The little feature in Qobuz that lets you select your output device, and the different drivers to connect to it was so easy. I'm using it to get high res, so obviously I care about it. Very thoughtful.
All well and good, but it's not true 'connect' à la Spotify is it. I wish they would hurry up with this feature - they've been 'working on it's for years!
Have used Qobuz for years as a download service. Best sound quality, best classical library, decent overall library including world music. I’m very happy they’re still around!
I agree about the audio quality, but on classical releases the track listing is so poor as to be unusable....consequently, I'm thinking of going back to Tidal now the MQA scandal seems to have been sorted out.
I've used Amazon HD & Qobuz for years. I guess the only audible differences I could pull out is that Amazon emphasizes the upper range giving more of a distant Soundstage effect but less intimate bass which is great in sparse terms of music. While Qobuz offers the fuller defined, in-your-face sound which is in my opinion, more effective with most music out there. The bass and vocal presence on qobuz is much better too.
Qobuz has higher bitrate though and Qobuz Windows application offers proper exclusive mode with bit perfect playback. Amazon's exclusive mode doesn't work properly, it does not match your DAC's bit rate with the song's bitrate... And Qobuz application is smart enough to turn exclusive mode off whenever you stop playing the music, so you don't have to turn off the exclusive mode manually all the time like you have to with Amazon. All in all Qobuz is just better.
Apple airplay works flawlessly with Qobuz and allows CD quality streams. There's 3rd party apps like mconnect that allow you to stream high res to your streamer with Qobuz.
I agree, but let's hope Qobuz bases its 'connect' on Spotify not Tidal - using Tidal on Play-fi, for example, you have to use the very poor Play-fi app to control it (so too with HEOS). Spotify 'Connect' on the other hand let's you access the service direct from the Spotify app, and you're taken to it from both Play-fi and HEOS, not forced to use those apps to control it.
I used Deezer Hifi for around 6 months, then Qobuz Studio for around 3 months. Running on my Audiolab 6000 Play and Focal speakers, I much prefer the Qobuz sound quality. It's clearer, more detailed. Deezer sounds a bit too bass thick and muddy. Qobuz costs 50 bucks more for annual but I much prefer the sound.
Love Qobuz for sound quality, but on classical music the track information is very poor, to the point of unusable on many recordings! For instance on many (most!) 'albums' that feature more than one composer, each track is identified by the tempo markings or sometimes title of that track but not who composed it! So, for example if you select an album of four string quartets of four movements each, making sixteen tracks, it is impossible to know who composed each string quartet! All that is needed is for someone at Qobuz, who is familiar with classical music, to have a look at the back of a classical CD....this information is ALWAYS given.
Once again, a great review, especially to someone who has been very hesitant to jump in the streaming world (esp. with a musical collection of 2000+ records of very independent artists). I have been purchasing music on Bandcamp mostly for new releases. I am not part of the Amazon ecosystem, and not excited about another monthly expense. I also really liked the in-depth analysis of the Tidal (MQA is lossy - did not know that!), and the inability to download lossless files from purchases at Amazon (yuck!). "Let's be honest, you do not need to subscribe to a streaming service". Not a truer statement has been utterd by a CZcamsr. Thank you!
FWIW Qobuz is more expensive in EU (about 50% more). I find the sound better but I don't know if it worth it giving the price difference. So if you live in the US, go for it; you are lucky.
I recently thied the Qobuz free trial and then, after waiting about 8 or 9 months, paid for a month. Personally I think Qobuz has the best sound quality, other than MAYBE Amazon Music. However, what those two services definitely have in common is their lack of accessibility for those who use screen reading technology on their desktop apps. I don't suppose you have a contact at Qobuz I could reach out to so just MAYBE they'll actually listen and fix the issues with their accessibility? In the meantime, another great video.
Agree with other commented: Amazon emphasizes the upper range giving more of a distant Soundstage effect but less intimate bass which is great in sparse terms of music/ Unfortunately it leaves bass notes missing or lacking and higher notes are also simply left out. Seems like they have 4 traffic lanes instead of 6. But if you like the middle 4 lanes and a distant 1 block away sound AMAZON HD is great. If you want to be inside the paid ticket area for that performance then you need QOBUZ. For day to day SPOTIFY WINS hands down, it integrates seamlessly to ALL DEVICES and TRULY makes your home car and office 1 stop shop. Also SPOTIFY is much brighter than AMAZON HD hands down and the added EQ is icing on the cake.
