Official TIDAL HIFI Streaming Issues Thread

[Acesn8s]

                                                           Is the problem just TIDAL, or is it streaming MQA over TIDAL?

 

We all work from a statistically insignificant sample size, typically, our personal system, maybe with a different DAC swapped in, so it's impossible for one listener to know the cause of what's currently wrong with streaming TIDAL. And those of us who have followed TIDAL Support's instructions, like switching my hard-wired >60 Mbps ethernet connection to Google 8.8.8.8., know that they are at best clueless.

 

Yes, concurrence does not equal causation. But I experiened no issues streaming TIDAL HiFI using their PC app through a dedicated Dell Inspirion into a TEAC UD-503 DAC from the week TIDAL entered the US market until they added the first few hundred  MQA flles last January and I immediately experienced periodic stuttering and slowing down of Master tracks...but not yet of CD quality files. Apparently, that experience was not universal. However, when TIDAL started adding MQA material from the Universal library during August this board and similar forums began to light up with complaints about dropouts, skippped tracks and hangups on Masters files and on CD quality music.

 

Early laudatory reviews of MQA typically worked off physical media, not streaming. So I pose this question: is there a technical problem with pushing MQA files within a 16/44k stream and unwrapping them to 24/96k in a personal computer that overwhelms the processor and leads to the now ubiquitous issues reported in this thread? 

 

And if so, how will Deezer or any other service streaming MQA deal with this?

 

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

I hesitate to say I have fixed my problem, but switching to either Google DNS or OpenDNS has  so far worked.

[left channel]

Within the last six months I started getting hangups on HiFi as well as "Master" tracks, and it's happening more often this month. The problem usually occurs just before a new track begins, but sometimes in the middle of a track. It's very annoying.

The play/pause button is replaced by the spinning icon, and the only way to get things started again is to click on another track, then go back to the track I want.

Tidal app, Windows 10, wired Ethernet, 180 Mbps Comcast connection. Rather than spend time on DNS or etc., I'd rather just try a different streaming service.

[AudioDoctor]

DNS took all of 2 minutes.

[left channel]

Well. If you're going to question my manhood. OK, I set up OpenDNS, flushed, tested, all A-OK. All websites and Internet radio working fine. Opened the Tidal app, tried to play a track, and... nothing.

 

Just the wheel spinning again. I selected a different album, clicked the first track, and again nothing but the spinning wheel, and by that I don't mean Blood, Sweat & Tears. (Well, mine maybe. Lower case.)

 

I restarted Windoze, opened Tidal, and tried the same tracks again. Although there was a longer-than-normal spinning of the wheel again, the music did begin to play. Still testing.

[left channel]

Aaaand after less than an hour, it's stuck in the middle of an album again. HiFi, not MQA. On OpenDNS. Sigh. 

[JMD54]

All that talk about DNS settings and updated apps is just smoke and mirrors until they decide which of three courses they are going to take.  I am cancelling mine at the end of this subscription month and will "survive" with the other two major services.  MQA was never that big a deal with the current catalogue so I will wait to see if they decide to spend the money to fix their problems or take one of the other two available avenues.  

[left channel]

Yes, we can survive without it. Tonight I signed up for Qobuz from the USA, via VPN through a UK server. After payment, as expected VPN has not been necessary to run the desktop or mobile apps, or to play it through UAPP.

The desktop app has been streaming without a hitch for hours. The Android app is nice too, and Qobuz is particularly well-integrated into UAPP. It's also nice to have another Hi-Res download store available, though I mostly stream.

I like the suggested music and other content better too. That said, to my ears so far it seems only the 24/96 and 25/192 tracks there can compete with the sound of Tidal HiFi or Masters, and many are lower-res. But this is a great service, their Hi-Res library is growing, and hey: it works.

[AudioDoctor]

14 hours ago, left channel said:

Well. If you're going to question my manhood. OK, I set up OpenDNS, flushed, tested, all A-OK. All websites and Internet radio working fine. Opened the Tidal app, tried to play a track, and... nothing.

 

Just the wheel spinning again. I selected a different album, clicked the first track, and again nothing but the spinning wheel, and by that I don't mean Blood, Sweat & Tears. (Well, mine maybe. Lower case.)

 

I restarted Windoze, opened Tidal, and tried the same tracks again. Although there was a longer-than-normal spinning of the wheel again, the music did begin to play. Still testing.

 

I wasn't aware I had questioned your manhood or anything else.

[left channel]

12 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

I wasn't aware I had questioned your manhood or anything else.

 

Dude. I was joking.

[left channel]

After a few hours of Qobuz listening, I finally experienced skips on three tracks in a row. Two on the first one, one each on the next two. Just quick short gaps similar to a record skipping. Then back to perfect for the next hour, with no fixes or clicking around required. I paused it overnight, and started it again in the middle of a track. It's been perfect again for another hour this morning, coasting through a great-sounding 24/96 jazz playlist. So still nothing like our struggles with Tidal.

