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Qobuz in US: When?


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42 minutes ago, yaslam said:

I noticed that Qobuz's US download store has been added. Was the service officially launched in the US?

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/shop

 

Nice to see visible proof of progress! I keep hoping I've somehow missed the official launch announcement, but no, on that page if you click on "Streaming Plans" you'll get a big "404". 

Everyone wants to date my avatar.

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56 minutes ago, cjf said:

it seems none of these online services gives a hoot about publishing/listing provenance data on the version of album they are selling/streaming.

 

Agreed. That mess drives me crazy. I was very happy to see Tidal has started displaying original release dates, while tacking on the re-release/re-master dates in the titles if needed.

 

Tidal:

tidal-release-date.thumb.jpg.c96783a82c0b7f9d5410b63532ab7bbd.jpg

 

Qobuz:

qobuz-release-date.thumb.jpg.00c3ff1e3d52333fe74c4fd96a60e8d9.jpg

 

I'm sure the Qobuz people have every intention of catching up with Tidal on this when they can. I hope they all add more provenance information as time goes on.

Everyone wants to date my avatar.

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12 hours ago, cjf said:

I just stopped in to take a peek at the QOBUZZ site for the first time.

 

I did a few random searches for albums that I know to be VERY obscure and was pleased to see they had most of them for download/purchase. +1 Points for that

 

The bad news though....it seems none of these online services gives a hoot about publishing/listing provenance data on the version of album they are selling/streaming. Why on Gods green earth does this important detail seem to escape all these services? -5 Points for this

 

I want to see a Catalog #, BarCode # and a creation Date as seen on the original media....damnit  ?

 

I'm not spending another dime on any of these online streaming/download sites until that starts to happen. I've been burnt more times than I care to think about by HDTracks for crushed/compressed garbage downloads. Fool me five times shame on you, fool me more than that, shame on me.

 

Basic to Discogs I go   ?‍♂️

 

 

I love the bio sketches included w Qobuz, as well as the digital books included w many albums. I’ve read some 20+ pages in length. 

 

I expect Qobuz to continue to improve as they expand.  

 

Friends from Europe have spoken well of them and I wish that I had signed up last July when I was in France. 

 

 

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I hope the delay of the Qobuz USA launch isn't just because Roon integration isn't ready.  If you were a Qobuz executive, would you launch without it and just announce an availability date for Roon integration?

Pareto Audio AMD 7700 Server --> Berkeley Alpha USB --> Jeff Rowland Aeris --> Jeff Rowland 625 S2 --> Focal Utopia 3 Diablos with 2 x Focal Electra SW 1000 BE subs

 

i7-6700K/Windows 10  --> EVGA Nu Audio Card --> Focal CMS50's 

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11 minutes ago, rickca said:

I hope the delay of the Qobuz USA launch isn't just because Roon integration isn't ready.  If you were a Qobuz executive, would you launch without it and just announce an availability date for Roon integration?

 

We may never know the reasons for that decision, but I perceived a number of other issues as their original launch date approached, including poor machine translation of French content, deficiencies in search and cataloging very important to audiophiles, and the bogging down of their network/servers for the first time since I subscribed as global usage increased.

 

Reviewer and user complaints about any one of these things, including lack of Roon integration — or poorly implemented Roon integration — could cause a large number of potential customers to hesitate and then, due to inertia, never sign up.

 

So yes, given how important Roon is to their most profitable tiers, I might have waited, especially in combination with those other problems. But I haven't seen their numbers, and I'm not going to tell them what to do. Except when I do. ?

Everyone wants to date my avatar.

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1 hour ago, left channel said:

So yes, given how important Roon is to their most profitable tiers, I might have waited, especially in combination with those other problems. But I haven't seen their numbers, and I'm not going to tell them what to do. Except when I do. ?

 

How many people use Roon that is it that "important"? The UPnP implementation within the Qobuz app is much more interesting as it opens up the possibilities of streamers that can be used. I like to think there are more UPnP users out there than Roon users. 

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25 minutes ago, Ran said:

 

How many people use Roon that is it that "important"? The UPnP implementation within the Qobuz app is much more interesting as it opens up the possibilities of streamers that can be used. I like to think there are more UPnP users out there than Roon users. 

 

That may well be, but Roon users tend to be very vocal and are opinion leaders for the most profitable segment. UPnP is also important to the launch, IMHO.

 

Personally I use neither UPnP nor Roon. I use the Qobuz plugin for LMS/Squeezebox Server more often than the official Qobuz app, my equipment is midrange at best, and I am not planning to subscribe to Roon anytime soon. But I do hope to see Qobuz integration with Roon so they can match Tidal, and completion of the UPnP feature so they can surpass Tidal in that area rather than only matching them in the much more basic Cast support.

 

I feel all of these things I have mentioned in this and previous posts are essential to the success of their launch. First impressions will matter a great deal, and will haunt the internetz for a very long time.

Everyone wants to date my avatar.