I use both Apple Music and Qobuz. I prefer Qobuz from a quality and content standpoint, but I find their library UI frustrating. Also, they incorrectly group albums by artist - as an example, when you search and select the US band “Nirvana” it will not only show their albums, but also other albums from different bands named Nirvana. Searching for specific classical albums is a chore also.
Quobuz says you can import your libraries & playlists from other streaming services with the Soundiiz tool did you get a chance to try & how did it work for you ? Thanks
@@deadline7610 Yes, I moved my Favourite Albums and Tracks using Soundiiz from Spotify to Qobuz and it worked fine...bearing in mind not everything is available in all streaming services, and in the same editions.
9:05 FAIL! AMAZON HD vs QOBUZ was clearly missing additional high notes = just decided to leave them out LOL. Apparent even on PC speakers, HIfi and Open back high end headphones.
Nicely Done. You mentioned that Qobuz doesn't have an equalizer. A 10 band parabolic eq would make me switch :) Which streaming service does ? I don't think my Amazon music has any :( Thanks
Yes that’s compete BS and factually wrong. Tidal is not hi-res as it streams lossy MQA and also has tracks that aren’t FLAC. Amazon HD streams ONLY lossless Flac. The people who told you otherwise either have no clue, or are blatantly lying.
I bough a 24 bit version of an albums but idk how to test it to make sure it is litget or not I pop it though lossless audio test and it says something about I’d not recognized or something like that
Assuming you bought it from a reputable retailer then it’s probably legit 24bit. But whether you’d hear a difference between 16 and 24 bit is another matter.
I don't hear much difference between the Qobuz app and UAPP. With Tidal it is a completely different story; UAPP sounds much better than the Tidal player. I believe UAPP doesn't support Amazon Music because the player is upscaling every track.
Just signed up with Qobuz and already have BAD EXPERIECES. I created a Qobuz user name and password, provided a credit card, received a confirmation email from Qobuz, but then was unable to sign in to Qobuz. When I tried, Qobuz asked for my email address & password. It did not say if it wanted my Qobuz password or my email password (which would have made no sense). So I tried my Qobuz PW, but that didn't work. More strangely, there was no way to sign in using my QOBUZ user name & password - why the heck not? Also, looks like there is no customer support, not even in the Philippines or India (though those are usually worthless). No phone number for customer support, and the responses I received to my posts (clearly computer generated) were worthless. Look, I'm not asking anything complicated ,just how do I sign into the freaking service. Qobuz isn't responding to my questions, so I guess I'll post them on YoutTube videos that mention or review them..
Are you from Philippines? How did you get through when payment is being done? I tried two credit cards, both failed everytime I make a payment. Did you use a VPN? If yes, which one is it? TIA
Unfortunately all recording fron 1993 till present most are not hi res most conpani recorded the studio album at 16 bits 44 khz 😂. That’s why only er are getting to 192khz the oldest production. If people wanna hear the real master studio sound get a reel to reel machine and buy some old reel to reel 4 track tapes to 7 ips 😂
Found Qobuz to be awful. I didnt find Apple Music's recommendations to be as hit or miss as suggested, usually it gives me a good selection of stuff I listen to or might want to, and I listen mostly to metal and classic rock, and other niche things.
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](/img/n.gif)
The little feature in Qobuz that lets you select your output device, and the different drivers to connect to it was so easy. I'm using it to get high res, so obviously I care about it. Very thoughtful.
All well and good, but it's not true 'connect' à la Spotify is it. I wish they would hurry up with this feature - they've been 'working on it's for years!
Have used Qobuz for years as a download service. Best sound quality, best classical library, decent overall library including world music. I’m very happy they’re still around!
Yes, but see my recent comment on track listing on Qobuz...do you not think it needs improvement?
I agree about the audio quality, but on classical releases the track listing is so poor as to be unusable....consequently, I'm thinking of going back to Tidal now the MQA scandal seems to have been sorted out.
