SHOULD YOU SWITCH to Apple Music? Is APPLE MUSIC Better?

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WHICH MUSIC SERVICE IS BEST? APPLE, TIDAL OR AMAZON?
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►SHOULD I SWITCH TO APPLE MUSIC? DOES APPLE MUSIC SOUND BETTER?
With the latest Apple Music update, you might be asking yourself, “Should I switch to Apple Music”? In this video, we take a look at what is new with Apple Music including Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos Music. Is Apple Music better? Is it worth switching from other streaming services like Spotify or TIDAL to Apple Music? Is Apple Music better sound quality? Is Dolby Atmos music really here to stay? What you need to access lossless audio from Apple Music!
00:00 WHICH MUSIC SERVICE IS BEST - INTRO
00:35 WHAT IS APPLE MUSIC
01:00 DO I NEED APPLE MUSIC
02:00 WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR APPLE MUSIC
04:17 HOW DOES APPLE MUSIC SOUND
06:00 WHO SHOULD GET APPLE MUSIC
08:09 WHY AVOID APPLE MUSIC
10:20 WHY DOLBY ATMOS MUSIC
12:54 KRISTI'S TAKE
21:39 SIGN OFF
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#applemusic #streamingmusic #musicstreaming

[@robinsonbrand]

★ *Try Apple Music **apple.co/36AOi7I** + TIDAL for **bit.ly/TIDALrobinson** FREE!* ★ *QOTD: What streaming service is your favorite and why?* ★ ADDITIONAL INFO IN THE DESCRIPTION⬆︎ ★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*

[@Gnawcx]

QOTD: I use Spotify. I like it because of the simplicity of it's recommendation system. I've found a lot of new music through that.

[@KristiWright]

To the others who left your comments here earlier, we didn't delete them. Promise! YT is being quite fussy with Andrew's comments and wiped the entire thread out so had to repost it.

[@genki2genki]

@@KristiWright Thanks!

[@scottscottsdale7868]

Apple Music is now great! If deep into the ecosystem like me there is no reason not to try it.

[@SeanVedell]

@@KristiWright thanks. I wondered where this went earlier.

[@polishdude001]

I can't justify 20 bucks for Tidal anymore. So apple music it will be. It really is the best now at the price point. No contest.

[@jaredhagan419]

I’ve had Spotify for years but have been running on a Tidal HiFi trial and have been absolutely loving it. Completely agree with you that Tidal just seems to get me with my music preferences. On top of that, their interface is so intuitive.

[@bardenhick2121]

If only it was truly lossless

[@ericjohnson829]

For me it's been the opposite, I found moving from Spotify to most any service has been difficult. Tidal, I struggled with navigation and can't recall getting any suggested playlists based on my listening habits or what I've listened to most. Spotify knows my preferences and the I know the UI and it's music suggestions and generated playlists are usually just spot on.

[@Splashadian]

Tidal in my 3 month free trial didn't once recommend me anything but garbage hip-hop music. All it does is push that nonsense over all other music genres and I can't stand it. Plus I'm not a fan of the DRM scam they run with MQA.

[@gaza4543]

@@ericjohnson829 I agree my discovery of new music actually went down. I moved to Apple though as it offers more beyond just amusic streaming service. You can actually bundle the rest of apples services into one plan. For the same price or close to the same as Spotify’s family plan. Makes mores sense to me tbh. Though discovery work a little different I’m getting my head round it.

[@jeremymalloy2780]

I’m all about the Apple One family subscription

[@DanielLundh]

Ditto. Ditched Spotify because of it.

[@ejakaegypt]

Same

[@i_Lunardi_LFC]

Same here

[@TheFlyingBarrel]

Oh, there have been more attempts to make surround audio stick… Quadraphonic (LPs, 8-tracks, and reel to reels) 5.1 (SACD, DVD-Audio, HDCD) 7.1/Atmos (SACD, Blu Ray Audio, Digital/Stream)

[@uofmtigertech1316]

True, but all have had some barrier to entry regarding the price of the media and/or the equipment needed. This simply comes with the service and works with any headphones. I think the barrier to entry issue is resolved. Also, his experience with the mix of one artist is no different than the 2 channel mixes that were part of the "loudness wars". As far back as I can remember, mixing and sound quality have been hit or miss.

[@victorlujan6186]

Maybe when Tidal dumps MQA they can afford to lower their price 😂😂

[@Andersljungberg]

It’s not Qobus more expensive

[@Andersljungberg]

Movies with without Dolby, can’t be more sheep . I don’t think so

[@Kyrewood]

I think Apple Music works very well in the car. You don’t need to touch anything. Just tell Siri what you want to hear. Further, if you’ve been using the service for a while, it’s AI gets to know what music you like, and you can just tell Apple to play your own radio station. It will even create a radio station around any artist, you can ask for information about a track and and ask for it to be added to a playlist.