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On numerous occasions Qobuz staff who maintain accounts here have subtly noted cultural differences are at the root of delays.  On the whole their European user base is more sophisticated, less tech focused, and have a laissez-faire attitude towards problems. 

 

Post-dating threats to rage quit after passing advanced judgement for uncommitted sins based on clicking around the site once doesn't help our case. As a forum or a representative body of interested consumers. Relax.  Talking too much about a company looking to do business over here is impossible from their viewpoint.

 

Seeing people getting worked up to the level some have been capable of over the US launch is disconcerting to me.  Again, this is cultural and can only add to the confusion/delays. Qobuz will stand or fall on it's merits unless over eager 'helpers' 'efficiently' broadcast their outsized concerns. :)

 

Extra smiley for emphasis. :)

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Musically they are home to a much richer heritage which coexists with current (pop) forms. It is worth noting I specified the whole user base in Europe where they are reasonably well established.  

 

Opinion only, but I would place their musical awareness as sophisticated in comparison with a not entirely audiophile group of American listeners eager to expand their tastes through the Qobuz catalog. Which is unusually diverse and refined in it's selections for US tastes. 

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11 hours ago, Ran said:

 

How many people use Roon that is it that "important"? The UPnP implementation within the Qobuz app is much more interesting as it opens up the possibilities of streamers that can be used. I like to think there are more UPnP users out there than Roon users. 

Roon is also very important because it allows the many people who own network players, and streaming devices (Aurender, Lumin, Auralic, etc. etc. etc.) to upscale PCM to various levels of DSD, and change many other setting to tweak sounds. Without using an actual pc, and associated software such as JRiver, Audirvana, Amarra, I know of no other way to do this. 

 

JC

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13 minutes ago, TubeLover said:

Roon is also very important because it allows the many people who own network players, and streaming devices (Aurender, Lumin, Auralic, etc. etc. etc.) to upscale PCM to various levels of DSD, and change many other setting to tweak sounds. Without using an actual pc, and associated software such as JRiver, Audirvana, Amarra, I know of no other way to do this. 

 

JC

 

A very interesting take.  What would be the reason not to use a computer you have at home to send music from Qobuz with, e.g., Audirvana Plus, to a streamer?

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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8 hours ago, TubeLover said:

Roon is also very important because it allows the many people who own network players, and streaming devices (Aurender, Lumin, Auralic, etc. etc. etc.) to upscale PCM to various levels of DSD, and change many other setting to tweak sounds. Without using an actual pc, and associated software such as JRiver, Audirvana, Amarra, I know of no other way to do this.

 

You can use ffmpeg in Linux to manipulate the signal in any way you like. Oh, and it's free. You can also use MinimStreamer as well. Free.

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10 hours ago, TubeLover said:

Roon is also very important because it allows the many people who own network players, and streaming devices (Aurender, Lumin, Auralic, etc. etc. etc.) to upscale PCM to various levels of DSD, and change many other setting to tweak sounds. Without using an actual pc, and associated software such as JRiver, Audirvana, Amarra, I know of no other way to do this. 

 

JC

I am surprised it is not mentioned more, but my primary interest in Roon is its ability to integrate with HQPlayer. I do not care so much about Roon, but I feel that HQPlayer is integral to my system. I rely on SDM/DSD based DACs for my music systems, and HQPlayer's conversions are key elements in my listening. The only reason I use Roon and Tidal are because of that. If Qobuz were to integrate with HQP directly, I'd drop Roon and Tidal in a heartbeat. I would not begin to know if this is up to Qobuz, or Signalyst(HQP), but I am sure that I am not alone in this. Qobuz>Roon integration would be fine, and a second choice for me.

Forrest:

Win10 i9 9900KS/GTX1060 HQPlayer4>Win10 NAA

DSD>Pavel's DSC2.6>Bent Audio TAP>

Parasound JC1>"Naked" Quad ESL63/Tannoy PS350B subs<100Hz

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52 minutes ago, 4est said:

If Qobuz were to integrate with HQP directly, I'd drop Roon and Tidal in a heartbeat.

Qobuz is working on support of UPnP renderers.  HQPe is a UPnP renderer.  Voila.

Pareto Audio AMD 7700 Server --> Berkeley Alpha USB --> Jeff Rowland Aeris --> Jeff Rowland 625 S2 --> Focal Utopia 3 Diablos with 2 x Focal Electra SW 1000 BE subs

 

i7-6700K/Windows 10  --> EVGA Nu Audio Card --> Focal CMS50's 

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29 minutes ago, rickca said:

Qobuz is working on support of UPnP renderers.  HQPe is a UPnP renderer.  Voila.

Frankly, I am not sure if I want to go down the HQP embedded route. I am not sure if I have the chops to pull it off for starters. I also use two machines, and that is two licenses if I understand it. I already own a Win, Mac and Linux combined one.

Forrest:

Win10 i9 9900KS/GTX1060 HQPlayer4>Win10 NAA

DSD>Pavel's DSC2.6>Bent Audio TAP>

Parasound JC1>"Naked" Quad ESL63/Tannoy PS350B subs<100Hz

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