What Has Happened To Tidal?

Most of my listening is Tidal HiFi. Great SQ improvement with 4.6 on my 272. No dropouts, but I'm still getting occasional 'stuttering' between tracks, ie stream flips incessantly between end of track just played and start of the next track. Have to stop and restart play to resume. Not sure if this is an android app issue though.

DrPo posted:

Chag... posted:

I currently have a Hi-Fi (FLAC 25/96 only) subscription with Qobuz via the external Chromecast Audio device. Upgrading to Vodka Toslink and updating to 6.4 have led to a substantial SQ inprovement as well - almost to catch up with Tidal, but not quite yet. ????

Chag -

I don’t know to which extent Chromecast may prove a limiting factor when comparing Tidal (native integration) vs Qobuz (non native).

I stream Qobuz to my NDX using the “mconnect” app which provides native integration for both Tidal and Qobuz and am extremely happy with the sound quality (not to mention the prevalent musical taste). I was about to create a post on this when I noticed it has been mentioned in a recent thread (but I have the impression it has gone rather unnoticed).

I too stream Qobuz using "mconnect", but into nDac. Happy with SQ, but what is frustrating is that you appear not to be able to access any CD booklets via mconnect which can be done streaming Qobuz direct. (Why I don't do this is a long story and was reported previously...issue with current Qobuz update using IOS (IPad)). Accessing booklets, particularly for classical music, to my mind is a big plus for Qobuz. Also, far better selection of jazz and classical than Tidal. My hi-fi dealer also feels that SQ on Qobuz is a little better than Tidal.   

Update from my side. Starting last Sunday, the pauses have reduced very significantly. That said, it does occasionally raise its head, which is terribly annoying to me (Tidal accounts for 97 percent or more of my listening). 

Over the past few hours today, I have had 3 pauses so far.

wonder if it's worth dropping a note to Tidal.... I suspect Naim is not going to say much here but it would be good if they could persuade Tidal to get its servers to behave properly. I have heard (anecdotally) that other streamers may be facing similar issues with Tidal.

I don't get dropouts or pauses on Tidal whilst listening on my Klimax DS/1 or microRendu based systems.

I have no idea if the issue on Naim streamers is anything to do with recent software updates, but I have recently (post software update) begun to suffer occasional pauses and dropouts while listening to Internet Radio on my Muso.  

DrPo posted:

Chag... posted:

I currently have a Hi-Fi (FLAC 25/96 only) subscription with Qobuz via the external Chromecast Audio device. Upgrading to Vodka Toslink and updating to 6.4 have led to a substantial SQ inprovement as well - almost to catch up with Tidal, but not quite yet. ????

Chag -

I don’t know to which extent Chromecast may prove a limiting factor when comparing Tidal (native integration) vs Qobuz (non native).

I stream Qobuz to my NDX using the “mconnect” app which provides native integration for both Tidal and Qobuz and am extremely happy with the sound quality (not to mention the prevalent musical taste). I was about to create a post on this when I noticed it has been mentioned in a recent thread (but I have the impression it has gone rather unnoticed).

Please could you, or anyone, explain how you stream Qobuz to the NDX using mconnect? I found the app and the Qbs show up, but not the 272. 

In mconnect :

- select NDX in the “play to” tab

- select QOBUZ in the “browser” tab 

Addendum: not all stramers are “visible” in the “play to” tab - I read somewhere the technical requirements but don’t recall where and what ... I have tried with other (non NAIM) products and they were not visible in the “play to” tab so it could be that the 272 and NDX architectures  differ in some subtle way that plays a role here. You may also try a couple of refresh’s ... ocassionaly the NDX does not show up but a refresh fixes it.

however mconnect is still no5 perfect in that it does not support booklets within Qobuz (which for me is the USP of this streaming service...)

Thanks. I initially tried mcontrol, which only showed the Qbs and not the 272. I’ve now installed mconnect lite (the free one) and it lets me stream my Qobuz purchases to the 272. Presumably if I subscribed to Qobuz I could stream everything, so it would be worth taking a free trial. The sound quality of the streamed purchases is pretty good, and certainly way better than when I tried a Chromecast dongle. Mconnect seems pretty easy so I wonder why more people are not using it. 

Maybe I'll take on another free Tidal trial.  When I last listened to their high quality service, well over a year ago, it was like listening to 128kbps mp3's to me.