[@paulitik7]

I’ve been using the camera kit from my iPhone 12 to a Qudelix DAC Amp into my Sennheiser 58x wired open backs. Dramatic improvement over regular Apple Music and Spotify, and definitely any digital downloads I got from vinyl records purchases. I’ve also run an optical cable out of my TV to my Schiit Modi 3+ through a 70s vintage Pioneer Integrated and JBL Studio 530s, using my Apple TV 4K as a streamer and it’s fantastic.

[@carlosturciosolivera1899]

I have found this configuration for OTG audio as the best for me: tidal+USBAPP+FIIO Q3+Shures 846s (balanced).

[@thebingaling1105]

Am I the only one who thinks the Apple Music interface is better than Tidal? Also I've been listening to both and to me Apple sounds nicer. MQA sounds muddy to me. I'm currently using both but even via Airplay vs Tidal into a Node 2i I prefer Apple. Must do more testing.

[@domtomas1178]

Unfortunately, Apple Music is still missing from a lot of HiFi streamers as well as Roon. And this will not be changing any time soon. If you want to listen to Apple Music you have to use Apple Hardware, or some cheap Sonos speakers. The only way to get lossless Apple Music into a HiFi system is to use an iPad/Mac and a Lightening to USB dongle. Even Airplay2 will downsample the stream to AAC, so you're not going to get lossless to your HiFi. It's a real shame, because the service and the App is very good.

[@grahamlake9728]

Agree. Apple are providing hi res up to the device and then it’s downsampled to aac. What’s the point?

[@djphat1736]

Holy crap you used the same DAC I use! Sweet, makes this review even better! Thanks man! Do you like the SMSL? If so, any compares to other DAC's? I also have the Bluesound node 2i (not brand new, the one just before). I like them both, but to me the SMSL is a touch better. Just a touch.

[@Orchestra101]

I totally agree with you about Tidal’s curated playlist and stations.. they are spot on!! You can listen them hours indeed.

[@CavalierLiberty]

I use Amazon. I was paying the up charge, and when they went all in with HD they lowered my rate. Never has a service done that for me.

[@mistymu8154]

I am an Apple Music subscriber. I recently tried Tidal, their standard $9.99 a month plan now includes hi-fi in the cost, still have to pay extra for MQA. I do quite like the interface for Tidal, but ultimately I found the library to be lacking. I found quite a few smaller more indie artists that are just not available on Tidal that are available on Spotify and Apple Music. I investigated further and there are reports of indie artists receiving zero money from Tidal in several months up to a year, in the meantime have received money from Apple and Spotify. Tidal prides itself on paying more and supporting the artist, but they seem not to follow through with smaller artists and it does not surprise me that smaller artists are pulling their music from Tidal.

[@Indy4Cookie]

I have heard from an indie artist that apple does pay the most per listen. Obviously they don’t get a lot of money either way but at least it’s a bit better.

[@leonsam12]

I would also say, pick what sounds best to your speaker set up, I had to change services after buying different speakers

[@goldenwafflez7715]

Just watch this Andrew and keeping my Tidal subscription - would love to hear a good ATMOS playlist from you.

[@markpowers7752]

Thank you, I enjoyed your video. I also have been a very long time subscriber $19.99 per month of Tidal. I am an audiophile, I listen to Tidal at work on the cheapest of equipment. But, at home I have the full blown Atmos rig, amps, speakers, etc using the Amazon 4K Fire Cube with the Tidal app, primarily for the Tidal Dolby Atmos content. It has never really grabbed me and albums and playlists on Tidal in Atmos come and go, frustrating. This week I switched to the Apple 4K box, ditched the Fire Cube. I must say the Dolby Atmos from Apple Music, in content and actual sound blows away Tidal. Even when comparing the two apps side by side on the same Apple 4K box, all my LED's and VU meters, besides what I actually hear of course, the Apple Music is much more there to my liking. As I learn all the things, (learning curve) with Apple Music I see myself getting rid of Tidal, but for now I have both. I agree with you and Kristi, I do like the Tidal interface better, it is easier, but as Kristi pointed out, give myself a week or two and all will be fine. I actually see myself upgrading my phone with the dongle and external Dragonfly DAC or something similar with wired headphones to round out my lossless experience with Apple Music. I recently purchased a Luxman CD player for the ability to play MQA discs, and before I ditch Tidal I want to stream through the Luxman DAC and compare that to Apple Lossless. Oh brother, lots of little things in the audio world, even when talking about one thing. Small note: I also feel the over all sound and video is a hair better with the Apple box compared to the Amazon box.

