Official Qobuz Issues Thread

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

I was reluctant to create an account for yet another audio forum, but I guess if I have issues with Qobuz streaming then this is the place to go. I signed up for the free month trial a couple weeks ago after they lowered the price to $14.99 for the hi-res streaming. Liking it so far but there are some issues, which I've already reported to Qobuz and got replies from Sebastian about. Yet to be resolved, though...

 

The big one is that even though I am using WASAPI exclusive output to my Rega DAC which supports up to 192kHz audio (works fine with files of that rating when playing local library via JRiver Media Center USB exclusive WASAPI or ASIO), I cannot get proper playback of anything above 96 on the DAC. With 192 or 176.4 files in Qobuz, the sound is slowed down and mangled with digital noise. I tried changing my Qobuz output to the same DAC via ASIO and although it does play the files properly, it is not stable and the program keeps crashing and opening JRiver. So that won't work. It should work as long as JRiver which also has exclusive access to the same DAC is not running in the background, and I have verified that it is not running unless the app is launched and open on my Windows 10 desktop. I would like to be able to listen to the highest res files on my Qobuz app in their native bit depth and sampling rate, but for now I must set my Qobuz playback preferences to 96kHz so that if I play a file with higher sampling rate it does not sound like crap.

 

The other issues relate to playing playlists with varying sampling rates. Some songs in the list are 44.1, some are 96 or 88.2, and when it switches between different songs with different rates, it either upsamples or downsamples and does not play the file at the listed rate. Whereas the same file will play at the native resolution when playing it as part of the album. This needs to get fixed. While I most often like to listen to a full album, I would like to be able to listen to favorite songs or playlists with each track playing at the correct sampling rate.

 

The last issue is that sometimes the player hangs. It stops near the end of a song in an album and I have to manually skip ahead to the next song using the player on my desktop.

 

So let me know if these are known issues and if they're working on fixing any bugs or if there is anything i can do to get it to play right. I am not interested in trying the browser player or any method that doesn't give exclusive audio output to my DAC because shared mode with Windows processing the stream will not give me bit perfect playback at the native bit depths and sampling rates. Exclusive audio output is a must for me, it is why I decided not to try the new Amazon HD streaming service, they don't offer exclusive DAC output as an option.

 

I am pleased to say that the sound quality of 16/44 and 24/96 streaming via the Qobuz app is fantastically good, and I really want to keep this subscription going if they can get the bugs worked out. But I can only get that great performance when playing full albums on the Qobuz desktop app.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

5 hours ago, David Craff said:

Hi,

Did you try without other software that can manage the audio output, JRiver too... ?

 

I don't understand your question. With JRiver I can use either WASAPI or ASIO and get exclusive control of my Rega DAC that way. The Rega DAC is my primary DAC. I also use my OPPO 205 as a DAC with JRiver for playback of DSD files, with the ASIO driver selected. As a rule I use ASIO for both the Rega and OPPO in my JRiver settings. But I tried switching the Rega output in JRiver to WASAPI and then trying ASIO in Qobuz and it still fails. It may have something to do with the fact that the Rega DAC is my default DAC in Windows so it is used in shared mode unless I am playing music from JRiver or Qobuz. I tried the OPPO DAC in both WASAPI and ASIO options in Qobuz and it gave the same problems as the Rega. So what I want is to get the WASAPI exclusive output in the Qobuz app to work properly so I can play 192kHz streamed files in the DAC of my choosing (if it worked with the OPPO that's fine but the Rega is my DAC of choice for PCM playback).

 

EDIT: I went into the advanced audio properties in Windows and played around with the settings there, but to no avail. In Windows Control Panel under Sound > Manage Audio Devices > Rega DAC > Properties Advanced tab > Exclusive Mode there are two checkboxes and I have both checked: 1. Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device, and 2. Give exclusive mode applications priority. I tried unchecking the second box but it made no difference in Qobuz when trying to use ASIO or WASAPI. So as a rule and at present I have both those boxes checked. I've never had any issues in JRiver which gives me stable bit perfect playback in native resolution on either DAC, exclusive mode. I suppose if I took JRiver out of the equation then maybe I could get Qobuz to work but that is not an option since it is my player for my whole local library which constitutes the majority of my listening. Streaming is a totally new thing for me.

