Author Topic: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service  (Read 6073 times)


Offline HAL

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2019, 02:49:43 PM »
Looking forward to giving it a try!

Will be interesting as they have a large library.

Offline Nick B

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2019, 03:15:57 PM »
Amazon entered cd streaming service today.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/promotions/AmazonMusicUnlimited/ref=amb_link_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-left-4&pf_rd_r=S3VDB365E5ZV694JRE21&pf_rd_r=S3VDB365E5ZV694JRE21&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=3db98083-b82f-496c-a18d-43f6256aa467&pf_rd_p=3db98083-b82f-496c-a18d-43f6256aa467&pf_rd_i=5174

For the folks who use BlueSound they already seem to have added support for it.

Hello D and good to see your post!  You may be aware that Folsom has taken over the forum and imho is doing a great job. You and he have great technical skills :thumb: 
As to the streaming, any idea what Amazon streams at? I’m still with Tidal and 16/44. As long as Tidal stays in business, I’ll likely use them.
Nick
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
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Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2019, 05:24:28 PM »
I think Amazon just changed the game.  Cheaper than any other lossless streaming service & high-res up to 192kHz/24Bit (album dependent it looks like).   It'll take a little while to sort it all out, but I imagine that Tidal and Spotify folks are starting to sweat.   I'd love to see it integrated with Roon, but my guess is that there's little reason for Amazon to do so.  Time will tell.   Hey, 90 day free trial - anyone curious will certainly jump on and give it a spin.

Offline shadowlight

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2019, 03:02:13 AM »

Hello D and good to see your post!  You may be aware that Folsom has taken over the forum and imho is doing a great job. You and he have great technical skills :thumb: 
As to the streaming, any idea what Amazon streams at? I’m still with Tidal and 16/44. As long as Tidal stays in business, I’ll likely use them.
Nick

Nick,

Amazon is using bit different terms to describe quality

Standard = mp3
HD = 16 bit - 44.1 Redbook
UltraHD = > Redbook up to 24/192K

There is 90 day free trial and if you are prime members it's 12.99 per month or 129/year if you sign up for yearly plan.

Integration with streamers is currently limited.  Hopefully it will get better as vendors update their firmware to add support.

Offline HAL

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2019, 04:35:55 AM »
Have the Ultra High Definition player software loaded from Amazon on my PC and playing music with the 90 day free trial.

Very simple interface to search and play.  First tracks sound very good in CD quality, and will be try out others to see what HD files sound like.

Offline the matching mole

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2019, 09:04:55 AM »
I installed it yesterday and started my 90-day free trial. I'm quite impressed with the sound quality -- it easily trounces what I get with the Apple service.

I've heard whispers that Apple may make HD streaming possible. They'd better get their act together soon, because Amazon has got them squarely beaten at this point in time.
"He was starving in some deep mystery, like a man who is sure what is true." -- Leonard Cohen

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2019, 10:05:27 AM »
It's an interesting point in time for music streaming.    Is Amazon trying to improve the quality of music streaming by implementing this new lossless service (and thus attract us audiophile-types) or is it simply trying to expand their revenue stream from mid-fi music listeners that will likely just stream to their Echo Dots, phones, etc...?    My guess is that their prime motivation is to sell more Amazon devices, but are they trying to steal customers away from Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, Apple, etc... or are they trying to attract new customers into the streaming marketplace?   Or just get more $$ from their existing Amazon Music service customers?

Personally, I'd love to see Roon integration because Roon has done a remarkable job with their UI, Tidal/Qobuz integration and wide endpoint support ranging from mid-fi to top-of-the-line audiophile rigs.   Amazon's approach really hasn't expanded the endpoint potential beyond what they previously served via their MP3 streaming.  Or at least, not yet.   My guess is that the audiophile market is barely a blip on the Amazon radar.

I'm sure I'll give their 90 day trial a spin, but my guess is that from an audiophile's perspective, it will become clear that we are not the target audience.

Offline Guy 13

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2019, 10:42:24 AM »
Hi all.
Excuse my ignorance, but I saw many times the word : Roon.
What is it exactly ?

