Official Qobuz Issues Thread

[Ropet]

I don’t know if this is an API question, a question for Lumin or Quboz. 
 

I started my subscription with Quboz. It works excellent except that I have an issue with sorting favourites in Lumin U1 Mini. The appear to sort in a random order. I want them to be sorted in alphabetic order by Artist followed by Album Titel. This works with my own files but not with the favourites I selected in Lumin.

 

Is there a solution to this?

[Ropet]

On 4/19/2021 at 9:04 AM, Ropet said:

I don’t know if this is an API question, a question for Lumin or Quboz. 
 

I started my subscription with Quboz. It works excellent except that I have an issue with sorting favourites in Lumin U1 Mini. The appear to sort in a random order. I want them to be sorted in alphabetic order by Artist followed by Album Titel. This works with my own files but not with the favourites I selected in Lumin.

 

Is there a solution to this?

@David Craff I repeat this question and hope for an answer. This worked with Tidal but obviously not with Quboz. At least not yet (which has been confirmed by Lumin). I hope you will look into this. Here’s how the random order looks today. (I had no answer from your customer support, unfortunately).

 

[Ropet]

8 hours ago, hopkins said:

It's not rocket science. 

I agree, I think it is worse than that. There are open standards and closed ones an there are "thousands" of users/apps/programs and needs that should work and co-exist within the same frames that is available with all individual requests and needs. I have some respects to this. What is linked to Qobuz and not I don't know but I'm sure they work on the issues. They have my full support on this as the value of having real hi-res music files are higher than temporary hickups. 

 

I only use high res Qobuz in my HiFi gear via Lumïn app and from my android cellphone via bluetooth (MP3 or CD) in my garden and in my car. I can't see any differences between new and old app versions. Apparently there are many other ways to use it.

Lumïn had issues for years to run their app with Android. After trying on several Android plattforms I gave up and bought an iPad. This year Lumïn launched a new Android app and now it seems to work, at least for my need. 

[Ropet]

49 minutes ago, 111MilesToGo said:

hints across the web that record companies currently are asking for more and improved piracy protection by the streaming sites - ”asking“ to be read as ”forcing“.

I'm not clear on what gear all this is about but I guess it is when people only use laptops or phones as their main equipment, or? I do so as well in my garden and in my car where I connect my phone (Sony Experìa 10 Android v11) over bluetooth for background music. So far not a single issue.

 

When talking to my friends that mainly stream over Lumïn, Aries, dCS, Innous, Marantz (with or without Roon) they have not experienced any drawbacks either. So I can't help thinking if there are special combinations with gear that are problematic. Or could it be that those brands I mention have extra features with "piracy protection"? If so I think we should be informed from the record companies and the streaming industry. If it is a new attempt of conspiracy theory and fake news, this should be condemned.

 

 

[Ropet]

5 hours ago, OldHardwareTech said:

No matter what kind of copy protection that's developed someone will devise a method of bypassing it.

Auralic has already done this in their Aries serie. They call MQA high resolution of compressed MP3. They have no agreement with MQA but offer unfoldning their own way. I guess it is only the first fold like Roon. 

[Ropet]

3 hours ago, Talisman said:

Please don't recommend that I contact Qobuz whenever a track or album or artist drops off the service. That would be my new full-time job!

I switched to Qobuz for two reasons. One is that I can’t accept MQA (”high res MP3” as some call it) and the other is that my music is better represented at Qobuz. When I left Tidal they had no or very few albums by Neil Young and Frank Zappa. (Maybe this have changes?) On Qobuz I found most of them and also in 24/96. 
 

As far as I understand it is the recordcompanies that provide albums to both Tidal and Qobuz, not the other way around. Maybe you should contact them? 

[Ropet]

2 hours ago, left channel said:

And I believe the UK prices are the same numbers with "£" in place of "$".

How are the prices presented in US today? When I lived there 2006-2008 the prices in US was always excluding taxes/VAT as they differs between states. In Europe prices should always include taxes/VAT on consumer level which normally are around 20-25 % in Europe that is added in all consumer goods and services. 

[Ropet]

Have you tried "exklusive" mode to avoid Windows and the laptop to interfere in THE soundstream?