 

Regarding the Qobuz hanging at the end of a track (happens in playing full albums, or playlists), it only happens infrequently, not all the time. I have a fast and stable wifi internet connection. This doesn't happen so often that it is a big annoyance but it is an occasional issue.

 

Could any of the issues I'm experiencing have anything to do with buffering settings? I tried changing buffering settings in Qobuz to different settings and nothing seemed to make a difference.

 

Thanks for your replies.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

Also, does the Qobuz desktop app update automatically? I assume that is the case since I cannot find an option to check for updates. When I checked just now, I am running JS version 5.3.0-b0009 desktop version 5.3.0-b0005. I want to update to the new official version 5.0.4 but I asked Sebastian to put me on the Beta users list. I want to not be a Beta test user anymore and want to just stick with the official version and get the latest version on my Qobuz app. I just emailed Sebastian at Qobuz about this.

 

EDIT: Oops. I closed Qobuz and reopened it and it is now updating. It finished and now I am on JS version 5.0.4-b011 desktop version 5.0.4-b009. I will test out this new version today and report back with what I find.

 

Thanks again.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

I have figured out how the auto update process works in Qobuz desktop app, since making my post.

 

I don't know about starting a separate thread. I've typed at great length about this matter already on the Steve Hoffman Audio Hardware forum where I've got a lot of discussion from users, I've typed about it in this thread, I've typed about it in my private support request correspondence with Sebastian at Qobuz. I have a repetitive stress injury to my right hand and I am tired of typing!

 

I tried the new Qobuz version JS version 5.0.4-b011 desktop version 5.0.4-b009 and it is still playing files at the wrong sampling rate when playing from a playlist. 

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

7 hours ago, David Craff said:

This will be fixed in the next release, 5.4.0 launch today.

 

Sorry to say, I am using the newly released 5.4.0-b009 beta desktop version, just downloaded and installed today, and still having the same problems in playlist playback, variable sampling rates. I created a playlist with songs that alternate between 16/44 and 24/96 and it does not play them at the correct sampling rate, it is still either upsampling 44 to 96 or downsampling 96 to 44. Not fixed.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

Glad that David and Qobuz are listening to our complaints and requests and working on things (thanks, guys) but yeah, these various little issues can be frustrating and add up to diminished enjoyment of our discovery and listening experience. I have not noticed the above issue regarding search results but I have thought that this could be improved by adding tabs to the design, so you could click on anything in the search results and it would open in a new tab, while keeping the search page visible without having to hit the back button. I suppose that has already been suggested in the Qobuz feature requests thread (if not then it should be).

 

Streaming is a new thing for me. I've only been using Qobuz for three weeks now and I'm going to give it another month or two, and in the meantime I will check out Tidal for a couple months. It's amazing having instant access to so much music in hi-res or CD quality sound, but if I am running into too many obstacles and hurdles in the listening experience I may just give up the whole notion of streaming and go back to listening to my large local library in lossless sound on JRiver, where I have a stable playback environment without bugs or glitches that doesn't depend on internet performance either.

 

As it stands, with Qobuz I am limiting my listening to playing whole albums at a time, and the sound is spectacular and the only interruption is an occasional hiccup or the thing where it hangs at the end of a song and I need to manually advance to the next track. Annoying, and I'd like to be able to hear the music that is available in 24/192 resolution. If things don't improve in the next few weeks then I probably won't keep my subscription going. At least they are working on the problems...

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

1 hour ago, Polyglot said:

Just the other day I was listening to Wetz's Violin Concerto on streaming and it suffered from a jarring break between tracks where the movement flows seamlessly into the next one. For thirty years of listening to music on CD before the advent of streaming I never experienced this, or the interminable amount of frustration new technology has made possible for us.

 

I hear you on this. It seems that occasional anomalies like this are always going to be a problem with online music streaming, no matter what. Some services are better than others, for different reasons. With Qobuz, when I listen to a full album, so far I can count on a smooth listening experience, unlike Amazon HD Music where tracks on an album may be drawn from different versions, masters, with varying bitrates, etc. Still, there can be the sort of break between tracks you're describing. Definitely annoying.

