Amarra For TIDAL HIFI with iRC Present and Future.

[Melvin]

After a recent decision to reinstate my TIDAL subscription, the quest for the ever-subjective "best sounding" implementation was on. Already in possession of a license for ASw/iRC and sQ+, the obvious was to test the A4T waters. First I needed to play (so to speak) so I tried these various TIDAL implementations:

 

1. iOS app streaming to ATV2
   
2. iOS app streaming to my Mac via Airfoil
   
3. the basic Chrome browser and sQ+ combination
   
4. iPhone 4S (via CCK) direct connection to DAC
   
5. the TIDAL desktop and sQ+ combination
   

#5 was easily my favorite, followed by #1 (believe it or not). #3 sounded quite good but would not play nice with iRC engaged. #4 sounded good but was somewhat inconvenient.

 

Then Sonic Studio sent me an offer for A4T I couldn't resist. No contest. Hands down winner. There is just something so seductive about the Amarra sound and with iRC engaged, it's just .. fantastic. A4T has played without stutter or glitch and simply works better than #5 on my list. This makes TIDAL a keeper for me.

 

 

afterthought: hopefully the iOS remote arrives soon.

[Melvin]

Hi Richard,

 

The overlap with sQ+ which you mention is something that gave me pause initially. After all, why spend more than one has to, no? An overlap exists but the tight integration gives A4T a very noticeable edge over sQ+ used in combination with another app. The good part is sQ+ is still a most useable app for me. I will continue to use it in conjunction with iTunes, for example, which I use mainly for it's radio streams. It's all good. For us.

[Melvin]

Thanks for sharing Richard.

 

The newsletter arrived in my inbox late last night and I'm happy for the news. That being said (sorry for being a touch negative here), an issue I have with Sonic Studio is their penchant for either releasing no news at all or news of more wait-time for a promised product and/or product update. They never seem to meet their release goals (a November release was the last I read for the iOS app). Happy? Almost. I'll be much happier when they actually release the products.

[Melvin]

Richard .. I hope to be dining on crow in a day or two (or at least enjoying a TIDAL wave of cheer by the end of the year). Peace. Happy Hanukkah.

[Melvin]

Thanks for the heads-up Richard. Downloaded the update. Paid the price of admission for the remote. Dealt with the clusterfu*k that Sonic Studio refers to as "authentication" (which always has to be repeated 3 or 4 times) and finally was able to enjoy some actual music. You were right .. it was worth the wait! The sound quality is, of course, gorgeous. The remote is very nicely done and is well worth the added cost. In fact, I like it much more than the Mac app. It was a long wait and I'm happy they delivered a refined product. It may not be perfect but it's really quite nice.

[Melvin]

Hello Melvin,

 

I am truly happy to read your findings and appreciate that you validated my sincere wishes that our wait for the new build and the ARA, while frustrating, was worth it. I also agree with your assessment of the sound quality. I subscribe to TIDAL HIFI, and depending on the production quality of what's streaming, through the Amarra engine with iRC, I often forget I am listening to TIDAL HIFI streaming. I also concur with your assessment of the ARA and its present state of development which as you discovered is better than Apple's Remote App. There's more to look forward to.

 

You might find this amusing: I got so excited at the release of the build and ARA, I bought the program twice. Once in 2015, as A4T 1.0 and tonight/last night A4T 2.0 before realizing what I had done. I need to clean that up and just pay the difference for the ARA, which I wouldn't do without and is well worth the small fee. I can understand that a person would feel entitled to the remote app without charge given I never argue with perception. But I believe the ARA is worth the fee; and further that it is fair to charge for the development of a remote app that did not exist beforehand and was developed by Sonic Studio for use with not only A4T but for AsQ+ in the future; and, I'll just stop there.

 

I am sorry you had issues with the authentication routine. 3 or 4 times? What is it that causes some member users issues and for me it was a glide. Not being critical, merely offering a contrast frame. I just entered the information required once and voila. But everyone's system is different. And I am glad you're now up and playing music and now enjoying A4T and the ARA.

 

Overall, I agree with your assessment of A4T & ARA. Thank you for acknowledging that. It helps others for you to share your experience so that others can consider another member's experience apart from my own sharing.

 

There's more to come. And gazing into my crystal ball, I see a Melvin smiling about the future of, oh, it's gone now. Oh well...

 

Best,

Richard

 

You paid for it again? HAHAHA .. I laugh because I nearly did that myself! I'm encouraged about the future with the Amarra product line. Oh, that pesky authentication process (or re-authentication) .. I don't know, it always works eventually but that 10 or 15 minutes of frustration seems like hours

[Melvin]

Richard,

 

So different is my assessment of Amarra for TIDAL (w/iRC) from yours, at times I think we must be using completely different builds. Like you, I think the sound quality is outstanding .. the best. I would expect nothing less from Sonic Studio and is why I keep coming back for more. I am a fan. Such a fan that I have a license for 3 of their products (Symphony w/iRC, for TIDAL, and sQ+).