[Ropet]

25 minutes ago, starace said:

Glad that it works fine for many.

When I reed the issues some have, I start wondering what the optimum solution for Qobuz connection is? Personally I run Qobuz via a router and an ethernet network to a Lumin U1Mini and then a dac, for streaming and from a NAS for my own files.

 

In my garden and in my car I stream from my cellphone via Bluetooth (up to 16/44,1 but in my car max MP3). I never hade any failures (yet). It should be interesting to se a flowchart from Qobuz what kind of option the software is build for. Can it also be regional differences? Most of my friends in Scandinavia has switched to Qobuz and we are surprised over the bad experiences some are facing. 

[Ropet]

@David Craff Now Lumïn has added a very welcome feature where you can read the pdf booklet on the screen, se images below. At the same I notice that many albums do not include the booklet. Is that due to music companies do not include it or is that linked to your workload and selection?

 

Just curious to know for my understanding.

 

 

[Ropet]

13 hours ago, athegn said:

In the City of Lights (Live) Sarah Vaughan

It is available in Scandinavia.

[Ropet]

9 minutes ago, sevoflurane said:

Certainly, there are lots of reports of people purchasing downloads via Qobuz ending up with the same issue, whereas people who have bought downloads via HDTracks haven’t been affected.

HD Tracks is an American company, Qobuz is European. I’m not surprised if this could make difference just like it was before the dowload/streaming area with different masters and releases between continents, especially with vinyl but sometimes also CD’s.

[Ropet]

When I left Tidal it was mainly because of I did not want to support MQA which I think is a move backwards. Standards should not be owned by someone, especially not by private companies in my view. In top of this, why fix anything, like HD pcm that works?

 

Secondly "my music" is better represented by Qobuz (jazz and classical), at least then. And I can also buy (download) my absolute favorites in high res att very competive price with Sublime+. My own top favourites I want to secure in my own library "forever" like my old vinyl.

 

It also works without any issues in my setup (Lumin app and Network bridge + separata dac). So did Tidal, but it is enough with one of them.

[Ropet]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I deleted half of my offline albums

Maybe this has impact. I never make any offline downloads in my iPad. I just use it for the Lumin app plus reading news and forums. I have no delays with Qobuz. It is like push play on a CD player.

[Ropet]

13 hours ago, rando said:

Issuing label provided the files and metadata.

This is very true. I still like to download my absolute favourites. I want to "own" my best music and make sure it will be available "forever". The quality and/or structure on metadata on downloadedor ripped files is also a djungle. I'm sure if Qobuz should introduce their own structure, it will devide users with other views. Some examples:

 

1. The Artist on classical music is very wild. A Beethoeven Piano Concerto sometimes have Beethoven as artist. For me he is the composer. Or it could have the soloist as artist, the orchestre or the conductor. Sometimes all three. There is not a common or one way. I always tag classical music with the conductor as the main Artist. On the title I always add the composer like "Beethoven: Piano Concerto No....". I also use the Composer tag.

 

2. Jazz recordings also have a spread of different ways. A recording of Art Pepper Quartet coild be tagged as "Art Pepper" or "Art Pepper Quartet". Sometimes it could be tagged with all members as Artist. I always tag Art Pepper as the "Artist" independently if it is a quartet, quintet or whatever format to have a clear structure.

 

3. "Genre" is also wild. For classical music the tag could vary like "Classical", "Classique", "Chamber Music" and so on. I only use "Classical". Also for jazz music the tags could be different like "jazz", "Contemporary", "Piano trio" etc. Sometimes it is empty.

 

4. "Year" is also an area of differences. Most common is the actual release year for the downloaded album, other times it is the first release year or recording year. I re-tag to the recording year.

 

There is no standard so it is not surpricing that the tags in Qobuz (or Tidal) does differ from my own standard. I use my own standard and structure in orde to have order in my library and find what I'm looking for. I do not say it is the best but it is a structure I'm happy with. The more albums you have the higher demand for good order if you want to have controll of your albums.

