Article: Amazon Music HD Launches

[Patrick Cleasby]

5 minutes ago, labjr said:

Is Ultra HD a separate tier of service?

 

Seems to be the same as what was previously branded unlimited

[Patrick Cleasby]

1 minute ago, serendipitydawg said:

I know it has only just been announced, but is this U.S.A. ONLY? Or will it be available in the UK?

 

It's UK US Japan and Germany I think. I'm logged in on UK

[Patrick Cleasby]

www.amazon.co.uk/HD/Music

 

[Patrick Cleasby]

1 minute ago, kirkmc said:

I'm just wondering. Since Amazon has ripped off the Qobuz graphic, is there any chance that they have quietly bought Qobuz? 

 

No chance

[Patrick Cleasby]

Qobuz too..

[Patrick Cleasby]

9 hours ago, Archimago said:

 

Yeah, true @Jud.

 

There are a few more bucks here. And they're smart in packaging this with having a Prime account which also opens up Prime Video. For Prime members already, at $13/m, this is highly compelling compared to Tidal Premium at $20/m. Heck, even without Prime membership, $15/m is undercutting the competition in a rather big way; occupying the price gap between lossy Apple or Spotify at $10/m and the lossless Tidal/Qobuz at $20+/m.

 

Yup, for once I can agree with Neil Young as per Chris' quote above :-).

 

Or if you buy annually at 10.825/m nearly equaling lossy services..

[Patrick Cleasby]

3 hours ago, firedog said:

 

I wonder what Lee is thinking now with all his big "inside info" about how MQA had a major coup coming up that would alter the market.  I really think this is going to kill them. I think there will be little reason for anyone to sign up to Tidal now. Maybe there will still be subscribers for Qobuz (especially Sublime +) for the audiophile niche market, but not anyone else, at least in the US. 

 

This was probably going to be it. And now it is not...

[Patrick Cleasby]

4 hours ago, cscamp said:

Yup! Roon needs to make a choice here. They may possibly lose subscribers because of this. I love Roon, but supporting only 2 music services maybe their downfall. Glad I didn't buy the lifetime subscription.

 

Yep, me too!

[Patrick Cleasby]

39 minutes ago, shadowlight said:

I am hoping someone analysis the stream to make sure that it's not MQA in another format.

 

My Waiting For The Sun showed up as Ultra HD. That's a prime suspect. And of course Fairytales

[Patrick Cleasby]

13 minutes ago, mansr said:

Qobuz has a proper 24/96 version of all The Doors albums (and it's a bargain too): https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/the-complete-studio-albums-the-doors/0603497933105

I don't know what Amazon is streaming, but at least a non-MQA release exists.

 

Yes I'm talking about the digital version of the anniversary set which was MQA CD. Next one is reputed to be too.

[Patrick Cleasby]

10 hours ago, Enochrome said:

I'm getting 16bit streaming of "Kind of Blue" on my Macbook. It says the device is capable of 24bit/96 and the track is available in 24bit/96 but it's relegating it to 16bit. Is there something I am doing wrong? I notice other tracks by other artists in 24/96 are having the same outcome. 

 

Adjust your Audio/Midi settings. (App in Utilities)

[Patrick Cleasby]

If you're on Mac Desktop a version update has just dropped. It should prompt you and restart itself. Version say 7.8.1.2102, but I swear it did yesterday too.

[Patrick Cleasby]

38 minutes ago, PAR said:

That is a very convincing explanation. Being  a classical music type  aside from DGG I tend to forget about 24 track recording.

 

This was an issue 15 years ago (Although Al Schmitt was tracking 24/96 then). Not so much these days

[Patrick Cleasby]

13 hours ago, left channel said:

Well, that's the expected Music HD compatible Echo. But Dolby Atmos music seems like an abomination. I'm sure most of us here turn processing off to listen to music in our home theaters. Now they're going to release albums specifically pre-processed for Atmos. I'm sure anyone's brain will feel tickled by all that at first, but we'll quickly notice a lack of detail and other disappointments.

 

On the other hand if you're at all into old school-type discrete surround a la DVD-A/SACD this could be a godsend.

 

I mentioned to Qobuz that if they did integrate with HEOS (interesting why that didn't happen BTW), how would their (small) 5.1 catalogue behave?

 

Now we have a question as to what this Atmos material will do on Denon and Marantz AVRs via HEOS.

 

We have Blu Rays of INXS Kick, and R.E.M Automatic For the People with Atmos mixes on them so material is there already - in fact if you search Dolby Atmos in Amazon HD the latter is one of only three things that come up. Presents like 2.0 24/96 though.

 

Can't wait to get home later and run it through HEOS. I think streaming Hi-Res surround is something Qobuz should have gone further with but maybe you need Amazon scale and power to pull this off. Maybe it's the usual white elephant. Attach the term 3D to anything and it's over...