to buy or rip a CD.

Mark

[dsonyay]

The Vet price is awesome. I'm subscribed at about 10 bucks a month for uncompressed music and mqa. I find this too good a deal to pass up. Not sure I'd pay the full price had it not been for this special. But the music quality is same as playing CD and better.