[@apw2607]

The trick with Apple music in the car with Carplay is to use SIri.

[@Landoverse]

Siri is proof that Apple doesn’t respect itself, much less its customers.

[@uofmtigertech1316]

Yep, I was going to post the same thing. I have had CarPlay for several years and can't remember the last time I started going through menus in the car. You simply tell it what you want to hear and it plays it. I can't imagine Tidal has a better solution.

[@tristenl6938]

Thanks for the review! I am an Amazon music user and it seems like the switch from what you are comfortable with to this service isn’t worth the “hassle” tax. The honesty about the difference in sound was really appreciated

[@JohnnyJolt]

I kind of feel the same about Apple Music. I have used it since it was just iTunes. I can’t see a good reason to change. I usually just stream music in the car but I just bought a BBlueSound Node and am stepping into the streaming music at home system. Thanks for your info.

[@KristiWright]

Hey guys, all of Andrew's comments are being deleted by KZbin so you're stuck with me for the time being! Holla at your girl!

[@KristiWright]

@Douglas Blake KZbin is owned by Google though... Also y'all need to reevaluate what you consider "trashed" LOL. For future reference, see the B&W 606 review. That should be your barometer (at least for us).

[@genki2genki]

Totally agree with you about Tidy, I mean Tidal's, interface.

[@timlamadrid1988]

While moving across country I had to pack up my Roon/hi-fi system for a few months. I got an Apple Music subscription just so I could have some music in the meantime. I got hooked on it because of how easy it is to use via CarPlay! The secret is to do everything via Siri, don’t bother with the interface, just “hey Siri, play…” followed by a song, album, or playlist, and it does it. Really simple and totally hands free. Now that I’m moved in, I’m keeping my subscription just to use in the car. I wish it tied into Roon, but I doubt that’ll ever happen.

[@TheIpadfanatic]

Excellent job Andrew. I HAD Tidal + Roon integration but I became disillusioned with their MQA marketing. I switched to Qobuz and I am thrilled. Had an Apple trial and was impressed but it wasn't any better than Roon + Qobuz. And I agree, you should do a Roon video to promote them more.

[@nelsono4315]

thanks for the video. I am 66, I have 1000+ vinyl albums in my collection and over 2000 CDs. I love the whole process of playing records. Just like the radio does nothing for me, streaming does nothing for me. Too set in my ways :-)

[@paultomaszewski1964]

So far everyone has been comparing the streaming services and how they compare for sound quality to each other. What about comparing streaming to an actual file download of the same Hi Res quality? ( off of say HD Tracks, 7digital, etc.) Are these services doing anything to the quality of the file through their equipment that they use to push it out to us? Or even comparing to a physical CD of that music. By the way, don't use any of the streaming services.

[@clivesilver463]

Been using Apple for 2 months and the high Rez output is very good I compared high Rez downloads to streaming services and thee was no difference.. with Tidal qubuz and Amazon it didn't sound as good. For high Rez you must make sure its set up correctly to receive up to 24bit 192khz, its in the preference settings,, as long as your hardware will playback 24 96 or 24 192, the default setting is mp3 quality. I agree the interface is not on par with Tidal but that may improve, for 10 pounds you get High Resolution streaming, and I will consider keeping the service.

[@AlSiguenza]

Great Video. I’m catching it a few years late. I have to admit, I luv the t-shirt. Great band!

[@TheWolfCub71]

All Apple devices with a screen will show you the lyrics if you turn them on.

[@walrusgumboot]

This, and also the ability to watch film clips on the Apple TV are the main reasons I changed from Spotify to AM

[@konstantinosbalaskonis4553]

Android too!

[@sdipotaroeno]

Deezer does this too

[@ArthurZazueta]

Android will as well..

[@willfrank961]

The audiophile community critique of MQA isn't that it doesn't sound good, it's that they claimed it was lossless and then hindered people from checking it. Turns out, it's not lossless and often not "the original master", as they claim. Check out GoldenSounds youtube channel for more.

[@tebbywafer1665]

I want to think you for pointing me to your MQA review. I did get Roon for my house and use my Tidal subscription with it. And yes I get that MQA vs Non-MQA FLAC is still an issue, but I do not need an MQA DAC with Roon and thus I am not paying for MQA (I am Paying for Roon).

[@hifihappiness6387]

I totally agree with this assessment of the various streaming music services! 'Sept for the one that you left out (that I am fond of btw), KZbin Red. After listening/subscribing to them all...I have settled on Tidal. Though they don't have the collection that YTRed or Apple possess, I enjoy the layout and sound quality it does offer. And I personally do notice an improvement on many of the tracks I listen to. Particularly the Master editions.

