Stuck between Tidal, Deezer, Apple Music Lossless and others? Let us help you decide!

Once upon a time, music streaming services couldn’t get anywhere near close to CD-quality or better sound. But all that has changed now with the introduction of high-res and lossless streams that deliver more detailed and accurate sound reproduction. With hi-fi streaming services, you can have it all — hundreds of thousands of songs at your fingertips played with CD-quality fidelity.

Now the biggest question is: which streaming service is best for your listening preferences? With the original high-res services like Tidal and Deezer now competing with new services like Amazon HD and Apple Music Lossless, you have many options available.

Keep reading to learn four factors to consider when choosing a hi-fi streaming service for your home audio setup in Westchester, NY.

SEE ALSO: Listen to All Your Digital Music in Near-Perfect Fidelity With dCS

 

1. Supported File Formats

Hi-res audio can be encoded in several file formats. FLAC is the most popular and preferred format for high-res audio files. It’s a lossless compression format that stores files at a manageable size, along with metadata like album information and artwork. Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, and Amazon Music HD all support FLAC.

Tidal also offers subscribers the opportunity to listen to Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) tracks. MQA delivers guaranteed master recordings directly from the master source in the highest resolution possible. You’ll feel like you’re standing in the recording studio listening to your favorite artists record songs in front of you.

Apple is the outlier in high-res audio. They have a proprietary high-res, lossless code called ALAC that plays natively on all Apple devices. The downside is that Apple Music doesn’t support other file formats like FLAC.

2. Collection Size and Music Range

Some hi-fi streaming services have more robust music collections than others. Tidal has over 80 million hi-fi tracks available, Apple offers over 75 million tracks in CD-quality, and Amazon HD, Deezer and Qobuz contain over 70 million tracks in their extensive libraries.  

But it’s not just the size of the collection that matters — you may choose one service over the other based on the music genres available. For example, Qobuz doesn’t contain as many Pop songs or new releases as other services but has rich niche collections for Folk, R&B, Jazz, and Classical music. Meanwhile, Tidal has a broad, wide-ranging catalog while staying up-to-date with large collections for Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, and Dance music.

It’s worth perusing each service before deciding to ensure you’ll have access to the kind of music you enjoy listening to the most.

3. Additional Features

Check out the additional features each service has to offer to see what kind of bang you’ll be getting for your buck. Tidal has plenty of fun extras included in a subscription, including access to music videos, live concert streams, artist interviews, podcasts, and other exclusive content. Qobuz’s most interesting extra is the opportunity to buy and download your favorite albums in CD or hi-res quality for permanent ownership. Amazon HD offers original podcast programming, exclusive radio stations, live concert streams, and music videos.   

Make sure you peruse each service’s website to see everything included in a subscription before you make a final decision.

4. Price

What kind of value are you getting for the price? If you already own Apple devices, Apple Lossless is an amazing deal — it’s free with an Apple Music subscription. Amazon HD is one of the cheapest streaming services on the market — only $8/month if you Amazon Prime and $10/month if you don’t. Qobuz and Deezer are mid-range at $13/month and $15/month, respectively. At $20/month, Tidal is far and away the most expensive option, but the service offers the largest music library and most exclusive content of any of its competitors.

Electronic Concepts is your trusted hi-fi audio dealer in Westchester, NY, and surrounding areas. Visit our showroom to listen to a demo of high-res music on speakers from leading brands like Bowers & Wilkins, Meridian, and Magico. Call us, fill out an online form, or start a chat online to schedule a no-obligation consultation with our experts.