Official TIDAL HIFI Streaming Issues Thread

[rodrigaj]

The navigation takes some getting used to, the search has its hits and misses, cancelled the experience after a week of wondering what the fuss was all about. YMMV, IMHO.

For me, the fuss is about discovering new classical music, comparing performances and making informed purchasing decisions. The search function is horrible and I would drop Tidal immediately if I had an alternative in the USA. What I find particularly insulting is the RAP crap that is always on display.

[mozes]

That makes sense. I need to use the Chrome browser so I can stream lossless. Only thing is I'm not willing to download Chrome just to stream at this time, but I do appreciate understanding why I was disappointed with the sound quality. I didn't find it horrible, just soft, rather euphoric and lacking attack.

The other thing I didn't I didn't care for when searching for music I know and use as reference wasn't available on Tidal. All my CD's are available and I don't have to search for them.

 

The best sound I got from Tidal is by using Bubble upnp on an android device streaming to Jplaystreamer or jriver renderer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Computer Audiophile

[Rexp]

I tried Tidal again after a hike in Interent download speed, thus avoiding the buffering problems of before.

 

Well, Tidal sounds like Qobuz downloads & aeroplane piped music. Very flat and uninteresting compared with redbook rips of the same album and agree with this post.. Google Chrome and A+ integrated were used just in case things might have changed, still sounds flat and uninteresting.

 

The navigation takes some getting used to, the search has its hits and misses, cancelled the experience after a week of wondering what the fuss was all about. YMMV, IMHO.

I've never managed to get Tidal to sound good on a Mac, is that what you were using?

[realhifi]

 

What I find particularly insulting is the RAP crap that is always on display.

 

I'll second that. Not sure why they can't show you things you are interested in after you've used it for awhile. Apple starts to "feel" your preferences and display accordingly so not sure why they can't get that straight with Tidal.

 

Of course I don't think Apple sounds as good and having Roon integration is still way better than Apple Music's interface.

[indycardude]

The best sound from Tidal (and iTunes library) that I have heard on my MacBook Pro is using Roon. I tried Jriver, Amarra Audionirvana etc. I'm using a DAC connected via USB in Exclusive mode using Roon's RAAT Lossless playback chain. It sounds awesome in my system!

[ejlif]

Hi, I am noticing that you can only add 99 tracks to the play queue now? I will often add a group of albums to the play queue and then shuffle that list and save the shuffled list to a new playlist so I can work my way through the songs in a shuffled order. It's a bit of a workaround to be able to save a shuffled order but this is the only way I have found to make it work in TIDAL. I just was trying to make a shuffled list out of 50 albums I added and it will now only let you put 99 tracks in the queue. Does anyone know a way around this. TIDAL's interface is very frustrating, I only stick with them since the sound is so good and they do have a lot of the music I like on there.

[Ventoux]

So, I re-subscribed after about a year away from Tidal.

 

The MY MUSIC tab has a huge amount of music I never want to listen to. I'm guessing this was based on my initial music preferences at first setup? I want to clear this out entirely - and only add my selections to it (right now there's thousands of albums I'll never listen to) I can't find a way for clear this - As I just want to find music - then add what I like to MY MUSIC. Anyone know if this is possible.

Right now I have to go through each and every artist or album and un-select them as one of my favorites ;(.

Hope I don't have to cancel and then re-subscribe with a different account to get this to work.

[ksalno]

If you find a way, let me know. I just finished going through that process today. I only had a hundred or so unwanted albums, so it didn't take too long during an NFL game to just click through them but I can see it would be a real pain if you had a few thousand.

[zoli]

Hi Guys,

I am new to this thread and have been using Tidal since about half a year after comparing it against Spotify and finding it superior. I mostly use android control app and chromecast audio through toslink to a DAC+AMP. Alternatively from browser.

Now that master (24/96) records are added I needed to install the Tidal app (windows 7). Has anyone been facing strange issues with it? My downloaded tidalsetup file just opens a big black screen with minimize, maximize and close buttons and that is all, nothing happens and nothing appears. I see some processes, which when closed, some error messages appear over the big black rectangle.

Strangely, on Tidal's sparingly set up faq pages there is following hint: "You must have Flash installed on your browser.". I am not sure what the Tidal app has to do with any of my browsers (and even then which of my 3 installed ones...), but flash is definitely on the edge of disappearing. Tidal itself prefers Chrome for their browser player, and Chrome has stopped supporting flash a long time ago.

Has anyone successfully installed the windows desktop app.