[@Spliffcraniums]

KZbin music x KZbin Premium has been hitting all my check boxes so I have no itch to Jump, equipment I mostly listen to music on is iPhone 12 and AirPods Pro

[@robertwang7825]

Sound quality ,consistency , resolution , dynamics is better on Apple Music. You don’t need a dedicated streamer, no Roon endpoint. Just an IOS device like IPad Pro or IPhone pro connected to DAC via usb. Siri and Iwatch to control playback. Airplay2 for convenience. Turn on airplane mode and close all apps for optimum results. discontinued Tidal.

[@therevted]

I have not tried a paid streaming service and have a question about how the quality of the streaming files is affected going from computer to stereo system via wifi. Does the quality remain the same as streamed to computer, or is there a noticeable drop going from computer to stereo via wifi? I have held off on streaming because of this unknown. Thanks

[@douglashaggerty5463]

Thank you for the awesome video… so I am pretty entrenched in the Apple universe, therefore Apple Music just makes sense for me. I do not own a MacBook or Mac desktop (thinking about purchasing one). With just an iPhone I am trying to find a stereo set up that can best bring the most out of my Apple Music. What do you recommend, especially since all phones are now steering away from having direct line connections????

[@dbomberger]

Tidal, with the Veteran Discount. Great Deal and I love the interface and MQA

[@richardramorino3319]

If Tidal really pays artist more fairly, that's all I need to know. I'll keep Tidal.

[@mrneworleans504]

I had both for a while. It does sound the same on most songs but I canceled Tidal because the app on my Apple 4K tv is horrible, every time you back out of the app or the screensaver comes on the music drops out for a second or two. Kinda embarrassing when you’re showing off your 20k system and people are vibing to the music and it drops when you back out of an artists page to search for another. And yea I’ve updated, deleted, and reinstalled the app several times, googled solutions and nothing worked.

[@PhotoViking]

I have used Tidal for many years, mostly because my Linn streamer has it natively. Apple Music has so much more music so I now also have Apple Music. I copied my playlists with Soundiiz. I hope Linn will support Apple Music natively. So right now I use Tidal in my streamer and Apple Music everywhere else, like via airplay to my bathroomsystem or by USB-cable in my car.

[@RichAbe23]

Apple Music UI is shockingly over complicated but sounds amazing in my home theater setup through Apple TV.

[@KristiWright]

Kind of agree with you on the UI. It's pretty but not exactly intuitive.

[@andrewpattie358]

What I don't understand about the audiophile world is 20 years ago i was listening to my bose lifestyle system In bose 5.1 with the direct reflecting sound so the sound is coming from everywhere and apparently that was bad but now everyone wants sound from everywhere 😀 so dose that mean now its good 😀 but seriously iv been 20 years ahead of the game 🤣

[@andrewpattie358]

@Douglas Blake and again bose r bad and only u know what good sound quality is 🤣 my friend has a very good set up monitor audio Apex 9.2 marantz amp so on expensive cables and to me not any better really at some things it does sound better but he's allways fiddling with it and I'm just listening and the bose sound better then anything else iv ever heard Iv had wifi speakers all round my home since 2003 all connected to it and my 350cd's stored on it HDD playing the same thing round the house or different things in different rooms iv got wireless rear speakers too so yer bose definitely 10/15 years ahead 👍

[@clintonlyon4830]

Does Tidal Connect run in the exact same manner as Spotify? or are the differences to note.

[@jstpsgthru]

You mentioned that this was done with powered speakers? Here is just my experience. When Qobuz is playing through my pc on Klipsch RP41s, I cannot hear the difference between 16 bit 44.1 and Hi-Res. The Klipsch RP41 DAC handles up to 24 bit 96. If I use StreamMagic to route the music through a Cambridge Audio 851N to my Infinity Column II speakers the difference is immediately apparent with 24 bit 96kHz or higher. I wonder if the dac, in your powered speakers, accounted for not hearing a difference? I have another reason for not using Tidal; my equipment isn't set up for MQA. Ha, Calm Radio emails me offers twice a day.

[@AnirudhNatekar]

If you have a Hi-Fi system consisting of a good DAC, amp and speakers, and a spare Mac (capable of installing macOS 11.4) lying around, you have a hi-res streaming setup. In my case, I just download all the lossless and hi-res music to my library so I am not constantly using the Internet bandwidth. With the Apple Remote app on the iPhone/iPad, you can control the playback easily.

[@tomf1dublin1]

Apple Remote only controls your own playlists and not the rest of Apple Music . A great pity .

