If you’re really passionate about the fidelity of your music’s audio, then, streaming services may not be your choice. But you can really get high-quality sound from some of the services on the market—there are many variations to consider based on the platform you use and whether you’re paying or not.
Although we will not delve too much into the technical details of audio formats here, you will find three main layers of audio quality in the different streaming services: first are lossy compressed formats, such as AAC and MP3 encoded at bit rates up to 320 kbps (as far as bigger, better).
As you upgrade to better, lossless sound formats, measurements vary: there is CD-quality audio encoded at a depth of 16 bits up to a sample rate of 44.1 kHz (equivalent to 1,411 kbps) and quality audio 24-bit encoded studio up to 192 kHz (equivalent to 9,216 kbps).
Advancing through these audio layers is the same as upgrading to a better camera to improve photo quality-resolution of images – there are many more details and information stored as the quality of the tracks increases.
Qobuz
Qobuz takes pride in the quality of the music it broadcasts. Your plans go up to studio quality – which is the FLAC format encoded in 24 bits and up to 192 kHz – and the plan will cost $ 15 per month (less if you pay for one year at a time). There are desktop and mobile apps available, as well as a web player.
G / O Media can receive a commission
The recently announced partnership between Qobuz and Sonos gives audiophiles another choice. Qobuz is the first service to offer a lossless 24-bit format compared to Sonos systems, so if these are the speakers you have set up at home (or are thinking of purchasing), then Qobuz is a suitable speakerresolution audio partner.
Tide
Audio quality has been a selling point for Tide from the start, and if you pay the $ 20 /monthly plan, you get music with 16-bit quality and 44.1 kHz. A selection of albums is also available in master quality – which is 24 bits and up to 192 kHz – but you get it included as part of the Tidal HiFi plan. The standard $ 10 /The one-month premium package offers music of up to 320 kbps in quality.
Tidal has also partnered with a number of speaker manufacturers to ensure high-quality playback away from their applications and mobile devices: Bluesound, Denon, Naim, Cambridge Audio, and Astell & Kern are some of the many companies that have signed up. However, transmission to speakers (including Sonos) peaks at 16 bits instead of 24 bits.
Amazon Music
Amazon offers a somewhat disconcerting range of streaming music packages, from free to bundled with Prime and high-fidelity – and the latter is Amazon Music HD. It matches Tidal by offering its entire catalog at 16 bits / 44.1 kHz and a smaller subsection of music at 24 bits / 192 kHz, and will cost you $ 13 per month if you already subscribe to Prime and $ 15 per month if you are not.
In addition to playing this 24-bit music on your mobile and desktop devices, it is also compatible with a limited number of speakers and associated equipmentspecifically, Echo Studio, Echo Link and Echo Amp. As long as you’re willing to go all-in on the Amazon ecosystem, you can get high-resolution music streaming all over the house.
Deezer
Among the many reasons to sign up for the Deezer is the Deezer HiFi plan, which offers music in FLAC quality of 16 bits and 44.1 kHz for US $ 15 per month. Stick to the $ 10 per month plan and you’ll get up to 320 kbps in terms of streaming quality. If you are a non-paying user of the Deezer platform, you are limited to 128 kbps.
If you choose the high-level HiFi plan, you can enjoy that sound fidelity on all platforms and devices where Deezer is compatible (and the list it’s a long, extending from the consoles to the web player). A 24-bit plan is not yet available, but 16-bit works almost everywhere.
Spotify
If you are paying $ 10 a month and using the dedicated Spotify desktop or mobile apps instead of the web player, you can get up to 320 kbps. Haccess the application settings on your platform choose and browse the audio quality section to make sure you’re always getting the best quality possible. meif you leave these settings on Automatic, Spotify adjusts the bit rate to match your internet connection. For free users, this rate reaches 160 kbps.
Better audio fidelity is coming, Nonetheless. Still this year, Spotify will launch Spotify HiFi for an additional fee not yet disclosed, and this will guarantee you “CD-quality, lossless audio” whether you’re listening on a device or through a Spotify Connect speaker setup. Once it starts correctly, we’ll take you all the details.
Apple Music
Apple does not publicly disclose the bit rate at which its music is transmitted across the Apple Music platform, although the general consensus is that ‘s 256 kbps AAC based on tracks such as the files that you can buy on iTunes. For now, it’s a Size fits all options; there is no free tier.
Apple has always made noise about taking an interest in audio fidelity, since it started offering digital downloads at the beginning of the millennium, and it makes us think that something equivalent to Spotify HiFi will not be far behind. For years it has been offering lossless downloads for purchase, but so far there are no streams.
Youtube Music
Youtube Music matches Apple Music in its choice of 256 kbps AAC streaming quality – unless you are not currently subscribing to the premium service, in which case you will be reduced to 128 kbps AAC.
There are no desktop apps with YouTube Music, but you can specify a streaming quality within the mobile and web apps – the options are similar to what you get with Spotify. Open your device’s settings screen, and in the playback and audio quality menus, you can set the quality for streaming over wi-fi, streaming over cellular networks and for tracks downloaded to your device.