 

Yes, we tolerate the various “peccadillos”, albeit not always so small, because we love the sound. I’ll give Sonic Studio credit for quashing some annoyances (the program does seems a bit more stable), but it’s still a kludgy mess IMO. The whole idea that we must scan the entire TIDAL library is just one example. The remote, which is the sole reason I purchased this license, still can’t seem to remember its pairing and cover art is so blurry on my iPhone 6 when it finally loads the library (if at all), it gives me a headache. It’s a mess and the whole kit and caboodle has been deleted yet again. I will revist in the future but for now will continue to use the TIDAL desktop app in conjunction with Amarra sQ+ w/iRC and the Splashtop VNC app on my iPad Air (which works flawlessly).

 

Truly, I wish I had a better report. Peace.

[Melvin]

snip ...

 

Mess? Whole kit and caboodle deleted? What the caboodle does that mean, Melvin? Your database is kaput? I may be responding to the wrong interpretation of what you are communicating, but I have never lost the whole kit and caboodle ever. I thought with the beta build for 1242 some favorites were missing but they weren't.

 

Sorry I wasn't clear. I mean that I deleted Amarra for TIDAL from my Mac and the remote from my iPhone.

[Melvin]

Richard,

 

I’m a bit confused as to the purpose of this thread. Is it not a resource of information for us, the users of Amarra for TIDAL? You, being the OP and curator of this thread have every right to steer it in the direction of your choosing. But do you only desire good reports? Should we not feel free to share our negative experience? I believe the experience of every single individual who posts here adds to the collective. Good, bad, and everything in between. Now, that’s not to say this should become a bitch-fest either. Bashing Sonic Studio is neither helpful nor appropriate. It is always a hope of mine Sonic Studio will come by and read some of our reports which, as you know, are from a diverse bunch of music lovers with diverse hardware. Hopefully it paints a more complete picture for them, illuminating some rough spots.

 

I follow and participate in this thread not only for your generous contributions but also for others. I hope other users come here for the same reasons. I hope my sharing here is understood exactly as intended. I have no interest in bashing Sonic Studio but no doubt my frustration is palpable (i.e., I’ve deleted the program and remote from my Mac and iPhone). I want Sonic Studio to succeed. I want them to excel. I want them to innovate.

 

As to my initial post for this build:

 

Kludgy? Let's go point by point. What's your beef with that. roon provides a forced rescan when needed. Don't scan then. I do it because it helps to keep the organization of the program in keeping up with the ever-changing additions, deletions (darn them when they remove my favorites because the licensing changes). But, this is not a critique of your feelings about scanning. I get it.

 

Yes, kludgy. The whole program in fact .. the UI, the scanning, and the pairing with the remote. Seems a scan is necessary for the remote to populate as well.

 

Can't remember pairing? Yes it can. But under certain circumstances, a new 4-digit code is generated. But once it is paired, the program remembers that code and should relaunch the ARA from then on until something changes. Even if it generates a new 4-digit code, that should be transparent to the operation. I noticed this on my iPhone and on my iPad Air 2. Next time I launch A4THIFI on my iPad Air 2, even if a new code is generated, the ARA and program will pair automatically. That's my experience, Melvin, with both iPhone and iPad Air 2.

 

I’m happy for your good fortune with the remote. For me, it never remembers the pairing .. iPhone or iPad Air. Never.

 

Admittedly, I don't use my iPhone for A4THIFI nor for roon's remote app (as opposed to remote client). And on the iPad Air 2, the graphics are fine. Come on over and let me show you. I understand that some members employ their iPhone instead. Sorry it gives you a headache. Doesn't bother me a bit. But you're entitled to get a headache if that is your experience. So I have no intentions of making your assessment wrong. Merely offering a contrast frame.

 

While you may only glance at artwork briefly, I am looking through the library for my next selection. Keep in mind my system is headless and I use my iDevices exclusively .. I need clarity, not headache inducing blurry cover art.

 

So, members, every experience I describe is my actual and unfettered use of the new build that performs without incident. Looks good on my iPad Air 2. Cover art graphically is not a magazine level resolution, but good enough to appreciate the cover art for the time I spend looking at it, and that's about in a flash in time, when my attention goes to what's playing and what's playing is truly excellent in sound quality for a streaming program.

 

Yes, you keep mentioning this. I wish I could say the same.

 

Just want to thank Melvin for taking the time to post his assessment. And, as I always admonish, it's not what I find, it's what you find and how you feel about what you find. Always check it out for yourselves.

 

Thank you Richard. Peace.

 

Melvin

[Melvin]

Richard,

 

Wow, I did not see that coming nor do I understand this vehemence. Your reaction to my post, my supposed implication of discrediting you, etc. is just .. I’m flabbergasted Richard. You’ve read something into my post which I assure you was not there but, as you seem quite convinced, I won’t try to change your mind. An apology? I think you owe me one sir. Peace.

 

Melvin