[@AnirudhNatekar]

@@tomf1dublin1 Yeah, the app is really from the iTunes library Home Sharing era. I hope they update the app to support Apple Music.

[@housepianist]

I've had Apple Music for a while and having all my music in lossless and high quality lossless now at no additional cost is a win for me. But yeah, the AM interface could use some improvement but it works OK.

[@reece3134]

what’s the difference between the lossless on am?

[@housepianist]

@@reece3134 lossless is just a lower bandwidth transmission of music for streaming. It’s a standard format that any streaming music company can use so it’s not Apple specific.

[@TheSuperDoc]

Hi Andrew, great video. Has been waiting for someone to provide a summary comparison. Apple provide two type of lossless, lossless and Hi-Res lossless. Do you know if Hi-Res lossless works with Apple-TV connection via HDMI to my LG SN11RG?

[@lonniefarmer7067]

I don't have a streaming service as I am one of the 5 SACD persons out here lol. My newest purchase today was the 6 Bach cello pieces done in DSD.

[@wildbird182]

I just switched from Tidal to Apple Music. Tidal is just too expensive and I don’t like the UI. Dealing with offline libraries is a boring experience. Apple Music is cheaper and the offline library experience is way better

[@j.j.h.atemycereal]

Great video, thanks! I subscribe to Spotify because that's the one my niece told me use. I don't have enough bandwidth to learn new stuff so I just do what young people tell me.

[@KristiWright]

😂

[@timchromecast]

Does Sonos really offer lossles + hi-res (max 48-24)? I thought it was still aac 256 kbps.

[@josesolano1300]

I listen to SIRIUSXM through a very crappy streamer that is built in my Yamaha 1060, but when it works it sounds pretty good. XM streams AAC @ 44.1.

[@philf_]

I subscribe to Apple Music. My usage grew organically from the old iPod/iTunes days. My impressions of Apple Lossless are based on *well engineered recordings* in Lossless vs their Lossy counterparts. Poorly engineered recordings and most recordings made during the Loudness Wars don’t sound much different unless a decent remaster exists. Music sounds fuller, richer o Better stereo L-R separation o Improved dynamic range o Violins and woodwinds “sing” to me o Notes trail off longer; eg, the resonance from the last piano note Vocals have more clarity o The lead singer sounds like they are in the room o Individual vocals stand out when harmonizing o Individual instruments also stand out better I notice new sounds with Lossless. If I re-listen to a Lossy version, I do hear those same “new” sounds. I just didn’t notice them before because they weren’t as prominent. My Bedroom/desk’s audio equipment supports up to CD quality lossless audio due to a limitation in my Audioengine powered speakers’ built-in DAC. It supports up to 24-bit/24kHz. I have a simple setup: My MBP is connected to the Audioengine speakers via USB. The speakers are connected to a Cambridge Audio subwoofer via RCA cables. 
My Living Room setup also supports up to CD quality lossless. This limitation is due to the Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K (2GEN) does not support Hi-res Lossless. Hopefully this can be addressed with a software upgrade. If it is a hardware limitation, I will be disappointed. My setup: o Apple TV 4K connects to an LG CX OLED via HDMI 2.1 cables o The LG connects to THENAUDIO's SHARC eARC converter via HDMI 2.1/eARC o The SHARC connects to an NAD C352 pre-amp via RCA cables o The NAD is connected to Monitor Audio speakers and subwoofer Note: I purchased the NAD C352 and Monitor Audio’s in DEC 2004 and they still sound great. I live in an 1BR apartment. I leverage Airplay2 for multi-room playback. And in a small 1BR apt, multi-room means 2 rooms ;) Via Apple Music on my MBP, I can playback music on both the Audioengine and Monitor Audio speakers simultaneously. I use the “iTunes Remote” iOS app to control Apple Music on my MBP via my iPhone when I’m not in my bedroom. Because I live in a Manhattan apt, my typical audio levels are around 55-65dB (if the iOS Decibel X app is to be trusted.) BEWARE: If you leverages Apple Music’s matching feature, you may or may not be getting the Lossless version streamed to you. Make sure you see the Lossless icon. To address this issue, I backed up my old music library (of rips and purchases) and deleted the tracks from Apple Music. I then re-added the tracks using the Apple Music version. Apple recommends removing versions of the tracks stored locally, but I did not see consistent results.

[@nickt2159]

You nailed it on the music sound points. I love music and I noticed the same things. Vocals as well. I also notice that Apple can sound levels consistently across all songs. I was constantly turning the volume levels up or down across most songs on tidal. Very happy I made the switch to Apple Music.