[Ropet]

In Sweden it is OK to stream Runnin’ Down A Dream in pcm 24/48

 

 

… but not Bob’s Back Pages and ”Southern Soul” and maybe some others. I have not checked all of them. Lucinda Williams I normally buy as downloads.

 

[Ropet]

19 hours ago, steveoat said:

I notice that most older releases do not have pdf booklets.  Any chance this can be improved

This has been on the agenda previously. You can read about it here including reply from Qobuz:

 

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/46611-official-qobuz-issues-thread/?do=findComment&comment=1162967

[Ropet]

11 hours ago, Stereo said:

When I search for Ronnie Earl or Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters nothing comes up.

 

Strange. I see many albums on both names egen I do the search.

 

[Ropet]

35 minutes ago, Talisman said:

This downside is more so Qobuz than the others. That's well-documented.

Maybe you are right generally speaking but not for me. Is it because I live in Europe(?). I switched from Tidal to Qobuz due to lack of ”my” artists in Tidal. Examples at that time were Zappa and Neil Young and quite some classical labels. How this looks today I can’t say. On Qobuz i found them and often in real Hi-Res instead of the private MQA bastard standard.
 

That albums will disappear is not surprising in my view. This was also the case when we bought physical albums. They became sold out or out of print. I think it is naive to believe that ”everything” will be available forever. 
 

One good thing about Qobuz is that you can buy your most important favourites as files at very competive price using the Sublime subscription. After 4-5 downloads the extra cost is covered. Important music albums I want to have in my own NAS. The streaming is a great service to find them

[Ropet]

3 hours ago, Talisman said:

And don't come at me with the "other services lose music, too"

Why so upset? Go for the service you like the most. That is what I did and I'm happy with that. Life is full of compromises.

[Ropet]

9 minutes ago, Talisman said:

 

 

10 minutes ago, Talisman said:

When anyone asks for an improvement of an issue (on an "Issues" thread, no less), a subset of people have to pop up and say that if you don't like it, go elsewhe

I understand that. When Qobuz started the stronghold was their catalogue of classical music and jazz. Since then they have become stronger also with more popular hit music but not in the same level as Spotify and Tidal. Quboz is also quite strong on local charts.

 

How much this is an effect of Quboz or an effect that music companies prefer the others, I can't say. Whatever reason, you can't win 'em all. Let's hope that Qobuz explains the situation instead of speculate.

 

One could also be upset on why only Qobuz go for real Hi-Res and Tidal for MQA. Its fine with me. I chose the one honoring HiRes.

[Ropet]

I checked out the new feature My weekly Q today. Has it really gone live yet?
 

It seems the function is more ”artificial” then ”intelligence” so far. I buy and stream around 70% jazz, 25% classical and 5% ”others”. ”My Weekly Q” then recommend 1 classical and 1 jazz piece. The rest is completey out of my radar like proposals for Johnny Cash, Rammstein, Beyoncé and the likes. 
 

So far it gives no added value to me.

[Ropet]

I guess this this is a question between generations. My grandchildren is far away from my childhood in all aspects. To get them change their lifestyle and preferences to the one I grow up with will never succeed. It was the same with my generation growing up in the 50’s/60’s. We marked a big ”No thank you” for almost everything that came from our parent generation.

 

Personally I have no need for any app ”telling” me what to listen to. This is a search I manage myself in music magazine, from dedicated music channels in radio and from friends. It works well on my music (classical and jazz) and it keep up a social life with people I know and new friends I meet. I have no app for my turntable or tape recorders either. 2-3 years ago I erased FB and Twitter from my account. I still use Instagram for my family and closest friend and Internet. For the rest I use SMS, phone and e-mails which I think is enough. Apps and programs like Roon is not for me. I hate recommendations and/or fingerpointing based on that all my steps in life is watched by someone else who want to take controll of or influence my life. Messages like ”How did your find your shopping at X today? - Please answer the survey and win a weekend in Copenhagen” - I hate it. 
 

On the other side, I’m retired and I will not set the agenda for the future. This is up to the new generations. I hope that they will find a good balance between Ai and human quality of life. As many times before, it offers opportunities as well as threats like the digital evolution so far. It has both ups and downs depending on who you are. A lot can and will happen that will also influence Ai. At least, this is what I think.