I’ll keep dabbling around with Amazon HD. It has a solid selection (similar to TIDAL).
Thus far I’m disappointed in the sound quality. I have no idea why the same tracks sound worse on Amazon HD than TIDAL, but they do.
Could it be their lack of WASAPI/exclusive mode? I really don’t know.
If I could find a way to make it sound the same as TIDAL, I’d sub to the former and cancel the latter.
I used Prime (bundled) Music heavily a few years ago. The player was really finicky on some platforms – often cutting out and sounding digitized. I’m not confident they’ve improved it.
Since I am finally home, and the late nature (or pathologically early, I guess) nature of my arrival meant I had already slept too long to do so when I got home, I got to spend a few hours playing with Amazon HD Music.
Very mixed bag so far.
The app is largely horrible, at least on Mac OS. It’ll only output to the default audio device (same braindead behavior that Spotify exhibits and they have persistently not bothered to fix for YEARS), and it does not automatically switch the bit-depth or sample rate on the output.
That wouldn’t be a big deal, but I’ve run across a number of “HD” (or “Ultra HD”) albums for which various tracks are at different bit-depths and rates. Which means if you manually set the output rate (via Audio MIDI Control) to, say, 16/44.1 … you wind up with everything else being forcibly resampled in Core Audio.
Also, no option for Direct or Exclusive output which is, I suspect, the reason that most of the stuff I’ve compared has sounded better from TIDAL or Qobuz (in no case, so far, has Amazon HD sounded better) either via their direct apps, Audirvana or Roon.
The app is worse than TIDAL and Qobuz (for reference, I think the Spotify app is pretty bloody awful too … it’s just differently-shitty than the TIDAL and Qobuz ones).
Didn’t find any of the oddball tracks that I can’t get in TIDAL or Qobuz on Amazon either (they’re not on iTunes or Spotify either).
If they fix the app so it reliably offers bit-perfect output on Mac OS (i.e. automatic sample rate/bit-depth switching) and allow for Direct/Exclusive output, I’ll probably keep it around. For it to get much use for critical listening, however, it’s going to have to get integrated with Roon and/or Audirvana.
At least it’s another option, but it’s an inconvenient one at present with no quality-benefit over the existing services I use at present.
In my experience with Amazon music, they do indeed have terrible DRM. The material frequently times out when used in offline mode. Some albums just disappear/become unplayable too.
I don’t make much use of streaming, Amazon Music is one I’ve used because I have Prime. No real problems with it. Not really interested in their High Res option but I’m sure they will have success with it.
After all, this is Amazon, they can reach between the couch cushions and come up with enough money to buy one of the other streaming services if they want to.
Mark Gosdin
Since I have Amazon Prime I took advantage of the 90 day free trial of Amazon Music HD. While the mainstream press is just beside themselves on how good it sounds at a bargain price it is lackluster compared to Qobuz. I would not pay $10 a month for the sound quality I am hearing.
Amazon Music HD desktop app can not stream in Wasapi Exclusive mode while both Tidal and Qobuz can. I believe that is the main reason for the sound problems. I find it flat, boring to listen to. Soundstage depth and imaging is inferior to Qobuz. If you want to play at the proper rate you have to go into Windows mixer and set for each song.
I don’t think Amazon is going after audiophiles so Qobuz has little to worry about. I will revisit in a few months and see if they update the app to allow exclusive mode playback or integration into Roon or Audirvana. I won’t hold my breath for that though: Amazon being what it is I don’t see them opening their API without significant licensing fees.
If you are using Windows 10 there is a way to avoid the worst aliasing artifacts the resampling in shared mode is causing during playback in Amazon Music HD. I shared this guide with Matt Poes at Audioholics.
Turn off System sounds in Windows
Turn volume all the way up in the Amazon Music HD app using the volume slider
Turn volume all the way up in Windows Sounds for your default device (my outboard DAC)
Since volume is forced you will have to adjust playback volume using the volume pot on your amp or preamp
For each song you play in Amazon Music HD note the sample rate and bit depth, go to the Advanced Tab of Speaker/Headphones Properties in Windows and select the same sample rate and bit depth to be used when running in shared mode
Until Amazon Music HD adds Wasapi or ASIO exclusive mode to their desktop app this works but is completely impractical.
Haha - yes, not everywhere a solution at all - these streaming services
Umm huh? I do this already to run Foobar 2k on my windows 10 laptop
I have a very basic Topping D10 that does USB to Coaxial and then coax into my RME ADI 2dac,
That said I enjoy the windows application, I have all of what you have there already set on that laptop and overall I’m quite impressed with how easy HD Music was to get set up, my library is kinda limited on the laptop but I can easily switch between local files and HD Music with the settings you have
listed
Tho I would like to see a better suite of playback options for both the Windows application and Android especially!!!
Found this interesting article on another forum, not sure the validity or accuracy of the tests but if it’s true this would be a big step forward for Amazon Music HD and BlueSound if they have figured a way to get bit perfect with AmazonMusicHD.
I just posted some info about this in another thread.
The blatant statement of “Amazon Music HD is Lossy” is misleading at best and probably flat out false.
Heads up about Amazon Music. Just received an email that they are dropping the upcharge for HD music. You still have to subscribe to Unlimited feature but they will stop charging for HD.
Personally, I think this is a game changer. Especially if you are already subscribed to Prime.
How much is Unlimited if you are a Prime member?
$7.99
HD used to be $12.99 if you had prime. So you save $5/month.
I believe its $7.99 a month. I seem to recall that they discount it more (possibly) if you pay for a year in advance.
I paid a year in advance ($129). I wonder how that discount will work for me. The competition is heating up, and Amazon is executing the classic monopolist move of undercutting on price.
There’s so much new content these days I think all media providers are grateful for any attention.
Well at least they’re not removing extra 16th notes. I think they’re being sharp. Only my quips fall flat. Possibly because I’m not on Amazon’s music staff. It’s my signature sense of humor. Never mind me, once I get to DC I’ll be fine. Readers please note, puns are low humor. Totally base.