 

I spent the better part of a year ripping my entire disc collection (CD, DVD-A, SACD, HDCD) to lossless uncompressed files, tagging all of it meticulously. Now I can keep the hard copies for looking at liner notes and such, but it is so much easier now finding and playing recordings in a software PC setup sent to external DAC and not only does it sound as good or better than playing the actual discs, it has the same rock solid playback performance of CD listening. JRiver Media Center has served me very well delivering audiophile quality playback of the music in my collection.

 

I'm resigned to accepting a certain amount of playback impediments with any streaming service, because for me the trade off is I'm getting access to a huge library of music I'd never be able to afford to purchase, and the ability to listen to different versions and compare masters without having to buy them. I will still be buying discs and downloads of the recordings I really want to return to and physical media is still the best way when it comes to having booklets and liner notes. If all digital music albums came with PDF booklets and artwork I could see downloads supplanting CDs for my needs. But today I went out and bought a new 6-CD box of the Hot Rats Sessions by Frank Zappa (not on Qobuz, sorry to say) and there is nothing to compare with the total experience of opening up a box with book and artwork and extensive notes and essays. Once I get the discs ripped I probably won't be playing them much, but it's great to have the packaging and everything that goes with it.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

2 hours ago, exdmd said:

We need to support Qobuz with the Amazon behemoth breathing down our necks. If you are annoyed at an occasional error on playback suggest you give the 15 day free trial of Audirvana player a go. It has always worked flawlessly with Qobuz for me.

 

Someone in another forum suggested this. What is your OS and setup? Are you on Windows 10? If I decide to stick with Qobuz then I might be willing to spend the $75 for Audirvana (haven't tried it yet but I need to do that). No way I am migrating my whole local library from JRiver to Audirvana given the amount of time I've invested in tweaking it all to my liking, so I'd be buying Audirvana solely for its Qobuz features and functions. But if you're saying Audirvana on a Mac is flawless, then it might not be the same with Windows.

 

2 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Based on my experience, your choice of a Windows 10 music server is likely going to disappoint you forever with problems like this. 

 

True enough, Windows is deserving of dismissive comments like yours. But a lot of us are still stuck in that environment (the vast majority of computer users, it's fair to say), so the software developers need to get their apps to work well in Windows if they're serious about expanding their market share. The audio apps I use regularly on my Windows 10 desktop perform well and dependably and so I would like the same from Qobuz.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Which apps?

 

JRiver Media Center 24. dBpoweramp CD Ripper and Music Converter. Audacity. CDBurnerXP. Mainly those four, I have some others I rarely use.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

19 minutes ago, Polyglot said:

I have been using Audirvana for a couple of months now and it has performed flawlessly for me. It fixed all of my issues with playback, both with Qobuz and Tidal. It is highly recommended software and worth the steep price. It has a month-free trial, so you could give it a try. I also use Windows 10 for playback.

 

This is what I want to hear, thanks! I'm the sort of consumer that likes to check out comments and reports by a broad base of audiophile users on the various forums before checking out new software, even when there's a free trial as is usually the case. Saved me from ever wasting my time with Amazon Music HD. I'll be checking out Audirvana in the very near future.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

I just installed Audirvana for Windows 10 and logged into Qobuz thru the Audirvana interface. Bingo! It is changing bit/sampling rates correctly for tracks of different resolution in my playlist, and Voila! I am now listening to 24/192 hi-res files of the 50th Anniversary mix of the Stones' Let It Bleed, streamed from Qobuz. No glitches, hangups or issues so far, and it sounds terrific! Thanks for the recommendation, people! I think I'll be paying for the licensed program for permanent use for sure, and keeping my Qobuz subscription going as well after the trial now that I've got past the initial hurdles.