Many thanks

Zoli

[zoli]

My downloaded tidalsetup file just opens a big black screen with minimize, maximize and close buttons and that is all, nothing happens and nothing appears. I see some processes, which when closed, some error messages appear over the big black rectangle.

 

Update:

Just found an install log file where it looks as if the installer had had problems downloading more stuff through our proxy. As there is zero documentation, I will have to try the installation at home where there is no proxy.

[realhifi]

.

 

Has anyone successfully installed the windows desktop app.

Many thanks

Zoli[/font][/color]

 

Yes. I have had no issues with the app running on Windows 10. Also no issues with Tidal running through Roon.

[zoli]

Yes. I have had no issues with the app running on Windows 10. Also no issues with Tidal running through Roon.

 

I could now at home (without proxy) install the desktop app. I could also log in but I cannot play music. The app says there is some problem with my internet connection, whereas the browser playback page (listen.tidal.com) works flawlessly.

I figured that half of the servers/IP addresses on https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/201166662-Music-not-playing-Firewall-Settings- are inaccessible from here while the rest, especially the ones needed for the web playback are. I guess the problem is either my local (company) firewall) or some general settings where TIDAL restricts access to their servers....

[bobbmd]

ejlif-My feelings exactly and i posted my feelings elsewhere today. Have you also noticed if a song in an album is not available you get this horrible static sound for the WHOLE song while on Qobuz if this happens you get 30secs of mp3 version sample and then it goes to next available song-why can't TIDAL do this? TIDAL's interface sucks both the desktop and with ROON or A+. I also posted elsewhere today that after a week of listening to MQA i like it I think SQ is improved but because of TIDAL's other shortfalls i still think Qobuz is far better in just FLAC not only SQ but choices and ease of setting up playlists queues etc. I am not throwing TIDAL out or ROON- maybe things will improve with me getting a DF RED and MQA full decoding. Also there just isn't enough MASTERS yet and to find the 'hidden' ones is too exhausting for me and where is the rest of the DEAD/Jerry and all his friends/solos and where is SINATRA and where are all rest of Tom Waits especially the early stuff by him?

[astrostar59]

I've never managed to get Tidal to sound good on a Mac, is that what you were using?

I don't agree here. Only 3 days use so far, BUT I have tried maybe 30+ tracks I have as CD AIFF rips on my external firewire and Mac Mini v those same exact tracks on Tidal.

 

Using Audirvana+ for both ripped replay v Tidal I am struggling to notice any difference. I use a top electrostatic amp and the Stax 009s which are very transparent and fast, so any change is dead obvious.

 

TBH I did find one track so far (an Armin Van Buuren) that sounded better off Tidal than my CD ripp, though in that case the master at Tidal may be a newer / updated copy which was cleaned up a bit? Also there are numerous remastered albums on Tidal which can in some cases improve quality from the older issued CD.

 

If the files at Tidal are Flac and 1411 resolution as they claim, no compression, I guess in theory they should sound the same. Once streamed into Audirvana+ as opposed to loaded via my ext drive, what is the difference? I am really trying to avoid the subscription by LOOKING for issues and reasons to not go for it, but so far, there is no quality loss going on IMO. Maybe I will hear some in the next 3 months?

 

One thing to watch out for, is apparently not ALL music is at 1411 resolution, and they ffed you 320kps if they don't have that file yet. I think in the standalone player it tells you that, but in Audirvana+ I don't think it does. So far I have not hit any low res files yet.

The other thing is maybe the first Tidal version of Audirvana was a bit rough. The current latest sound great to me in either Tidal or playing off a drive.

My network is dead simple and I only listen to non up sampled as run an NOS R-2R DAC:

Mac Mini with LPS, ext drive and LPS - Rednet 3 AOIP - NOS DAC.

 

I wonder if the loss in sound quality experienced by others may be network related?

[Rexp]

I don't agree here. Only 3 days use so far, BUT I have tried maybe 30+ tracks I have as CD AIFF rips on my external firewire and Mac Mini v those same exact tracks on Tidal.

 

Using Audirvana+ for both ripped replay v Tidal I am struggling to notice any difference. I use a top electrostatic amp and the Stax 009s which are very transparent and fast, so any change is dead obvious.

 

TBH I did find one track so far (an Armin Van Buuren) that sounded better off Tidal than my CD ripp, though in that case the master at Tidal may be a newer / updated copy which was cleaned up a bit? Also there are numerous remastered albums on Tidal which can in some cases improve quality from the older issued CD.

 

If the files at Tidal are Flac and 1411 resolution as they claim, no compression, I guess in theory they should sound the same. Once streamed into Audirvana+ as opposed to loaded via my ext drive, what is the difference? I am really trying to avoid the subscription by LOOKING for issues and reasons to not go for it, but so far, there is no quality loss going on IMO. Maybe I will hear some in the next 3 months?

