I recently got added to a family deal at zero cost to me, I’m really surprised as to how good it sounds. I listen to a lot of ambient/electronica and it sounds excellent, a slightly warmer sound which works well with my speakers which are a tad lean. Excellent library and music curation too. Downside is the integration with the Naim app is poor so it’s a little clumsy to use. I know a lot of folks on here scoff at Spotify but perhaps there’s a little bit of snobbery as it’s only 320k Ogg. When I signed up first it dident sound great until I changed settings to Extreme. Give it a try, you might be surprised!
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There is nothing wrong with Spotify’s SQ, at least for the avg users. I use both Spotify and Tidal. Spotify still has larger library especially for foreign materials. Software and integration is definitely better with Spotify. I am close to tearing my hair out using Tidal at times. In the end, if you can’t find the music you want to listen to, better resolution / SQ means nothing.
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You don’t use the Naim app for Spotify you use their own via Spotify connect. This is how Spotify works pretty much on all platforms. They want to control your data not allow other apps to piggy back. Their is little Naim can do as there is little in the API for controls for this.
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Let me correct myself. I use Spotify using the Spotify app. But I use Tidal inside Naim app. It is the Tidal app that makes me want to pull out my hair. 
Also here a happy Spotify user, amazed about the ease of use and all the music available!
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I agree that Spotify is pretty good for electronic music. Most ambient and electronica is neatly produced and doesn’t require that many bits to accurately encode, so 320k will often suffice.
For stuff like rock or jazz it can be a bit less convincing, but if that’s not your thing then Spotify will generally perform pretty well.
I’ve commented a few times that Spotify sounds superb through my NDX. My music is mostly jazz and trials with both Tidal and Qobuz revealed no improvement to my old ears nor to my 40 years younger daughter! I have around 2000 CDs but I am using Spotify most of the time nowadays.
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In fact I am an enthusiast: it allows me to find and listen new material for free. ( use only the free version).
If something interest me , then take the next step by investing on the chosen album
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I’ve long thought many of those who rubbish Spotify might fare less than well in a true blind listening test!
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For everyone saying “there is nothing wrong with Spotify”, or those who say they’re “amazed about the ease of use and all the music available” I have some news for you. There is an AWFUL LOT wrong with the platform, and it has nothing to with sound quality. All that virtually free music comes at a terrible cost. It is the enemy of sustainable art, for starters. The money it pays artists is pitiful. It is run by a guy who knows little about music, and cares for it even less, he’s only interested in your data. It is way too cheap, and destroys value. It is also constantly being manipulated and gamed. It is biased against smaller artists and indie labels, and works in favour of the big three multiples. I could go on…
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Tidal is in my case better in providing new music suggestions. Specifically for jazz. It feels like it’s hands on by employees where Spotify use AI algos. Spotify is horrible on this. In terms of sound quality I’m trying to like Tidal due to it being lossless and everyone swearing it’s so much better. But my heart keep telling me Spotify sound warmer and more analogue and Tidal colder/digital meaning I tend to prefer Spotify in the long run. Maybe it’s the implementation on my 272. It’s like Tidal is doing the HIFI trick adding shine to the music like Beats did with added bass on headphones. Artificial in some way.
Right now I use both services again and if it ends like before I will cancel Tidal again once I collected a bunch of new recommended albums/artists.
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Thanks @TheKevster, I wish they make a documentary on netflix for this for everyone’s education. I never knew about the revenue model of the company although I have wondered many times how much artists get at the end of the day. Tidal tells us they pay more to artists. The industry is definitely not what it used to be. Some labels are not on streaming platform because they don’t need to be with their loyal supporters. Still I imagine it must be an uphill battle.
Failing to get some of the CDs on any streaming platform, I finally hooked up my CD player last year and started playing CDs again. 
This kind of problem isn’t limited to the music industry. I am in the software industry… Some organisations never made a cent in some countries. No price guessing which country and companies. Likewise for film industry. Of late, in fact I wonder a little about meat. By the time it is on my plate, how long has this animal lived? What’s the total cost. It feels a little too cheap for what I paid.
While ignorance is a bliss, this is costing someone else, if not to me on face value. Many other darkness come to mind with many other industries. Some I couldn’t mention here… Thanks @TheKevster again for the education and sharing. I have updated my post hopefully to bring some balance to what I wrote.
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An interesting watch Kev, I suspect they’re not alone.
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Would love Spotify usability with Qobuz quality. Ive been using Qobuz and it does sound better however i do miss the radio feature of spotify where it plays similar music from other bands when an album has finished, i miss the volume normalisation when listening to different tracks and i miss the much much better display of an artists discography.
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There is a normalization setting for Spotify, i’m not sure if you need the premium version for that though.
Edit: oops sorry i misread your post… 
Interesting re. Tidal. I use their app because I much prefer it.
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I guess it’s each to their own. I too am a Spotify user and whilst I would love a “best” sound quality version I find the new music and compilation suggestions to be so far ahead of others (Qobuz sucks so bad I never used and cancelled it) I now use nothing else but Spotify. I use a full 500 system and in the case of Spotify, for me ready music availability outstrips all else.
I do agree other platforms sound better with SOME and particularly older music but the lack any good suggestions of what new music to listen to makes the rest pointless for me.
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I’m in Japan where both Tidal and Qobuz are unavailable, Don’t even get me started on what is available here in CD or better quality. So, I do use Spotify also since I bought my 555 last year and have been very surprised by the quality actually and as @Pipdan has said the suggestions/new music are excellent. What I like, I buy on CD and rip to my Core. It has actually made me buy more music.
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I have both Tidal and Spotify. While admittedly Spotify’s is really good, I prefer Tidal on balance because of sound quality, but if I ever had to get rid of one, what they pay the artists would also be a factor. I.e. Tidal would stay.
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Yes I’ve discovered so much new music and artists since I started experimenting with Spotify, in comparison Qobuz brings you nowhere and is disappointing in that regard
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