Article: Amazon Music HD Launches

[miguelito]

Signed up as well and installed the Amazon Music app on Mac. Working fine so far.

 

Very happy they are not using MQA but rather true high res (although in my experience it rarely improves past CD quality...).

 

However, if no Roon integration, this is a no-go for me. I already have both Tidal and Qobuz.

[miguelito]

51 minutes ago, #Yoda# said:

I wonder if there will be a download option for HD and Ultra HD albums or even better, available as music download in the regular store, without subscription. 

Two slightly OT comments (but I would deem useful):

 

I subscribe to Qobuz Sublime+ for $299/year. This includes purchases of high res (higher than CD) at a discount. When I really like something I always buy it - I have saved more than $299 from the discounts! So the subscription pays for itself.

 

As for MQA, it is odd that not every release is for sale AFAIK. For example, where to buy Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" (the MQA version sounds best)?

[miguelito]

7 hours ago, kirkmc said:

I bet this will sound great on an Amazon Echo (and I bet there are people using an Amazon Echo who will subscribe, thinking it will make the music sound better). 

Unfortunately most Echo devices are terrible sounding. I would like to see something like Spotify Connect - but much more than that I would like to see Roon integration. 

[miguelito]

14 hours ago, miguelito said:

Unfortunately most Echo devices are terrible sounding. I would like to see something like Spotify Connect - but much more than that I would like to see Roon integration. 

Actually I would NOT like to see spotify-connect-like functionality as this in all likelihood would lead to no Roon integration. I’m sure Spotify’s reason for Connect is to force the use of their app as a navigation tool to collect data on much more than what you play: playlists, what you browse, etc.

[miguelito]

11 minutes ago, Gus141 said:

Thanks, but if you are using the built-in DAC there is no indication on the app except the “HR” in a circle for “Ultra HD”. I can monitor the stream’s resolution via the display on my external DAC being fed from the Node 2i over S/PDIF and it looks like the BluOS software is limiting output over S/PDIF to 96kHz from Amazon sources even if the track is 192kHz.

Might be a limitation of your S/PDIF implementation. Can you try a USB connection to the DAC?

 

11 minutes ago, Gus141 said:

At the other end of the spectrum, the iOS app is upscaling and downscaling everything to match the highest capability of an external USB DAC (attached with Lightning-to-USB3 connector).

Sure about that? The Amazon app is upscaling?

 

11 minutes ago, Gus141 said:

So for a DAC that supports 96kHz max (Dragon Fly Cobalt), the LED on the DFC indicates it is receiving max res even if the song is only CD quality 44.1 on Amazon; conversly, 192kHz Amazon-sourced content plays at 96kHz on the same DAC.

That’s the DFC max rate.

 

11 minutes ago, Gus141 said:

With a DAC that supports 192Khz max, I was getting all music played from the Amazon app upscaled to 192kHz (even an old purchased album in my Amazon library in MP3). I guess it is behaving like the desktop apps and not auto switching, but instead of using a manually-set operating-system setting it is using the max sampling rate reported by the USB-DAC.

Ok, I guess you’re answering my question above!  Very surprised the Amazon app would do this as that would have an impact on battery life, and I would have expected Amazon to try and minimize any possible drawback of the new service/app.

[miguelito]

50 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

anyone have an MQA DAC to test the content from 2L. 2L delivers MQA to Qobuz whether they want it or not. 

 

This looks strange 24/48. This content is usually at much higher sample rates if left native. 

 

 

Couple of weird things:

1- In Qobuz, there are two of these albums: one at 16/44 and one at 24/192. However, the last one will not play at 24/192 but only at 16/44 - and pretty sure this is not MQA since to get an MQA file at 24/192 final rate would require an input file at 24/48.

2- File plays MQA from TIDAL app on Mac - DragonFly is purple (ie rendering MQA).

2- Normal hires files on Qobuz play hires just fine - even 24/192 gets downsampled to 24/96 --> pretty sure the album above is mislabelled and it's just 16/44, not 24/192.

3- The Amazon Music app on Mac is upsampling to the max rate of the DragonFly (24/96) even thought the file on the Amazon Music app indicates it is 24/48 --> No MQA to be found here.

 

(I actually own the 24/352 version)

[miguelito]

45 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Bluesound and BluOS now support 24/192 from Amazon Music HD. Update your device is you haven't already today. 

Good news that Amazon is letting access to other UIs... Maybe there's hope for Roon.