 

So you can add Audirvana to my list of audio apps that work well in my Windows 10 setup. 😀

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

Six weeks ago I posted here about issues I was having with the Qobuz desktop app for Windows. I don't know how many updates to the app have been made since then, but the same problems remain. I would love to see them figure this out and fix it. Am I the only one using the Qobuz app for Windows that is having this issue? To review, I quote my original post:

 

Even though I am using WASAPI exclusive output to my Rega DAC which supports up to 192kHz audio (works fine with files of that rating when playing local library via JRiver Media Center USB exclusive WASAPI or ASIO), I cannot get proper playback of anything above 96 on the DAC. With 192 or 176.4 files in Qobuz, the sound is slowed down and mangled with digital noise. I tried changing my Qobuz output to the same DAC via ASIO and although it does play the files properly, it is not stable and the program keeps crashing and opening JRiver. So that won't work. It should work as long as JRiver which also has exclusive access to the same DAC is not running in the background, and I have verified that it is not running unless the app is launched and open on my Windows 10 desktop. I would like to be able to listen to the highest res files on my Qobuz app in their native bit depth and sampling rate, but for now I must set my Qobuz playback preferences to 96kHz so that if I play a file with higher sampling rate it does not sound like crap.

 

The other issues relate to playing playlists with varying sampling rates. Some songs in the list are 44.1, some are 96 or 88.2, and when it switches between different songs with different rates, it either upsamples or downsamples and does not play the file at the listed rate. Whereas the same file will play at the native resolution when playing it as part of the album. This needs to get fixed. While I most often like to listen to a full album, I would like to be able to listen to favorite songs or playlists with each track playing at the correct sampling rate. [edit: it works correctly in Audirvana, and plays 192kHz as well]

 

I was in private email contact with one of their tech support people and we exchanged all the details including OS and specs, etc, he seemed responsive and eager to help but he either dropped the ball or the whole tech support team is stumped on this bug, or maybe I am the only one having these issues so it was considered unimportant. At the time I was in contact with this guy, Sebastian I think was his name, he asked if I wanted to be on the list for beta test users and I said yes, I later withdrew my wish to be a beta user but I am still using beta versions so I guess I cannot change that now. I am on JS version 5.4.0-b013 Desktop version 5.4.0-b009.

 

I stopped complaining because I bought Audirvana for $75 for the sole purpose of using it to stream Qobuz and it solved both of the issues I reported. However, searching Qobuz in the Audirvana window often gives me annoying results, e.g. searching for Kate Bush, I then click on the name under artists and it pulls up a list of 81 albums including every other so and so whose release is tagged with the name of Kate Bush because maybe they cover a song by her or sound like her, with actual Kate Bush albums scattered down the bottom of the long list of titles. So now I use Audirvana as a Qobuz player, and have to open the Qobuz app if I want to search for an artist and get only the most relevant results.

 

Is it possible to get the Qobuz app fixed, so I can use Wasapi exclusive output to my DAC and stream music without the issues I've reported. Please???

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

4 hours ago, rando said:

@Tinnitus Andronicus What is the result of using the Qobuz browser based player in both WASAPI exclusive and ASIO? 

 

You appear to be caught in a loop of attempting fixing one issue by adding complications resulting in the creation of further ones.  "Strict" limiter in Qobuz search appears to have made a difference for many who's searches incurred too broad a spectrum of results.  Every one of the secondary programs handles Qobuz differently.  A+ for Windows has been a challenging software effort for the developer if memory serves. Security based API changes have not made implementation easier on anyone.

 

 

I'm not informed enough to determine if Qobuz is where the issue lies.  Nor the extent to which you have investigated Rega's DAC driver or a unique factor existing on your Windows machine/faulty cord/???.  WASAPI exclusive related issues have come up before in this thread without any one determining factor rising as the culprit.  

 

Installing Qobuz app and ASIO driver on at least one other W10 computer might help.  A clean install with perhaps some items impacting audio turned off, ideally.  Simplifying is no guarantee of success.  It might add clarity allowing the layers to be built back until source of the error(s) can be confined to at least a general area.    

 

I started by setting the Qobuz audio output to Wasapi exclusive Rega DAC. Then I tried changing it to ASIO Rega DAC to see if that fixed anything. I was not trying to do both at the same time. I figured I would try different output settings to see how that affected the playback issues. I will discuss my most recent findings on that in my following post in reply to PAR's above suggestion.