[AudioDoctor]

I am sorry the DNS did not fix your problem.  It seems to have done so for me.

[left channel]

Thanks for encouraging me to try changing the DNS. Although I haven't yet done a statistically valid randomized number of testing sessions with the competing service, I've already done far more than a consumer should be expected to do, and it certainly does seem this is Tidal's problem not ours.

[calloway]

With the latest Lumin upgrade there is almost no stuttering ....I have listened the last 3 nights and the hiya morning and none at all.there still is a lag ....but improved....in the time between tracks,however but the stuttering has all but disappeared.

[left channel]

1 hour ago, calloway said:

With the latest Lumin upgrade there is almost no stuttering ....I have listened the last 3 nights and the hiya morning and none at all.there still is a lag ....but improved....in the time between tracks,however but the stuttering has all but disappeared.

 

Almost no stuttering, but there still is some? Please describe how it sounds.

 

Still streaming Qobuz and haven't had further skips/stuttering on the Windows app since the small cluster mentioned above. Tidal was stopping in the middle of every album or two here yesterday.

[realhifi]

Never had one issue with Tidal. I do however access it through Roon so maybe it’s in the interface or something. 

[Guest Same problem. dropouts multiplied lately]

I have had the same problems with Tidal since MQA.

First it was only drop outs and skips with MQA titles.

update last month seemed to help a lot. Then they added a ton of MQA title.

Now MQA dropouts are more frequent and it is regular hifi tracks also!

 

Windows 10 pc with Tidal desktop app. Letting Tidal app decode MQA.

(fidelize seems to help a bit maybe)

 

So it has to be a problem with their storage/servers/etc.

They really need to fix this or the cancellations will overwhelm them

 

Really a shame b/c the MQA sounds amazing, but the dropouts are infuriating.

[realhifi]

Again, running Tidal through Roon interface into a whole house system (Sonos) with zero dropouts and no issues. When I run it straight [Tidal+Roon] from a Windows PC into USB Dac I also am experiencing no issues and it really does sound great. 

Bummer that folks are having issues because it really is a wonderful interface and pretty damn good streaming service on top of it!

 

listening to Freddie Hubbards “First Light”out on the patio from Tidal and it sounds great even coming out of some all weather speakers mo7nted up under the eaves of the house. 

[AudioDoctor]

After changing my DNS setting on my iMac to either Google or OpenDNS, using A+ and TIDAl I have also not had a single problem.  In fact 16/44 files are downloading completely into memory and playing as fast as a locally sourced album gets into memory completely and plays.

[left channel]

What I'm gathering from these posts is that people using the Tidal app experience far more problems than people playing Tidal though third-party software or hardware products.

[Ski Bum]

I wonder if this is geographic.  I live on Long Island, NY.  I am able to stream MQA (24/96) reliably without stuttering from the TIDAL desktop app running on a MacBook Pro, but I have to use a USB connection between my laptop and my upsampler/DAC  (rather than my usual hardwired ethernet network) because the TIDAL desktop app will not output to the network (even if it did, Apple Airplay would probably downsample it).  I have no trouble running Roon on the network, so I am looking forward to Roon integrating TIDAL/MQA decoding.

[left channel]

Could be geography. Could also be that Mac users have fewer problems with the Tidal app than Windoze users. 

It also could be true that the vast majority of Tidal users have no problem at all, as they'd not be motivated to seek out a thread like this. (Such is the nature of internet forums in general...) Also, I suspect the vast majority of Tidal users are on mobile apps, and have never heard the word "audiophile".  :-)

I've yet to experience a freeze or even a long pause in the Qobuz app for Windows.

[JMD54]

It is geography plus time of day.  If you are someone who basically streams Tidal during what would be considered "standard work hours" your chances of disruption are slim.  I have found the problems occur most frequently between 8 pm and 12 am EST.  when most subscribers are home from work and listening. Also the problems seem to be less frequent in "major markets" like those with NFL,NBA, MLB franchises.  Areas out from those hubs seem to have more problems just like used to be the case for all cell phone service.  

[Abtr]

Since the latest update of the (Windows 7) Tidal app I experience a digital anomaly/glitch that is clearly audible through speakers or headphones, at about a second after the start of *each* individual track! It's getting very, very annoying. Does anybody recognize this? (I live in the Netherlands..)

[realhifi]

On 9/25/2017 at 12:15 PM, left channel said:

Could be geography. Could also be that Mac users have fewer problems with the Tidal app than Windoze users. 

It also could be true that the vast majority of Tidal users have no problem at all, as they'd not be motivated to seek out a thread like this. (Such is the nature of internet forums in general...) Also, I suspect the vast majority of Tidal users are on mobile apps, and have never heard the word "audiophile".  :-)

I've yet to experience a freeze or even a long pause in the Qobuz app for Windows.

Not a Mac user here and use the Windows Tidal desktop app intermittently when I want the fuller MQA playback and have same experience as when I use it with Roon. No issues, no dropouts or freezing and it’s on a tiny little Windows computer that just runs and runs with no issues whatsoever.