Well, I’ve started a month’s free trial on Qobuz and can stream their catalogue happily. It’s sounding ok on a quick listen. I’ll compare to locally stored music later on. It’s not as slick as using Tidal in the Naim app, but maybe it’s a case of needing to get used to it. 

ok, good to know and eager to hear your impressions of streamed/locally stored files. I do wonder why not more people use mconnect but realized lately that some vendors who don't want to get into the vagaries of developing their own app (like Metronome) are quite open about recommending it

I’ve started a dedicated thread so that this one stays on topic, and have of course given you the credit. Many thanks.

Thanks for highlighting this, it's come at a good time as I have received a 3 month 3 subscription with a Yamaha Musiccast player that we have bought for the conservatory system (the Musiccast is a bit like a Sonos Connect) so have activated this and will see how it goes.

After my 3 months I may activate a Tidal trial again as I have one spare from our splurge on Muso QB's last year that I haven't yet activated!

Bart posted:

Maybe I'll take on another free Tidal trial.  When I last listened to their high quality service, well over a year ago, it was like listening to 128kbps mp3's to me.

Certainly worth a try, I’ve found myself enjoying Tidal more over the last couple of months on NDX. I wouldn’t say it was ever as bad as 128 MP3, but it certainly used to fall quite a long way short of CD rip quality. 

On a related issue, sometimes, when you pay double for lossless quality, you still get a lossy AAC stream, so it’s worth checking this on the app. I have noticed this less frequently of late, but it still happens. 

Tidal replied to my mail. Although the dropout issue seemed to have already improved a bit over the course of last week, they recommended two actions:

1) Switch off router/switches then back on starting with router, then any connected switches one by one.
This worked for me, I haven't had any dropouts since doing this. I should have done this standard practice as soon as I started to get dropouts - I guess I was just being lazy..

2) Change DHCP servers to google public servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) in your device or router
I didn't try this as my issue seems resolved, but will see if it works should the problem come back.

Solution 1 looks like symptomatic relief to me, rather than a fix for the underlying problem. Time will tell. 

DC71 posted:

 

2) Change DHCP servers to google public servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) in your device or router
I didn't try this as my issue seems resolved, but will see if it works should the problem come back.

Tried this but it didn't work...

Agreed, Tidal very much improved through 272. Defo was background listening only for me before update.

First track I played post update was an instant, 'Eureka' type moment and have used it an awful lot more for listening in main system since.

Vinyl, CD, USB still sound stronger IMO tho'...

Yes, I too feel that tidal as taken a step forward in performance, but still no match for CD. 

nigelb posted:

sjbabbey posted:

I’d guess that as both UPnP and Tidal (internet) use the LAN ethernet input into the streamer they will share the same path via the SHARC processor into the streamer’s DAC and benefit (or otherwise depending on your point of view) from the DSP upgrade in the 4.6 firmware.

That would make sense as the level of improvement (significant) from the 4.6 update I hear on UPnP is equivalent to that via Tidal streaming.

I was 'trialling' albums on Tidal this evening which I am considering buying on CD and was listening to 'Smoke and Noise' by Chris Jones and Steve Baker and was struck by the quality old Chris' guitar (and when he slides his acoustic guitar it is intoxicating) and vocals and Steve's harmonica. Every track was so entertaining. This is a superbly recorded live album and listening to it I just had to visit the River and buy the CD.

Having paid a reasonable sum for a fine album on CD, I thought 'why did I do that'? This is the first time I have questioned the need to possess the CD over listening on Tidal, it was that good. Anyway, I will get the chance to do a direct comparison of CD vs Tidal of the same album post 4.6 update.

Is Tidal now beginning to challenge the SQ of ripped CD? Interesting times.

Update:

Further to my above post and me questioning my sanity in buying a CD when it sounded so good on Tidal post 4.6 update, the CD in question turned up in the post today and I have just ripped it and listening to it now on my NDS. The CD in question is Smoke And Noise by Chris Jones and Steve Baker.

I really wasn't expecting a great improvement over listening to this via Tidal as I remember being so impressed with Tidal after 4.6. Well listening to Smoke And Noise, the ripped CD has pretty much blown Tidal away. Don't get me wrong, Tidal SQ had improved with 4.6 IMV, but so has locally streamed material from my NAS (and UnitiServe), which I of course already knew. I guess this is the first time I have carried out a proper comparison of Tidal vs ripped CD of the same material post 4.6 update, although I realise mastering versions will vary.

So Tidal is improving but CD still remains supreme, well in this home, listening via this system with these ears.

BTW I have yet greater regard for this CD and I would thoroughly recommend it if you like a bit of Country/Blues performed by artists with exceptional musical and vocal talents. This is one superb album.

RIP Chris.