HiFi test

[Brad]

This is interesting. Can you tell the difference between uncompressed CD quality and Spotify quality?

http://test.tidalhifi.com/

Post your results, what equipment you tested on and your age.

Me: 46, An Asus laptop and HD595 cans, Can't tell any difference at all

[charlesr]

I've got no way of hooking that up to my stereo, but when I flick between Angel by Massive Attack on FLAC and Spotify 320kbs, I can tell the difference, in the bass. Messier tracks like Pendulum's Hold your Colour, I can't tell the difference at all.

The problem with Spotify is that it's flakey (right now I, and everyone else, get 504 error trying to listen to their web player on the PC) and the interface is rubbish. It has to be treated more like a radio and a music discovery service. For example, I searched for 17 drum and bass albums on it yesterday and it had only 6, even though some of the missing were pretty high profile. One of the ones it did have surprised me though, so it's pretty random. However, some of the playlists and radio channels they put together are great for coming across tracks I'd never have noticed before.

I did briefly trial Tidal, but although the interface was good, and the content equivalent to Spotify for my needs, the price was too high for something so limited in content. I'd rather buy a couple of albums each month instead.

On the other hand, Lucy uses Spotify all the time. In the car. On Squeezebox. On phone through the phone speakers (save me - I had to buy her a bluetooth speaker so that I didn't smash the phone up). She doesn't care what she's listening to, so it's like a radio, but she'll add tunes she likes to playlists as she goes. So we subscribe.

[charlesr]

By the way, the bluetooth speaker I got is the Logitech Mini boom (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...+boom&_sacat=0). It's amazing. I trialled it in John Lewis before purchasing.

[dvdx2]

Its really only noticable when you improve your cd player characteristics and speaker frequency range/sound stage, that the differences of lossy / uncompressed sound really come into play.

Spotify streams at 160-320kbs? 160kbs sounds awful on my set up- very thin, lacking bass, and detail. 320 fares abit better, but doesn't compare to cd, (Especially a well encoded cd), but isnt totally awful. Start venturing into SACD or bluray audio discs and the difference can be 5 fold over a cd.

Current set up for stereo audio - Monitor audio silver rx6 speakers, Radius 360 HD sub, Yamaha Rxv675 amp, Arcam cd/sacd player

[Brad]

Well, this Bluesound Node 2.0 has its own DAC and headphone amp so I reckon that plugging my headphones direct into that is going to be the best sound I can eek out. Trying to see if I can tell the difference between my CD-Ripped FLACs and 320kbs Conversions of those. So far I can't. Think my ears are too old.

[smouty]

No difference for me. Using an iphone 6 with Bose QC15 headphones which do show an improvement with FLAC over MP3.

[Brad]

I'm going to have to construct my own blind test I think. I'm assuming the dac in this Asus laptop is fairly naff so really need to try it through something better.

[Anpanman]

I can tell the difference between MP3's on my Windows Phone and the WMA equivalent, difference is easy to spot.
Can also tell the difference on the laptop between said WMA's and the original CD though of course it isn't as easy.

Often I'll listen to YouTube vids via PS3, our Pioneer surround amp has a sound retriever for compressed music and does a great job.

I don't think my hearing is all that great, nowhere near as good as it was though at 51 I suppose I expect it.

[concretesnail]

All correct. plugged in via phone (s6) on headphones sennheiser 580s. I didnt bother putting it neae my hifi as i already know thw difference there and it painful. Having said that it was better than other streaming sources ive heard.