 

One thing to watch out for, is apparently not ALL music is at 1411 resolution, and they ffed you 320kps if they don't have that file yet. I think in the standalone player it tells you that, but in Audirvana+ I don't think it does. So far I have not hit any low res files yet.

The other thing is maybe the first Tidal version of Audirvana was a bit rough. The current latest sound great to me in either Tidal or playing off a drive.

My network is dead simple and I only listen to non up sampled as run an NOS R-2R DAC:

Mac Mini with LPS, ext drive and LPS - Rednet 3 AOIP - NOS DAC.

 

I wonder if the loss in sound quality experienced by others may be network related?

I was referring to the app, did you try that? I haven't used my MBP for audio for a while so maybe the app has been improved, certainly the iOS version sounds great on my iPad.

[bobbmd]

ejlif- agree plus you can't shuffle the queue and it either plays same song more than once or just stops playing and you have to restart it.

[astrostar59]

My Music folder, can you have more than one??

 

I want to be able to have 2 x My Music folders in Tidal, as at £20 per month it is not good to have more than one account per household. Think Tidal are missing something here?

[ckpiv]

ejlif- agree plus you can't shuffle the queue and it either plays same song more than once or just stops playing and you have to restart it.

 

I just made a test playlist and added a bunch of Master Albums in the Tidal App on OS X. Have over 200 tracks , no 99 track limit and they they do shuffle?

[bobbmd]

ckpiv- that is exactly what i did i have done i have made 3 long playlists one of all the grateful dead masters then 2 others of various other artists these eventually transfer over to ROON and to A2+ and altho they don't show up as MASTERS per se they sound excellent via ME2 or Schiit FULLA AND for all you out there who are reading this A2+ ver 2.6.6 now plays thru ME2 i fiddled and fiddled and found in order for music to play thru you had to go to preferences on A2+ in audio filters change the converter and change from iZotrope 64 bit src to Apple core audio and bingo it works

[tboooe]

OK i just signed up for Tidal and am I missing something or does it it not actually have personalized recommendations? I think it used to?

[realhifi]

OK i just signed up for Tidal and am I missing something or does it it not actually have personalized recommendations? I think it used to?

 

You're not missing it. They don't. Not sure if they ever did but I can't recall them having it since I've been using it.

[rodrigaj]

OK i just signed up for Tidal and am I missing something or does it it not actually have personalized recommendations? I think it used to?

I have been a Tidal subscriber since its introduction into the USA market, pre JayZ. I can never recall Tidal as ever having had personalized recommendations.

 

Their notifications showing "new" artist, "new" albums, staff picks, playlists, videos, etc., have never reflected my streaming choices or My Music lists. Since I only listen to classical music, these are of no interest to me.

 

Given that they have the data, I can only surmise that they lack the marketing and software knowhow to implement this.

[DanSmedra]

OK i just signed up for Tidal and am I missing something or does it it not actually have personalized recommendations? I think it used to?

 

That's a Pandora feature, 400 unique music identifiers and algorithms which help customize you listening preferences. At $4 @ month, I couldn't live without both.

 

TIDAL does have Radio Stations based on the Artist, but it drifts/struggles rather quickly. Also My Music for Artist/Album favorite collections feature.

 

 

Try out Echo Nest for an array of identifiers and code plugins.

 

http://static.echonest.com/labs/demo.htm

[serendipitydawg]

Anyone noticing issues with the upgrade to Tidal Desktop that was pushed out today?

 

Reason I ask is that as soon as I had "upgraded" I started getting [h=1]Dependency MFREADWRITE.DLL Is Missing[/h]and an invitation to go to a Microsoft page and download something.This I did to no avail. Never seen this until todays "update"

 

I reverted to the previous version ( which I had fortuitously saved) and the music flowed.

 

Before raising a support ticket (which by all accounts is a waste of time) I would be much appreciative of any insight more knowledgable souls might be able to offer. TIA

[AudGuy]

The two machines that I listen to Tidal on are now both playing MASTER files properly, something that has not happened up until today. And I must say, the sound is really very good now. WOW, thank you Tidal !!!

 

I am not sure what they did, but now the playback settings that I have selected remain selected when a Master track is played, instead of reverting back to System Default settings which always resulted in just average audio.

 

On my non-MQA DAC playback is now showing at 96KHz instead of 44KHz, I think they have fixed MQA playback.

 

Tidal version is now: 2.1.3.226 (W:2.0.3--6) (NP:2.3.25)