Guy 13
Grace Digital Mondo RIT
Cambridge Mini sub 2.1
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prior to moving back to Canada.

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2019, 11:58:08 AM »
Check out roonlabs.com

It's software that let's you easily manage your own music collection,  adds value by providing detailed artist and album descriptive info, allows you to integrate Tidal and/or Qobuz, and makes it easy to stream music to a wide variety of endpoints.    I jumped on it 4 years ago when they announced that they support all the old Squeezebox endpoints, but have since been converting all my endpoints to support Roon RAAT (their Roon Ready protocol).   

Some feel it is a bit pricey for what you get.   I bought in for the lifetime license and absolutely love it.   Hands down beats anything else I've tried.   It fundamentally changed how I listen to music in a very good way.

Offline Nick B

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2019, 04:42:54 PM »
Hi all.
Excuse my ignorance, but I saw many times the word : Roon.
What is it exactly ?

Guy 13

Hello Guy,
I bought the Roon lifetime license as well. Great software and worth the $499
Nick
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline Guy 13

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2019, 05:11:31 PM »
Hi all.
Excuse my ignorance, but I saw many times the word : Roon.
What is it exactly ?

Guy 13

Hello Guy,
I bought the Roon lifetime license as well. Great software and worth the $499

Nick


Hi Nick B

This is what I found on '' Roon ''.
A long read by it explain in details what '' roon '' is.

Guy 13

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/what-is-roon/
Grace Digital Mondo RIT
Cambridge Mini sub 2.1
Schiit Fulla 2 DAC
Schiit SYS PCC
Sony Passive Bookshelf speakers
Lot more stuff on storage
prior to moving back to Canada.

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2019, 08:17:05 PM »
Hi all.
Excuse my ignorance, but I saw many times the word : Roon.
What is it exactly ?

Guy 13

Hello Guy,
I bought the Roon lifetime license as well. Great software and worth the $499

Nick


Hi Nick B

This is what I found on '' Roon ''.
A long read by it explain in details what '' roon '' is.

Guy 13

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/what-is-roon/


Guy, that's a very good overview of Roon as of 2+ years ago.   Many new features have been added since.   I think it was at version 1.3 at the time of that writing and it is now up to ver 1.6 with a new release pending I believe.   If you're at all interested, I'd suggest you take them up on their 14 day free trial - but be sure you have the time to give it a thorough look & listen.   Their forums are also quite robust and well moderated.


Offline Guy 13

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #13 on: September 18, 2019, 08:33:56 PM »
Hi mdconnelly and all.
At the moment, I am very happy with Radio Art at 4 USD a month.
Of course, I am limited to what that have, but up to know,
what they have is enough for me.
Later when I'm back in Montreal, Canada,
I will rip all my analog audio stuff to digital
and for me convenience of finding what I want to listen, is not a priority,
because it will be only maybe once a week, when the nostalgia hit me.
The 500USD Roon is asking, I will spend it on improving a little my near field ambiant music system.
I was only curious to know what is '' roon ''
so many new words in the audio hi end vocabulary.
Thanks anyway for taking the time to give me more info.

Guy 13
Grace Digital Mondo RIT
Cambridge Mini sub 2.1
Schiit Fulla 2 DAC
Schiit SYS PCC
Sony Passive Bookshelf speakers
Lot more stuff on storage
prior to moving back to Canada.

Offline mdconnelly

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Re: Amazon Music HD - New CD and HiRes Streaming Service
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2019, 05:13:46 AM »
IMHO, Roon's greatest value is if you have a large digital library and enjoy messing with a computer to rip and tag music.   I must admit that after adopting Roon, I buy and spin far less and that's not necessarily a good thing.   I have shown Roon to a number of friends that were quite impressed but each stated that they would far rather put the $500 purchase fee or $120 annual use fee toward new audio gear or, more likely, good wine, bourbon and/or scotch.   
« Last Edit: September 19, 2019, 05:15:45 AM by mdconnelly »