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Post by MartinT on Dec 26, 2021 21:03:10 GMT
It's What HiFi, for goodness' sake. Why are they talking about bloody Apple Bluetooth headphones?
WHF has always been good for No. 2s and little else, and that article exemplifies why.
If you don't care about standard res (let alone hi-res) you don't care about hi-fi. End of.
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Post by John on Dec 26, 2021 21:29:14 GMT
I use BT with a Filo BR5 sometimes when going out with the PSB M4U and also had it fired up with a sabre based chip (Helmbolt) headphone DAC I could not hear the difference in sound quality and whilst not the ultimate in Headphones the first headphones I could live with and I been through a few high end headphones.
I cannot stand What HiFi but I am certainly no longer snobbish about BT as for Apple no idea
I have not heard any of the BT headphones get a good review yet but think this is a matter of time
At this stage they keep trying to push BT further getting it to fo high rez and ushing it sound quality further in time it will get even better
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Post by MartinT on Dec 26, 2021 22:54:12 GMT
I'm not being snobbish about BT, John, which in its latest version is capable of hi-res streaming and very good sound quality. Apple headphones aren't, both in technical terms and in their 'convenience' physical design. So why are they only talking about replay through them and not other devices?
Spotify is not yet standard res, let alone hi-res, because it is lossy compressed. You know I have huge respect for Spotify's sound quality, but it still doesn't match Red Book resolution. Any magazine purporting to be about hi-fi that doesn't care about Spotify going standard res should be out of business.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 26, 2021 23:31:55 GMT
Ok I nearly lost the will to live reading that convoluted article, but, maybe they have a point - Spotify most likely isn't going to make much $$$ out of CD quality. It is much more heavily populated by casual rather than audiophile listeners. Would they lose millions of subscribers if they don't start upgrading sound quality? They might lose some but their real business interests appear to be elsewhere, like podcasts.
I like using Spotify. It is by no means perfect but I guess I'm used to its foibles. I will only move if the grass is significantly greener elsewhere.
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Post by John on Dec 27, 2021 6:28:24 GMT
I am guessing with BT its playing with the code somehow as when Spotify comes to my DAC its reading whatever output I send it (I prefer 16/44 on Spotify) it does a similar with YouTube which I listen to at 88/24 for what sounds best to me.
This leads to mainly volume differences between all the providers (Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube Music Premium) suggesting to me its playing with the code. However they done a good job with the code and I do not get the bottle necks in sound quality like the router ethernet cables etc to get digital sounding right. So I do not think BT is perfect far from it but I enjoy the sound I get from it and yes Spotify can sound good enough to my old ears.
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Post by brettj on Dec 27, 2021 6:46:07 GMT
I think I'm a portable streaming snob.
Got rid of Tidal, and jumped on my family's Spotify.
Even got a pair of Sony WH-100XM4 Bluetooth headphones.
But it's muddy, playing from my phone. Find the pleasure of listening is diminished, although I do like the range of new and old music available.
Have modded iPod 5th Gen (Red Wine iMod, and another iMod iPod), and a RWAK100s (Modded AK100).
With Ray Samuels SR-71A, SR-71B and Triad Audio L3 portable amps.
Think I need to go back to these sometimes, as the depth, clarity, separation, and joy is more...
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Post by John on Dec 27, 2021 7:13:07 GMT
On the whole I suggests that is the headphones Reports seem to be varied on the headphones.
If the headphones do LDAC make sure that is enabled and get into your settings in developer options to enable 16/44
If you have a Iphone you will not be able to access LDAC
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Post by brettj on Dec 27, 2021 9:00:49 GMT
I have an iPhone...
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Post by John on Dec 27, 2021 9:06:05 GMT
Then you are not going to get decent BT
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Post by MartinT on Dec 27, 2021 10:09:03 GMT
That was really the point I was making. WHF have made no attempt to review Spotify in a hi-fi context and then suggest they don't care if it goes standard res or not. Poor.
The reality is that Spotify can sound very good indeed as-is. I know as I switch to it for certain albums.
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Post by brettj on Dec 29, 2021 11:10:58 GMT
Can you get BT 5 and access LDAC from a tablet John?
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Post by John on Dec 29, 2021 11:12:33 GMT
Any tablet with Android 9 or higher
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Post by brettj on Dec 29, 2021 11:43:23 GMT
Thanks John.
Another thing placed in my mental shopping list...
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Post by MartinT on Dec 29, 2021 11:49:06 GMT
Beware cheap Chinese tablets with a version of Android that cannot be updated. I even have one that crashes with Spotify.
Buy a Samsung, they're a bit pricier but really very good and support OS upgrades and the Play store. The S7 FE is superb if you can stretch to it.
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Post by John on Dec 29, 2021 12:16:51 GMT
You can get lenova M10 for about £130 in the UK
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 29, 2021 15:25:46 GMT
My Teclast tablet isn't anything like Samsung quality but it's decent enough for the money.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 29, 2021 16:00:21 GMT
The Teclast is ok, I just reset and rebuilt mine yesterday as a streaming music backup to my Samsung S7 FE.
A couple of older Chinese tablets are, however, junk.
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 29, 2021 17:52:53 GMT
I like my Teclast for watching concerts online - the screen is surprisingly decent.
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 1, 2022 13:20:24 GMT
So 2021 gone and no Spotify HiFi.
What actually bugs me more than its conspicuous absence is the total lack of communication from the company. Would it be so difficult to keep customers in the loop regarding their intentions?
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Post by MartinT on Jan 1, 2022 14:41:20 GMT
There could be things going on in the background, such any impact on royalties, that may have delayed any announcement.
Or perhaps phone users and useless rags like WHF have convinced them that no-one needs standard res?
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