[@philf_]

Update: When using Airplay 2 from MBP to Apple TV, the sound quality from the Apple TV does not sound sound the same as when I playback a track directly on Apple TV. There is a degradation in sound quality. Not a big deal when doing work around the apartment. It makes a difference if I want an immersive experience. But I suppose, I shouldn't be using "multi-room" for that.

[@steverees1936]

I'm totally with you on the hassle of switching streaming services. I am new to the streaming world and I bit the bullet a year ago by signing up to Spotify, hoping that they would eventually go down the lossless road. I was jumping like a crazy man when they announced that it was going to happen later this year. I had an apple account and my old iPod touch won't work anymore due to the operating system not being supported. I ditched apple because of this and now use Spotify in my home and the car without this hassle. I love Spotify for its interface and music suggestions plus's the sound quality in premium is not bad at all. Can't see me changing.

[@JoshHare85]

I had Apple Music in the early days but moved to Tidal purely because it integrates with Serato DJ software. But since lossless has come out on Apple Music (and I have a family & deep in the ecosystem) I now subscribe to both and 🍎 Music is now amazing 😉 Never been a fan of Spotify. Great video 👍🏼

[@mjejce]

My simple solution to streaming Apple Music is to use an old Airport Express connected via Toslink to my integrated amp, which has a very nice internal Wolfson dac. (Apple no longer makes the Airport Express, but you can pick up a used one on eBay for $50-$75.) Yes, I know I'm limited to 16bit 48K, but you know what, that's plenty good for me. I personally can't hear the difference at 24/196. Maybe my system isn't good enough. Maybe I'm too old. Either way, I'm effortlessly streaming CD-quality music from my iPad/iPhone to my two-channel stereo and it sounds great.

[@mydayis5]

I thought I’d give Apple Music a go recently because it cheaper than Deezer which I was using previously. I noticed some tracks were jumping, in the same way a vinyl record can jump. I checked a few of the tracks this was happening to and it seemed to be built into songs themselves as was always at the same point in the song. Weird?! Anyway, I don’t need annoying quirks like that so suffice to say I’m back with Deezer now!

[@sammywilliam8156]

Not to mention that Deezer literally gets you a actual role radio among the podcasts so basically you get AFM radio you get a. Music streaming device. And you get a Podcast pair that up with spotify in tunein radio and you literally got everything you would need

[@carminedesanto6746]

I think Darkos vid put “hi res” into perspective…almost no one has a system that is A: properly set up and even on high end systems and B: it may not give you anything more than what you’re currently getting. Even New Record Day tested the Halo May DAC with 💿…and got stunning results. Red Book 16-44.1 is still the standard 😉

[@TheDealer1228]

Darko's videos on the hi-res topic are really a breath of fresh air. He's one of the only people in the community who talks about it extensively with a level head. He obvious has a "bias" against it, but he backs it up with reason and logic.

[@carminedesanto6746]

@@frankgyure3154 all I’m saying in addition to what Darko said …who’s got any system that can take full advantage of “hi res”. As I said , New Record Day reviewed the Halo May DAC with standard Red Book 💿…and was blown away by it. So,, regular 💿+ High quality DAC = 🎵

[@joeyfesta2042]

You guys make it so easy. Just made my first major purchase of the year . Full Sony & Klipsch system. Ty❤

[@stevewright1539]

I used TunyMyMusic to copy my Apple Music Library to Tidal. Unless I am missing something, the Tidal interface is a mess. Artists are scattered all over the place, and is just not that intuitive. Now, does Tidal need Roon (haven’t tried yet) to organize the music in Tidal a bit better? I’ll most likely stay with Apple Music but trying to see the pluses of Tidal and its allure at this point.

[@More-Cowbell-SlideGuitar-Harp]

Back in 2018 I tried Spotify & it SUCKED HARD. Apple Music (AM) is by far superior & better value. AM allows unlimited downloads of songs for offline listening (great for saving on mobile data). AM's subscription plans are rly good, big savings via their family plan for 6+ users or their upfront annual plan saves you like $30 over 12 months, compared to monthly plans. Whereas Spotify allowed very limited offline downloads, up to 4,000 songs lol. And in '18 they didn't even have Jay-Z's or Kanye's songs & these were MAJOR dealbreakers. Plus AM's sound quality is way better. AM forever.

[@shonda4956]

I like Apple Music rather than Spotify💪

[@Andersljungberg]

You need to have a good DAC and you need to have software in your computer that for example bit perfect so that the computer sends out exactly the same signal that the music signal contains. and you must have a computer that is considered to have good hifi features without much internal interference. and that probably means no laptop. but a nice square apple box that is bigger than Apple TV

[@pdemetriou92]

... Andrew, please help! Why do the same tracks i purchase from ITunes sound a lot better than my Spotify connect ones?????? Kristi help too! 👍 ...

