On my Qute I only have low, high and hifi. The new feature is called MAX. Software update on the Qute?
After moving on from Roon, the Tidal App has filled that gap for discovery. Playing using Tidal Connect.
Once all the necessary software updates have happened and I can stream full hi res via Tidal I may very well unsubscribe from Qobuz.
For two reasons:
- Cannot play directly from the Qobuz app without an inferior experience.
- The horrible way in which Qobuz sorts things.
The only issue is that Qobuz is £12.99 and Tidal is £19.99. I know it’s only £8, but it’s a lot more for effectively the same thing. Maybe I’ve got that wrong of course.
Unfortunately the older Naim streamers won’t get an update to support HiRes (24 bit) internet streams as their buffer can’t handle it. You would need to use a proxy server, which is a tried and tested workaround that quite a lot of people have been using for some years now.
That’s true but I’m subscribing to both at the moment and the higher tier on Tidal offers better payout to artists. So I’ll be paying a little less than now for everything in the same place and better artist payouts
Will differ from person to person no doubt.
Thanks for the quick response, ChrisSU.
My Qute is a 24 bit 192kHz.
But I am sure you are right. Thanks.
Seems like there’s money in the system either way
I tend to listen to slightly less, uhm, affluent artists? Not a conscious choice but just gravitating to the music they make.
This evening I had to install a Tidal app update on iPhone and iPad. Even though they are set to auto update….
Suddenly I was unable to do Tidal Connect on Master quality albums. Sorted after app update.
It seems to be a “common understanding” on this forum that Gen1 streamers do not support HiRes streaming higher than 16/44. So what makes different @Kurt 's solution via vTuner that effectively allows seamless, uninterrupted streams of up to 24/192 via FLAC? I do use that on my 272 with absolutely no issue whatsoever.
My understanding is that 1st gen streamers do support hi res streaming but due to the small buffer size only really designed for streaming local files so no native support for Qobuz hi res or Internet radio that’s present on 2nd gen streamers. So using a proxy like BubbleUpnp server for example it effectively turns hi res streams from the Internet into local streams
One can use Audirvana software to make 1st gen streamers being able to play hi res files. I run Qobuz + Audirvana on to my NDS and it sounds amazing. Audirvana is 6-7 EUR per month and then you need a host for Audirvana like an old mac mini and an ethernet cable. Done. To my ears Audirvana sounds better than Roon and Native naim implementation.
NDS + Qobuz + Audirvana
Does Audirvana provide any benefits over what BubbleUpnp server does?
Much better UI, great forum and support, awesome sound quality, app for iPhone which works great on my Macbook air M1 and so on. Well worth the money. I couldn’t even find the bubble blip blop software to be honest. I’m lazy and happy to pay some EUR for companies that care. I also know Audirvana core values are audio quality which they never compromise on and you can tell IMO. Try it out, they offer a free 2 weeks trial.
I no longer have a 1st gen streamer so I haven’t used Kurt’s solution. Perhaps he’s the best person to ask, but I assume he’s using some sort of proxy server. I can’t imagine that his solution would work for Tidal and Qobuz too, but as discussed extensively elsewhere, you can run your own proxy server easily enough. Without that you are going to run into latency problems with 24 bit internet streams.
Hi,
Yes the concept is based on a proxy server that does the translation form whatever Hi-res stream to WAV.
About latency: I run an instance in Frankfurt and one in Phoenix. I’m based in Belgium and I use the Frankfurt instance. Here, I’ve no issues with latency with, for example, Mother Earth Radio, broadcasting at 192 kHz/24 bit. I receive it without interruption.
Having worked on this since +2y, I learned lateceny is a real pain in the… What works fine for me, may not work for someone else 10km away from me, who’s using another internet provider.
In my case for example, following the route: Naim > proxy at home > internet provider > Mother Earth (in Germany), is slower than Naim > internet provider > proxy in Frankfurt > Mother Earth.
So, it had nothing to do with the smaller buffer size of Gen1 devices. After analysing, it turned out that the network link from my ISP to the ISP that’s hosting Mother Earth Radio, is just not fast enough.
To asc again… I have Atom and Tidal HiFi, do I need HiFi Plus? When will be realise HiRes flac?
I saw that today the Hi-Res format arrived on the Tidal application and they indicate it as MAX. Is the new format compatible with the second generation Mu-so and Unit Atom? Is it necessary to wait for Naim to make an update?
I would expect so, yes. Try it and see.
Seems like Tidal haven’t presented the API to other companies in order to implement this yet. This from Audirvāna.
“At the time we speak, Tidal didn’t gave us the information of the MAX setting in there API. I will ask them when they have an ETA for it since now it’s live on their app.
Note that MQA is still available, it’s just they pull the FLAC version first on their app now instead of the MQA one.”