Shall I upgrade to Spotify Premium?

[grantr77]

Current setup - MacBook Pro streaming Spotify (free version) via Airfoil to Airport Express connected to Arcam Amp with 3.5mm jack to RCA cable.

 

I realise with Airfoil and no-DAC set-up the quality of my system isn't exactly top-end but would upgrading to Spotify Premium to get the 320kbs bit rate noticeably improve quality? I don't have an iPhone and ads don't bother me too much so only advantage to paying £9.99 is the CD quality streaming.

 

Thanks for feedback.

 

[Audio_ELF]

Can't you get Spotify Premium for a trial period. You really need to try it and decide for yourself if the £9.99 is worth it. At the worst you have to pay for a month I think.

 

Actually I've now checked - you can have a "premium" day pass for 99p

 

My gut feeling is that maybe the £9.99 a month you spend over a year might be better saved and spent on a Beresford DAC or similar. Depends how much you use Spotify and how much you use your own extracted CDs.

 

Eloise

 

[grantr77]

Hi Eloise,

 

You gave me advice on my set-up a month or so ago, really pleased with the Spotify AE Airfoil set-up, been listening to TONS of music, thanks.

 

A good idea about the day pass, didn't think of that, will give it a go. Essentially though as I understand it your belief is that the quality will be much better to use standard Spotify but with DAC in the mix rather than no DAC ad 320kbs upgrade?

 

You mentioned the Beresford before, I believe it retails for around £150, any others in that range I should look at or is that well rated generally?

 

Cheers, Grant

 

[grantr77]

Just checked, unfortunately day pass doesn't give access to higher bit rate "Day pass does not give access to premium features such as mobile and higher bit rate. To get access to premium features, please buy Spotify Premium" so looks like I may have to join up for a month and see how it goes, no big deal. V interested in the DAC route so still welcome comments on budget DAC for my set up.

 

[souptin]

The feature that convinced me to go premium on spotify was the offline playback on the ipod spotify app. Which I love, but without that I'd be quite happy with the free ad supported version - the other premium extras like higher bitrate, no ads and 'exclusives' I can take or leave.

 

So add my vote to the save up for a dac column - I suspect you'll get better sound from dac and the lower spotify bitrate than from analog airport with premium. (Though to be fair I have not done the comparison)