[@daraghmorrissey]

I love Spotify. Each of the family have their own account in the Family plan linked to Alexa's in their bedrooms. Apple's ecosystem was a bit too closed the last time I looked at them but it is great to see they are innovating with Dolby Atmos. I must give Tidal a shot.

[@bbdoook]

I like Tidal but its expensive

[@paulhalucha526]

Digital streaming at CD quality or above all sounds the same to me except of course if there is 2 vs multiple channel tracks.

[@rvb_drolf3950]

I'm stuck with Spotify. I have been using Deezer, then Amazon Music before ending up with Spotify. I loved the Flow-playlist from Deezer but hated the apps and the lack of casting to other devices. Amazon Music is also lacking in case of casting abilities and its interface is worden than the one of Deezer. With Spotify, I can cast my music to my Bose Soundbar 500 and to my Libratone Zipp in my bathroom. Sound quality is decent and it’s cheap still being a student with their special student discounts. Loopings forward to Spotifys HiFi-tier.

[@rolandrohde]

For me the main problem is, that I just can't get Apple Music lossless on my Speakers outside the AppleTV variant. No Chromecast, no Sonos, Blusound, Roon or anything as far as I could figure out.

[@thebingaling1105]

Airplay is lossless but not hi-res. Limited to 16/44. However I'm finding it sounds great to my Nose 2i.

[@rolandrohde]

@@thebingaling1105 Airplay is Apple Only, so you need an iPhone/iPad to use it.

[@thebingaling1105]

@@rolandrohde Sorry I misunderstand your comment.

[@brunojr9]

@@rolandrohde technically you could manage to use airplay from android and windows, but it is not straight-forword

[@tharveytucker1]

You forgot about quadraphonic records from the 70’s!

[@pdcragin33]

And Blu-Ray multi-channel. But no doubt the fact that they’re been known to only some and forgotten by most of even those folks makes a point- music doesn’t require surround.

[@iamnatis]

Before Apple Music released lossless, I tried Tidal when I got my CXN V2 late last year and honestly, I couldn't tell the difference in the quality. I really want to try Roon but it feels like there is a steep setup and learning curve (and cost). Watched a few getting started with Roon videos from various people and none of them seemed intuitive. If you guys do another "how to" video, my vote would be Roon for Newbs.

[@diebackmischung503]

What about if both a bluetooth speaker and the phone are supporting LDAC? and the phone can put out up to 32bit 96khz over bluetooth? Also apple music shows hi res lossless while streaming with this setup. It doesnt show hi res lossless when connected to the tv apple music wirelessly

[@Rifumo]

Pro tip: If you cancel a free trial on iPhone after you subscribe, you’ll still keep your trial and then you won’t be billed at the end of it.

[@jordantewari]

I hit that like button like it was my job. That’s probably why I am still unemployed.

[@jmcc2736]

I love how much larger Apple Music catalogue is. Lyrics and the fact that you can see the sample and bit rate is big for me. I found that Apple Music to sound slightly different in the way they image and stage. Look the difference is small, it is not massively different. But I did find it different. Could be the same track but was sourced off a different album. I don’t really listen to their spacial or Dolby music tracks. But I really like Apple Music. The quality is really good.

[@angelmorenofarias5086]

I´ve been a Tidal user for about 2 years and I'm pretty happy with it. I love the sound quality and the interface is top notch. The only reason I changed to Apple Music is because of the the price. Since I'm a student I'm only playing 5 bucks per month. Great deal and I got it working perfectly on Android.

[@Nathan_Jay]

Nothing against MQA being forced down our throats, even when we opt out of it?

[@roccobruno8027]

I can only hope that MQA finally goes away. No version of Bluetooth is lossless as it relies on lossy codecs.

[@miltongalvez3953]

tidal offers a military discount, which is a plus for me!!!

[@robinsonbrand]

Good to know!

[@alygo1089]

so does apple

[@sjt66]

I myself believe that the most difference you can make is the choice of equipment that you are using, I have a McIntosh stereo system that I am extremely happy with and I am using Apple iTunes Bluetooth with Apple TV and it sounds amazing to me. So my logic is that if you are happy with the way your equipment sounds with any other format of music, then the wireless platform you are using should not make much difference at all.

[@DarenLee]

Great having Kristi on her opinion and I am living with my wife and would like to know what they think “in general” as a casual music listener (I suppose). Once I commented on your video “wife friendly mode” aka night mode on theater receiver. You kinda scolded me for that 🤔.

