Qobuz v Tidal v Spotify and £5,000 per metre speaker cable

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Hugh
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Hugh » 24 Feb 2020, 11:21

You don’t need to spend a few thousand (although you can if you wish). You can build your own excellent streamer/DAC for around £150 or get a pre-built one for a bit more.

Other cheap but good options are also available. I’ll make a short list tonight.

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C
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby C » 24 Feb 2020, 15:25

Hugh wrote:You don’t need to spend a few thousand (although you can if you wish). You can build your own excellent streamer/DAC for around £150 or get a pre-built one for a bit more.

Other cheap but good options are also available. I’ll make a short list tonight.


Thanks Hugh but you are going to have to help me out with the lingo here.

I have this Arcam Bluetooth rBlink receiver

Image

Is that different to a streamer/DAC....?




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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

Hugh
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Hugh » 24 Feb 2020, 17:20

That’s a Bluetooth receiver. It will work with Tidal and Qobuz on your phone. It’s not the best sound quality but if it meets your needs, it will be all you need.

If better sound quality matters to you then go for a network streamer which accesses the Tidal/Qobuz service from the internet via your router and streams in higher resolution.
Last edited by Hugh on 24 Feb 2020, 18:49, edited 1 time in total.

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C
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby C » 24 Feb 2020, 18:41

Thank you my friend




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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Neil Jung
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Neil Jung » 25 Feb 2020, 22:40

You will get improved sound quality (close to CD) from Tidal or Qobuz via your phone and your Arcam rBlink, but it won’t be anything like as good as if you had a network streamer.
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C
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby C » 26 Feb 2020, 12:22

Neil Jung wrote:You will get improved sound quality (close to CD) from Tidal or Qobuz via your phone and your Arcam rBlink, but it won’t be anything like as good as if you had a network streamer.


Any recommendations of a decent network streamer under a grand....?





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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

Hugh
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Hugh » 26 Feb 2020, 18:50

If you want to spend around a grand, I can highly recommend the Stack Audio Link streamer in combination with the Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC. I’ve had this at home for a few weeks now and it is stunning. Google the Hifi+ review and if you want any more info drop me A PM.

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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby C » 27 Feb 2020, 08:54

Hugh wrote:If you want to spend around a grand, I can highly recommend the Stack Audio Link streamer in combination with the Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt DAC. I’ve had this at home for a few weeks now and it is stunning. Google the Hifi+ review and if you want any more info drop me A PM.


Thank you my friend

Thank you




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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Robert
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Robert » 28 Feb 2020, 08:04

Carlsson wrote:I've just got into this modern streaming technology and a mate of mine was talking to me about Tidal

I was around his house yesterday and the Hi Res version he had did sound excellent.
[He has got excellent equipment though - he recently paid £6,000 for 5 metres of speaker cable!].

I read a What Hifi? review comparing Tidal to Spotify and on 'sound quality' Tidal won 'hands down'

Anybody got it?

They do a 30 day trial



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If we'd estimate one metre of cable to weight a kilo, the price of this cable comes down to nearly 3 times the price of pure silver! Are you sure you've heard him right?

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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby C » 28 Feb 2020, 09:57

Robert wrote:
Carlsson wrote:I've just got into this modern streaming technology and a mate of mine was talking to me about Tidal

I was around his house yesterday and the Hi Res version he had did sound excellent.
[He has got excellent equipment though - he recently paid £6,000 for 5 metres of speaker cable!].

I read a What Hifi? review comparing Tidal to Spotify and on 'sound quality' Tidal won 'hands down'

Anybody got it?

They do a 30 day trial



.


If we'd estimate one metre of cable to weight a kilo, the price of this cable comes down to nearly 3 times the price of pure silver! Are you sure you've heard him right?


It is correct - check it out (I think I posted a link somewhere)

Audioquest Redwood. They do various grades - according to the stranded mix - there are more expensive versions.

Back in 1984 when I was really into hifi I knew somebody who paid £17,000 (yes seventeen thousand) for some Speaker cables. (Again 5 metres)

Kimber Kable was the brand- I think they are still going - based in Cumbria.

I bought the cheaper version at a fraction of the price.

