External DACs often give a clue, sometimes using different lights to indicate if they’re receiving, say, 48, 96 or 192Khz sample rates and whether they’re natively unpacking MQA or just decoding PCM, but the app software has a key role in deciding what stream is accessed, whether it helps to decode or unpack some of it, and what kind of data is eventually sent to the DAC. Frustratingly the Tidal apps just label all the Master tracks with an M, so you’re never sure what resolution you’re listening to. All increase the dynamic range to the 24 bits typically used in studio recordings, but the sample rate can vary between 44.1 and 192Khz depending on the track – and your ability to hear them will also vary depending on the software and hardware in your system. Tidal Masters can deliver higher resolution audio than CDs, but at a variety of levels. The Hifi level is easier to understand as Tidal simply delivers the 16 bit 44.1KHz files of standard CDs, losslessly compressed using FLAC when you’re using an external DAC, the app normally decodes the file into a PCM stream that’s sent to it via USB. If you have a decent pair of headphones or even earphones connected to the Dragonfly, you’ll really begin to hear the potential of Tidal Hifi and Master tracks, and they’re also a great portable solution when connected to your laptop or phone.Īt this point, audiophiles may well be wondering exactly what resolution is offered by Tidal Masters. Fancy something better still? From the same series, the Dragonfly Cobalt costs around 220 pounds, with upgraded components for more refined playback. It looks like a USB storage stick, but features a 3.5mm jack for headphones or to connect to a Hifi. One of the best USB DACs at the more affordable end of the scale – at least in terms of hifi prices- is the Audioquest Dragonfly Red which costs around 135 pounds. These are available in all shapes, sizes and price points but even the most basic can dramatically improve your sound. So the first step in enjoying better quality from Tidal whether you’re using a phone or computer is to convert the digital streams into analogue sound using a seperate Digital to Analogue Converter, or DAC for short. This is because the music is typically mixed with various system sounds before then being converted using built-in hardware that was never designed for high fidelity playback. If you’re listening through laptop speakers or headphones connected directly to your computer or phone though, you’re unlikely to notice a huge difference between Tidal Hifi and Spotify Premium – a little maybe, but not massively so. In this instance, the Tidal app does all of the decoding, including MQA for Master tracks. You’ll also notice albums or tracks available in the best quality Masters format are labelled with an M and you simply choose Master from the quality settings to stream them. You’re looking at the desktop app running on my Apple MacBook and you’ll see the navigation is similar to other music services, although I did enjoy the biographies that often accompany some artists or albums. Next download the Tidal app on your phone, tablet or computer some network or hifi streaming appliances may also have a downloadable or built-in Tidal app. First sign-up for an account, and there’s often free or discounted trials available ( here’s a 30 day free trial for you to try!). Getting started with Tidal is as straightforward as Spotify. Note unlike Spotify there’s no ad-based free subscription to Tidal, but this in turn means artists are normally paid more per stream than they are on Spotify, although of course there’ll typically be more streams coming via Spotify. These so-called Tidal Masters are delivered using the MQA format developed by Bob Stuart from Meridian audio thanks to cunning compression, MQA can deliver 24 bit audio at sample rates between 44.1 and 192KHz using only roughly double the data of CD quality FLAC, allowing you to stream them with mobile-friendly bandwidth that’s well below typical high definition audio rates. This gives you a big upgrade in quality over Spotify, but a selection of albums are also available to Hifi subscribers in even higher quality. Meanwhile the Hifi tier costs around $20 per month, but lets you stream all the tracks in CD quality – that’s 16 bit / 44.1KHz using lossless FLAC compression, at bit rates typically between 7Kbit/s. Tidal offers two main subscription tiers: Premium costs around $10 a month and streams music at 320Kbit/s using AAC compression, which is roughly equivalent to Spotify’s Premium service in price and quality.
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