Article: Qobuz Tugs on Superman's Cape, Makes Bold Move With Industry's Best Pricing

[adam2434]

Thanks for this article and thread!  This has really brought Qobuz to my attention!

 

Given that it's been 2 months since the Amazon Music HD launch, and the hardware device compatibility issues have not been improved/addressed, trying Qobuz is very tempting.

 

For the streaming device platforms below, I understand the following.  Please comment if I am wrong or if there is other relevant info.

 

• Heos - no native compatibility within Heos or with Qobuz Connect using the native Qobuz app.  I wonder why?

 

• Chromecast Audio - the native Qobuz app can be used to cast up to 24/96 FLAC to a CCA.
  • For 24/192 FLAC from Qobuz, does the CCA of Qobuz server downsample to 24/96 FLAC?

 

• Sonos - not sure on the details.  I believe you can use a Qobuz app within the Sonos app, but not sure if you can use the native Qobuz app with the Connect feature.  
  • Does anyone know if the native Qobuz app works with Sonos?
  • Of course, the max resolution on Sonos is 16/44.1.

 

 

[adam2434]

9 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

The Heos team is to blame on this one. I won’t say more. It would be embarrassing for them. 

The same team that has not been able to implement Amazon's My Music within Heos?  😀😫

 

Any ideas on my other questions above?

[adam2434]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

Thanks for the replies above.

[adam2434]

Trialing Qobuz Studio Premier.  This is how it's supposed to work, based on my experience so far! 

 

Unlike Amazon Music HD, 24/96 or 16/44.1 FLAC seems to be working fine with the native app and a CCA.

 

I like that both 16/44.1 and hi-res album versions can be selected, when applicable.

 

I had a couple skips with 24/96 FLAC with a CCA in one location in my house, but a different CCA in a different location has not had skips.  Need to do more testing on CCA reliability with Qobuz 24/96 FLAC.

 

It's a shame that Heos does not have Qobuz Studio Premier compatibility.

 

What other streaming hardware platforms are compatible with Qobuz at resolutions beyond 16/44.1?

 

 

[adam2434]

Is anyone using a Yamaha WXC-50 streamer with Qobuz 16/44.1 and Hi-Res FLAC?

 

Crutchfield lists Qobuz for this device, but I also read that Yamaha dropped Qobuz on this device.

 

 

 

 

[adam2434]

Learned that the Yamaha WXC-50 does not have Qobuz support.

 

I have been reading about using the mconnect Player app or the BubbleUPnP app as a work-arounds.

 

Anyone have experience with these apps and Qobuz?  Do they work well?

 

 

 

 

[adam2434]

Yep, been testing the BubbleUPnP app for Android with Qobuz, and it is working well streaming to a Sony BDP.  Kind of cool that you can use your own FLAC library (minimserver running on my PC) and Qobuz within a single app.  I usually use the HiFi Cast app for my PC FLAC library

I'll also test with Heos on my Marantz processor as the renderer. I expect this will work well too.

 

Curious about the nuts and bolts of how Qobuz works with BubbleUPnP.  How does the Qobuz stream become a UPnP stream?

 

 

 

 

[adam2434]

12 hours ago, Patrick Cleasby said:

 

It works (most effectively in my experience), by optionally making the node an OpenHome renderer when running Bubble UPnP server. This also has the joy that a free OpenHome control client (like Linn Kazoo or Lumin) works brilliantly for iPad-type control. What I did pre-Roon.

Do you mean what is described in this article?

https://www.hifizine.com/2019/07/stream-qobuz-to-anything/

 

Did the BubbleUPnP app get updated since that article, such the you no longer need to run the server?

 

Could you please explain the advantages of this with Qobuz?

 

I am currently using Qobuz and the BubbleUPnP app (on my phone) without the server running on my PC, and it seems to be working fine with the renderers I've tested so far (a Sony BDP and Heos on a Marantz processor).

[adam2434]

11 hours ago, Patrick Cleasby said:

 

Yeah effectively that - I never wrote it up, but I used to do exactly that. Just your own library, Qobuz, Tidal from one control point.

 

The main advantage would be cutting wireless out of the frame (my servers are near my router), except for control. So more stability for hi-res streaming really.

 

The advantages of OpenHome would be as claimed on the OpenHome wiki:

 

http://wiki.openhome.org/wiki/OhMedia

Thanks for the info.

 

I've been exchanging some emails with Bubble too.

 

Based on when he said, some renderers have to use your phone as a proxy if you don't have the Bubble server and OpenHome configured.  I believe I confirmed that this is the case with my Sony blu-ray players because Qobuz tracks would stop playing shortly after I close the BubbleUPnP app on my phone.  With Heos, the track would play to the end after I close the  BubbleUPnP app.

 

I think installing the Bubble server on my PC and configuring OpenHome for the renderers will make my phone a controller only, meaning that the BubbleUPnP app on my phone will not need to be a proxy server for my blu-ray players, and that I will not need to rely on my phone to pass the stream to the blu-ray players.  Most of my renderers are hard-wired to my network, so I want to avoid streaming over wi-fi as much as possible.

 

I don't know much about how Qobuz works with BubbleUPnP, so the above may be off-base.  🙂

 

 

[adam2434]

OK, I installed the BubbleUPnP server on my PC and made the Marantz processor and Sony blu-ray player OpenHome renderers.

 

Now, in the BubbleUPnP app they show up as separate renderers with OpenHome in parenthesis.

 

When I select them in the BubbleUPnP app and start a Qobuz album, the album continues to play after I exit the app.

 

However, the album will stop playing before it is over with the Sony blu-ray player.

 

Also, with Marantz processor, when I was testing last night, the BubbleUPnP app screen switched to a different album and the Marantz processor was no longer highlighted as the renderer.  The original album continued to play, but it seems like the BubbleUPnP app lost connection to the renderer and displayed the wrong album.  I had to restart the BubbleUPnP app for the original album to display and for the Marantz processor to be highlighted as the renderer, as it was originally.

 

So, it's a bit wonky for me right now.

 

I wonder why Qobuz does not allow you to select a DLNA/UPnP renderer directly from the native mobile app, avoiding the need to use the BubbleUPnP app and server.

 

I see that the native mobile app has a "Connect" feature, but no devices show up.  It would be very convenient if DLNA/UPnP renderers on the network could be selected directly, similar to the convenience of Spotify's Connect feature.

 

The "Cast" feature does show my CCAs though.