I've used Amazon HD & Qobuz for years. I guess the only audible differences I could pull out is that Amazon emphasizes the upper range giving more of a distant Soundstage effect but less intimate bass which is great in sparse terms of music. While Qobuz offers the fuller defined, in-your-face sound which is in my opinion, more effective with most music out there. The bass and vocal presence on qobuz is much better too.
Qobuz has higher bitrate though and Qobuz Windows application offers proper exclusive mode with bit perfect playback. Amazon's exclusive mode doesn't work properly, it does not match your DAC's bit rate with the song's bitrate... And Qobuz application is smart enough to turn exclusive mode off whenever you stop playing the music, so you don't have to turn off the exclusive mode manually all the time like you have to with Amazon. All in all Qobuz is just better.
Biggest flaw of Qobuz is the lack of Qobuz "connect" like Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect directly to your streamer. We do not all stream from PC.
Apple airplay works flawlessly with Qobuz and allows CD quality streams. There's 3rd party apps like mconnect that allow you to stream high res to your streamer with Qobuz.
I agree, but let's hope Qobuz bases its 'connect' on Spotify not Tidal - using Tidal on Play-fi, for example, you have to use the very poor Play-fi app to control it (so too with HEOS). Spotify 'Connect' on the other hand let's you access the service direct from the Spotify app, and you're taken to it from both Play-fi and HEOS, not forced to use those apps to control it.
The best streaming service.. The sound is outstanding.
I used Deezer Hifi for around 6 months, then Qobuz Studio for around 3 months. Running on my Audiolab 6000 Play and Focal speakers, I much prefer the Qobuz sound quality. It's clearer, more detailed. Deezer sounds a bit too bass thick and muddy. Qobuz costs 50 bucks more for annual but I much prefer the sound.
I prefer Qobuz above everything
Qobuz and uapp on android are a fantastic combo, parametric eq and other options if you pay, and easy integration.
Love Qobuz for sound quality, but on classical music the track information is very poor, to the point of unusable on many recordings!
For instance on many (most!) 'albums' that feature more than one composer, each track is identified by the tempo markings or sometimes title of that track but not who composed it!
So, for example if you select an album of four string quartets of four movements each, making sixteen tracks, it is impossible to know who composed each string quartet!
All that is needed is for someone at Qobuz, who is familiar with classical music, to have a look at the back of a classical CD....this information is ALWAYS given.
Once again, a great review, especially to someone who has been very hesitant to jump in the streaming world (esp. with a musical collection of 2000+ records of very independent artists). I have been purchasing music on Bandcamp mostly for new releases. I am not part of the Amazon ecosystem, and not excited about another monthly expense. I also really liked the in-depth analysis of the Tidal (MQA is lossy - did not know that!), and the inability to download lossless files from purchases at Amazon (yuck!). "Let's be honest, you do not need to subscribe to a streaming service". Not a truer statement has been utterd by a CZcamsr. Thank you!
FWIW Qobuz is more expensive in EU (about 50% more). I find the sound better but I don't know if it worth it giving the price difference.
So if you live in the US, go for it; you are lucky.
Excellent video. Thanks!
I recently thied the Qobuz free trial and then, after waiting about 8 or 9 months, paid for a month. Personally I think Qobuz has the best sound quality, other than MAYBE Amazon Music. However, what those two services definitely have in common is their lack of accessibility for those who use screen reading technology on their desktop apps. I don't suppose you have a contact at Qobuz I could reach out to so just MAYBE they'll actually listen and fix the issues with their accessibility? In the meantime, another great video.
For this reason I like using my Echo device to send music to my streamer in addition to using Amazon music App on iPhone with VO.
Agree with other commented: Amazon emphasizes the upper range giving more of a distant Soundstage effect but less intimate bass which is great in sparse terms of music/ Unfortunately it leaves bass notes missing or lacking and higher notes are also simply left out. Seems like they have 4 traffic lanes instead of 6. But if you like the middle 4 lanes and a distant 1 block away sound AMAZON HD is great. If you want to be inside the paid ticket area for that performance then you need QOBUZ. For day to day SPOTIFY WINS hands down, it integrates seamlessly to ALL DEVICES and TRULY makes your home car and office 1 stop shop. Also SPOTIFY is much brighter than AMAZON HD hands down and the added EQ is icing on the cake.
The good thing is that there is so much audible difference between all music services...