 

It would be pretty difficult to isolate all the variables to prove that my issues are the fault of the Qobuz app and not due to some particularity in my Windows 10 setup or my DAC. However, I am reasoning that if I have my Windows PC connected via USB to my Rega DAC, and I can get any local audio files to play at the correct sampling rate using JRiver MC24 (using either Wasapi exclusive or ASIO, both work, I have it set to ASIO), AND I can stream Qobuz via the same USB path to Rega DAC using Audirvana as a player (output Wasapi exclusive to Rega DAC) instead of Qobuz, and that gives me no playback issues. Then it is therefore not a problem with my DAC or cable, it is something in the Qobuz app.

 

I would further assert that this is so because I have the exact same issues when I use a different DAC as the Qobuz player output. I tried it with my OPPO 205 which is also connected to my PC via USB (I use the OPPO as an alternate DAC when playing DSD files which the Rega cannot decode). Qobuz app misbehaved playback in exactly the same way when selecting the OPPO as the DAC, and I tried it in both Wasapi exclusive and ASIO, alternately.

 

My Rega DAC driver is up to date. My Windows OS is up to date. As is my Qobuz app which I just did a clean reinstall. I do not have a spare Windows PC that I can use to troubleshoot with, to see if I experience the same problems using Qobuz with a different computer.

 

My conclusion is that this is a bug or compatibility issue originating in the Qobuz Windows desktop app.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

4 hours ago, PAR said:

Yes, I have had what seems to be an identical problem in the past using Qobuz Desktop with Win 10 into my dCS hardware. After talking to the dCS guys in Cambridge they suggested that I switched from WASAPI to ASIO in " Audio Devices" in the Qobuz settings. An immediate cure. No problems at all now with <192 files from Qobuz. So I suggest that you try the same .

 

I tried your suggestion. Originally I found that using ASIO was unstable, probably because I have the ASIO driver as the default audio output to Rega in JRiver (it caused crashes even when JRiver was not running in the background). Today I tried it out again and I did not experience any crashes or instability when selecting the ASIO output option to Rega, And it DID correct the problem with 192kHz files which stream without issues. However, it did NOT correct the problem with playing tracks of varying sample rates in a playlist, which continue to be either upsampled or downsampled, and always play at the wrong rate when played within a playlist, yet play at the correct rate when played from the album display in the app. Strange.

 

I went so far as to try setting the Qobuz audio path to Rega using Wasapi first and then ASIO. And then I set Qobuz output to the OPPO DAC, first with Wasapi exclusive and then ASIO.

 

The Qobuz player will not stream 192kHz files correctly using Wasapi exclusive output with either my Rega or OPPO DAC. The Qobuz player will stream 192kHz files correctly using ASIO to either the Rega or OPPO DAC. However, the Qobuz app WILL NOT play files contained in a playlist at the correct sampling rate in either of my two DACs, whether I select Wasapi exclusive or ASIO as the output option.

 

NONE of these two issues occur when I stream Qobuz thru Audirvana thru the DAC of my choosing, with either Wasapi exclusive or ASIO. So this is why I must use Audirvana to stream my Qobuz music without playback anomalies. If I can figure out how to narrow search results within Audirvana when searching for artists in Qobuz, then I won't have any need of using their buggy app.

 

I will say that I am committed to keeping my Qobuz subscription, despite my dissatisfaction with their Windows player app. I tried a free month of Tidal Master and decided for a few different reasons that I prefer Qobuz (and it's cheaper).

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is this "A+" people are mentioning? Is it shorthand for Audirvana (I'm guessing)?

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

4 hours ago, PAR said:

Yes, exactly as I find in respect of WASAPI exclusive v. ASIO.

I have not come across the varying sample rates in the playlist problem. would you kindly give an example of such a playlist so that I can see what happens with it on my system?