[@SeanVedell]

It’s a small thing but Apple Music allows me to engage Shuffle mode while a track is playing without the current track being switched off. It just reorganizes what’s coming up in the background. Tidal didn’t do that and I HATED it. Sometimes the smallest thing can change your entire experience.

[@TheFlyingBarrel]

There are so many small things like that I found using Tidal. It’s just not a very polished user experience, IMO.

[@Van_frederick]

MQA is not lossless. I repeat MQA is not lossless

[@IndyJoner]

every format is lossless compared to in person listening, that's why it's call HIGH Fidelity rather than PERFECT Fidelity. Get educated dude!

[@Illankid]

Hey andrew, Just a heads up, Apple music lossless is now available on android devices My car has a JBL premium sound sistem with cable car play and boy the difference between usb cable amd bluetooth is night and day

[@1donjuego]

Nice info. Thanks. There actually was a third attempt at surround sound music. Back in the 70s there was Quadraphonic (four channel) systems you could buy and a few albums. Pink Floyd used it in their concerts with astonishing results. It quickly faded. Which is probably why you didn’t mention it. There have been some reports of efforts to revive it because it is simpler to mix/publish than 5.1.

[@luisarsuaga7637]

Love Spotify! I use it everyday! It was the first subscription that I was totally ok paying it. Also...noticed the Klipsch Cinema 1200 back there. Getting pumped!!!

[@shigowbt]

The next step, HI-Fi car audio! we spent a lot of time inside a car… you should help us!!!

[@jefflaughlin2545]

Thanks so much for doing this video. I’m a big fan. It would drive me absolutely crazy trying to test different brands. It takes time for them to learn, plus the interface. God bless you! Thanks again.

[@callumk5]

Absolutely agree about Apple Music not getting my music taste. Admittedly I like some varied stuff from some pretty old artists but after 3 years of an Apple Music subscription it’s algorithms still weren’t getting it. I tried Spotify a couple of years ago on a recommendation and within a few days it’s suggested playlists and recommendations were absolutely on point. I know the sound is different and probably not as accurate but for casual listening on the go whilst doing something else it serves the purpose and I mostly prefer it. Great summary of the new upgrades and Apple Music in general as always 👍

[@homerwinslow9047]

Tidal compensates the artist at a higher rate

[@leeelder7463]

Apple Music works perfectly for my high end setup

[@Billlakeview]

Been using Spotify for years, so I am kind of used to it when searching for classical music. I tried Tidal and it was awful for classical music, even though it was superior for rock, bluegrass and folk….just not enough better to live with its classical shortcomings/learning curve. I have been thinking about trying Primephonic/Idagio that are classically oriented. As for non classical, I have built a huge library and set of playlists and just don’t see transferring it all over, even though there are programs/ apps to help. The ones I tried just had too many gaps.

[@ko2y01]

long time user of spotify, tidal and uapp. tried apple music when they launched lossless. now, i only have apple music😁

[@imCXS-zh2yt]

Apple Music saved me cash - canceled tidal once their hi res audio came out

[@luistariba9663]

hahhaha I lost it with the sheryl crow comment hahahahaahah EPIC! i dont get how this channel haven't reach the million subscribers

[@zaphodsbluecar9518]

Agree...

[@zaphodsbluecar9518]

I had a bit of a chuckle though Andrew; I just signed on to Tidal after watching one of your earlier videos... Can you please do a video/tutorial on affordable DACs so I can get better than CD-quality from Tidal? Cheers.

[@marcnathe5707]

I have to test apple music some more but the few tracks I played from Queen, Tidal sounded so much better and that is over Airplay nothing fancy!

[@jsackett42160]

Sheryl Crow, WTF!!! Literally LOL!

[@KristiWright]

HAHA. He felt really strongly about that one!

[@jsackett42160]

@@KristiWright Obviously!!! Lol

[@cardinetube]

Kristi should start her own channel........ I love Andrew but Kristi got me listening.

[@iulixxx]

Hello Andrew! I listen only youtube music on my hi fi sistem(nad c338 & wharfedale diamond 12.4 ) via streaming.It's my first hi fi system,and my question is: do I loose much audio quality? Is apple,tidal,spotify much better,is cd much better? I don't have any cd player,is worth buying? The commodity of yt premium and direct streaming on my amp is great.I would like you oppion please.

[@tylerkolethomas]

If you have KZbin Premium then it streams music in 256kbps AAC, which is a good format in my opinion. It is technically lower quality than Spotify, and definitely lower than the lossless audio from Tidal, Apple, etc. But honestly I cannot tell a difference and I suspect almost nobody could in a blind A/B test. If you are happy with YT Music then stick with it! If you want to double check, sign up for the free trial of Tidal and see if you can actually tell a difference.