I use both Apple Music and Qobuz. I prefer Qobuz from a quality and content standpoint, but I find their library UI frustrating. Also, they incorrectly group albums by artist - as an example, when you search and select the US band “Nirvana” it will not only show their albums, but also other albums from different bands named Nirvana. Searching for specific classical albums is a chore also.
Quobuz says you can import your libraries & playlists from other streaming services with the
Soundiiz tool did you get a chance to try & how did it work for you ?
Thanks
No I didn’t try that
@@deadline7610 Yes, I moved my Favourite Albums and Tracks using Soundiiz from Spotify to Qobuz and it worked fine...bearing in mind not everything is available in all streaming services, and in the same editions.
The only thing that keeps me on spotify are my playlists tbh
You can easily transfer playlists from one service to the other.
@@pitou115 thanks I didnt know that!
@@MoSchneider Yes look for a service called TuneMyMusic!
9:05 FAIL! AMAZON HD vs QOBUZ was clearly missing additional high notes = just decided to leave them out LOL. Apparent even on PC speakers, HIfi and Open back high end headphones.
Nicely Done.
You mentioned that Qobuz doesn't have an equalizer. A 10 band parabolic eq would make me switch :)
Which streaming service does ?
I don't think my Amazon music has any :(
Thanks
its app does
Equalizer in Qobuz? The sound is very good. No need to have equalizer.
@@Milo_Molnar 100% agree!
Just save up and get a chord mojo 2! Mojo 2 and quboz together 🔥🔥
Trying to use UAPP and buy eq paramétrique.
Most of the audiophiles told me that Amazon HD isn't really hi-res (Quobuz and Tidal are). Is that BS to you?
Yes that’s compete BS and factually wrong. Tidal is not hi-res as it streams lossy MQA and also has tracks that aren’t FLAC. Amazon HD streams ONLY lossless Flac. The people who told you otherwise either have no clue, or are blatantly lying.
I bough a 24 bit version of an albums but idk how to test it to make sure it is litget or not I pop it though lossless audio test and it says something about I’d not recognized or something like that
Assuming you bought it from a reputable retailer then it’s probably legit 24bit. But whether you’d hear a difference between 16 and 24 bit is another matter.
FLAC. Good choice.
is the Android works better sound quality with UAPP login Qobuz?
can the similar Apple Music stream hi-res lossless sound as good as Qobuz?
I don't hear much difference between the Qobuz app and UAPP. With Tidal it is a completely different story; UAPP sounds much better than the Tidal player.
I believe UAPP doesn't support Amazon Music because the player is upscaling every track.
UAPP+dac are awesom combo with qobuz
Just signed up with Qobuz and already have BAD EXPERIECES.
I created a Qobuz user name and password, provided a credit card, received a confirmation email from Qobuz, but then was unable to sign in to Qobuz. When I tried, Qobuz asked for my email address & password. It did not say if it wanted my Qobuz password or my email password (which would have made no sense). So I tried my Qobuz PW, but that didn't work. More strangely, there was no way to sign in using my QOBUZ user name & password - why the heck not?
Also, looks like there is no customer support, not even in the Philippines or India (though those are usually worthless). No phone number for customer support, and the responses I received to my posts (clearly computer generated) were worthless. Look, I'm not asking anything complicated ,just how do I sign into the freaking service.
Qobuz isn't responding to my questions, so I guess I'll post them on YoutTube videos that mention or review them..
Are you from Philippines? How did you get through when payment is being done? I tried two credit cards, both failed everytime I make a payment. Did you use a VPN? If yes, which one is it? TIA
Unfortunately all recording fron 1993 till present most are not hi res most conpani recorded the studio album at 16 bits 44 khz 😂. That’s why only er are getting to 192khz the oldest production. If people wanna hear the real master studio sound get a reel to reel machine and buy some old reel to reel 4 track tapes to 7 ips 😂
Found Qobuz to be awful. I didnt find Apple Music's recommendations to be as hit or miss as suggested, usually it gives me a good selection of stuff I listen to or might want to, and I listen mostly to metal and classic rock, and other niche things.
I've thought about trying it but worried they won't have any death metal on the platform
Ripped CD's always sounds Better than any lossless streaming services, i tried all (Sorry for my english)