 

I haven't used any of the public playlists, but I simply created one myself by selecting tracks from the four different versions of Let It Bleed by the Rolling Stones (do a search to pull them up). There are versions of that album in 16/44, 24/88, 24/96 and 24/192. I selected tracks in alternating sample rates and made a playlist. Every time I play a track within the playlist it either upsamples or downsamples it. My Rega DAC front panel displays the sample rate on the front panel with three lights. The top light indicates the file is 44 or 48 kHz, the middle light is for files that are 88 or 96, and the bottom light is for 192. My OPPO DAC doesn't show sample rate on the front panel but it shows all those details and more when connected to an external display via HDMI so I can read the bit depth, sample rate and file type on the TV that is connected.

 

So when I play tracks in the playlist I created, the Qobuz player at the bottom of the window shows the bit and sample rates of the track being played correctly, but either one of my DACs shows that it is streaming at the wrong rate. A 44kHz track plays at 96, a 96kHz track plays at 192, and a 192kHz track plays at 44. Then when I click on the album title in the Qobuz player it opens the page showing the full album tracks and details, and I play the same track and it plays at the correct sample rate.

 

I've tested this with other created playlists from albums of differing sample rates and it does the same wrong thing. Pick any three albums that have sample rates of 44, 96 and 192 and create a playlist and see what happens, I'm curious if others using the same setup (Windows 10, Qobuz app for Windows 64bit, external DAC output via either Wasapi exclusive or ASIO) have this issue.

 

I created a playlist alternating tracks between 16/44 and 24/96 and it stuttered when advancing to the next track and then streamed it at the wrong rate every time. Then I created a playlist where all the tracks are 24/96, and in this case it plays them all at the correct rate. Something about the way the Qobuz player handles playlists is causing it to misread the sample rate and upsample or downsample it when not all the tracks in the playlist are at the same rate. I suspect this could be happening to many other users but the average listener who isn't paying attention to the readout on their DAC may not notice it. I notice it because I'm the kind of fussy audiophile who demands bit perfect playback, that's why I won't pay for a streaming service that doesn't offer an exclusive audio output, like Qobuz or Tidal.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

47 minutes ago, PAR said:

OK, I have just built ( as best I can) a replica of your Stones playlist. I am on Qobuz UK so  if you are in another country the track selection on the server may not be identical and I could not find a 24/96 version of Let it Bleed.

 

So I used three versions in sequence, 24/192, 24/88.2 and 16/44.1. All played and displayed correctly on the Qobuz desktop app ( Windows 64 bit) and on the dCS Mosaic version of the Qobuz API and on the display of my dCS Vivaldi DAC. All three show both bit depth and sample frequency and as they should be.

 

I think that yours is the only case I have come across reporting this problem. As I said, no problem here so it does not look to me like a problem with Qobuz ( if it were it would surely be a common complaint) but something local with your set up. Just checking that you have the "Music Playing" setting in your account set to Hi-Res 24 bit/192 and not to one of the other options?

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this test at your end. I do have my music playing settings in Qobuz set to 24/192 so it appears that it is something to do with my setup. I don't know. I am using the latest beta version of the Qobuz app. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling and it keeps giving me the beta version. I wish I could just use the regular version but I had the same problem with that. My system has no issues switching bit depths and sample rates from one file to the next in playback when I play the exact same Qobuz playlist in Audirvana, it works correctly. I'm stumped. Glad I can use Audirvana as a solution.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

Can someone who is using Qobuz desktop player for Windows 64-bit please check and report what version you have? Currently I am on JS version 5.4.0-b013 and desktop version 5.4.0-b009. I don't know what JS version is, but doesn't the "-b009" suffix mean that it is a beta version? Or not? I don't want to be using the beta version anymore and I originally agreed to do that but I want to not use any beta version now.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

@PAR Out of curiosity I just looked up your DAC online. I thought I had a pretty classy DAC, with my little Rega DAC-R that I bought new a couple years ago for $1100 before they stopped production of that model. I found one site selling your dCS Vivaldi DAC for $36,000. 😲 I'm humbled, to say the least. 😯

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

37 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

 

Ok, well you're going to have to show me where to click then because I am not sure what you're talking about.

 

Click on your Qobuz account icon in the upper right corner, then click on the Music Playing tab at the center of the screen, then scroll all the way down to the bottom where you will see a link in red text to "Empty the cache".