I still have them




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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Robert
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Robert » 28 Feb 2020, 10:30

Carlsson wrote:
Robert wrote:
Carlsson wrote:I've just got into this modern streaming technology and a mate of mine was talking to me about Tidal

I was around his house yesterday and the Hi Res version he had did sound excellent.
[He has got excellent equipment though - he recently paid £6,000 for 5 metres of speaker cable!].

I read a What Hifi? review comparing Tidal to Spotify and on 'sound quality' Tidal won 'hands down'

Anybody got it?

They do a 30 day trial



.


If we'd estimate one metre of cable to weight a kilo, the price of this cable comes down to nearly 3 times the price of pure silver! Are you sure you've heard him right?


It is correct - check it out (I think I posted a link somewhere)

Audioquest Redwood. They do various grades - according to the stranded mix - there are more expensive versions.

Back in 1984 when I was really into hifi I knew somebody who paid £17,000 (yes seventeen thousand) for some Speaker cables. (Again 5 metres)

Kimber Kable was the brand- I think they are still going - based in Cumbria.

I bought the cheaper version at a fraction of the price.

I still have them




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:shock: :shock:

Just checked them, they have a cable that goes at GBP 5,000/metre!


Outrageous.

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Rorschach
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Rorschach » 28 Feb 2020, 11:25

Robert wrote:
:shock: :shock:

Just checked them, they have a cable that goes at GBP 5,000/metre!


Outrageous.


A fool and his money...

Whenever they set up blind tests on these things one of two things happen: Either the people who claim to hear a difference fail the test with positive results no greater than chance, or they refuse to do the test for clearly invented reasons.
Bugger off.

Hugh
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Hugh » 28 Feb 2020, 12:36

I think it’s fairly evident that some cables sound different to others and therefore some will sound “better” than others to the listener. Also, the better your overall hifi is, the better it will be able to resolve the differences in the sound of the cables. It makes sense to me to spend around 10% of the overall cost of the system on cables. If anyone wants to spend more than that and is happy with the results then fair play to them.

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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby C » 28 Feb 2020, 16:16

I've just taken up a 30 day free trial of Qobuz







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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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C
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Re: Qobuz v Tidal v Spotify and £5,000 per metre speaker cable

Postby C » 28 Feb 2020, 16:51

Image





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Lord Rother wrote:And there was me thinking you'd say "Fair enough, you have a point Bob".

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Re: Qobuz v Tidal v Spotify and £5,000 per metre speaker cable

Postby frimley_greener » 02 Mar 2020, 17:16

It is of course important to check what formats your "end source" supports...but that is probably trying to teach grandma to suck eggs....
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Rorschach
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Re: Tidal versus Spotify

Postby Rorschach » 05 Mar 2020, 13:19

Hugh wrote:I think it’s fairly evident that some cables sound different to others and therefore some will sound “better” than others to the listener.


Really? Why do you think it's 'evident'? I've never seen any evidence apart from the claims of people who are trying to sell them and people who want to justify having bought them. I have come across several people challenging that view, and who are prepared to explain why, though.

This guy seems likely to have it right to me

It always seemed unlikely to me that you'd be able to improve the audio with cables because I can't for the life of me understand what the science e behind it could be. The page I've linked to sums up how I see it.
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Hugh
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Re: Qobuz v Tidal v Spotify and £5,000 per metre speaker cable

Postby Hugh » 05 Mar 2020, 13:53

I started to read that but anyone who writes “a digital signal is literally a string of zeros and ones” doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously.

I know that all cables don’t sound the same because I have heard the differences for myself - luckily I haven’t had to shell out money for the privilege.

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Rorschach
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Re: Qobuz v Tidal v Spotify and £5,000 per metre speaker cable

Postby Rorschach » 05 Mar 2020, 14:48

Hugh wrote:I started to read that but anyone who writes “a digital signal is literally a string of zeros and ones” doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously.


Really? Why not?
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Hugh
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Re: Qobuz v Tidal v Spotify and £5,000 per metre speaker cable

Postby Hugh » 05 Mar 2020, 14:54

Because a digital signal isn’t literally a string of zeros and ones.


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