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

20 minutes ago, Stereo said:

Talisman is right albums should be listed in chronological order at the very least as well as possibly separating compilations and ep’s and singles.

 

Ideally, yes. But assigning chronological order would be kind of confusing given the fact that the year given with any given album may correspond with the original release date, a later CD reissue date, a more recent digital download release date, and anything in between. Look at any album with multiple versions and see how many different dates there are.

 

I would rather see them get the actual titles of albums right in every case, because there are albums such as Joni Mitchell's Hissing of Summer Lawns which do not even bear a proper title.

 

Despite the many flaws and shortcomings, I'm enjoying finding old and new musical delights and adding albums to my download cart in many cases (especially albums which for some reason or other have missing tracks in the streaming version so you have to buy the download to hear all the tracks on the album).

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

I'm very thankful to Audirvana, which serves as my desktop app for Qobuz streaming playback, because with the persistent bugs in the Qobuz Windows desktop app, I'd have cancelled my subscription by now. I still go back to the Qobuz app occasionally because I get more relevant search results there than when searching Qobuz in Audirvana, and I like the fact that I can mouse down to the Qobuz icon in my taskbar to view the current song playing. But every time I've tried to listen to this Joy Division album on the Qobuz app it hangs on the second track and will not play, yet it plays the whole album w/o interruption in Audirvana.

 

Someone wrote that they could see the price of an album for download purchase within the Qobuz app, but I can't find it anywhere. If I want to check the price I have to go to the Qobuz store website.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

5 hours ago, goon525 said:

I’ve just had a UK offer to renew on the ‘Studio Premier’ plan at £150 pa, so it looks like the American price reduction is becoming universal. I can’t think of any reason not to take them up on it.

 

I am on Studio Premier and was thinking about upgrading to Sublime but cannot seem to find the price on the site, in US dollars for US subscribers. Please tell me this and also is there an exact percentage discount on download purchases, so I can try to do the math and see if it is advantageous for me to upgrade, given the number of downloads I'm buying.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

18 minutes ago, left channel said:

@Tinnitus Andronicus @David Craff also if you are currently a Studio customer that page it will automatically subtract what's left of your current month. Finding that on the website was a bit of a chore: scroll scroll scroll down to the "Like to download?" section and click the "Subscribe to Sublime+" button here: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/music/streaming/offers

Regarding Sublime+ discounts, I found this FAQ:
Sublime+ subscribers receive a permanent discount (from 30% to 60%) on purchases from almost all of our Hi-Res catalog. The albums eligible for this discount have a special price, called "Hi-Res with Qobuz Sublime".
https://help.qobuz.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026349772-What-does-Hi-Res-with-Sublime-mean-

 

Yes I see now that the price of a given album has a separate listed price for Sublime accounts. I was hoping there was a general across the board percentage discount for all download purchases, but evidently not. Three of the four albums currently in my Qobuz cart are available in CD quality only, with no discount for Sublime accounts. Given that about half of the downloads I have bought from Qobuz are CD quality I might not figure that much savings by upgrading to Sublime. I will always choose hi-res if available but many of the titles I want to own are only available in CD quality. I'd be paying $70 more a year to go with Sublime and I'm not sure if I'd buy enough discounted downloads in a year to make it worth upgrading.

[Tinnitus Andronicus]

45 minutes ago, firedog said:

CD quality downloads are not necessarily a bargain at the Qobuz store. You can sometimes find them for less elsewhere.

 

Where, for example? I started shopping at Qobuz for lossless downloads when I realized that their prices are often 30% cheaper than Tidal. I don't know if Amazon is selling lossless downloads now that they've introduced hi-res streaming to their music plan, in the past the big online music merchants Amazon and Apple have only sold MP3 or AAC lossy formats. So I buy about half of my lossless downloads from Qobuz and the other half from Bandcamp or small independent labels that sell their music digitally. I haven't had much luck searching for particular titles on 7Digital or elsewhere though. I was shocked after having paid $22 on Tidal for a FLAC album (an old ECM label release that was hard to find on CD) and I found the same album on Qobuz for $15.