Qobuz HiRez streaming has finally hit the U.S. and it’s really really good

Yeah, I caught that on their site on Thursday--they now have the US site going, but can't yet start a trial through it. Not quite there yet, but closer! :D I also found a press release somewhere that mentioned "early 2019" but who knows? With things falling into place I wouldn't be surprised to see it slip into place before the year is up. ;) (Or perhaps an initial announcement on 1/1/2019.)

US site:

upload_2018-12-8_8-17-24.png

Strangely though, the US-based account I signed up for in November is deleted or deactivated, and I cannot sign up for a US account as before. My old unused UK account is still active though.
 
How does one become invited to be a beta user? On site now, but cannot sign up.
Industry people only, I'm afraid. (More so they can test it with their products and prepare for future integration, etc.) I have "connections" and could get it if I really wanted to, but I really don't want to bother anyone for something this trivial. I mean, heck, I've been alive for decades and lived with out it, and we've only got a few weeks to go now. :D
 
Industry people only, I'm afraid. (More so they can test it with their products and prepare for future integration, etc.) I have "connections" and could get it if I really wanted to, but I really don't want to bother anyone for something this trivial. I mean, heck, I've been alive for decades and lived with out it, and we've only got a few weeks to go now. :D
Good to know. It looks interesting so I thought I’d look into it. Certainly happy to give it a try when released!
 
As a rather crazy addendum to all of this, all of my "trial" Tidal accounts are catching up to me. Today I've received a barrage of emails to all of my "alternate" email addresses with an offer for three months of Tidal at $1.99. :D I'm obviously passing on them (I've listened to a few things this morning, and there are tunes that definitely sound "off" to me, as much of Tidal lossless does), so I am a bit more anxious about trying Qobuz now. ;)
 
A quick heads-up. I had a brief discussion with development/marketing at Qobuz. The service is in private beta right now, as we are all aware of. They will be opening up a wider beta program very soon to the industry and the press before offering general subscriptions, so I have a feeling that this may not be available to the general public for a couple more months yet.

I don't have information beyond this. However, I suspect that the audiophile market they are actively seeking is a reason for the delay--I have a feeling that they are testing various things (such as, perhaps, Roon integration right at the beginning, and compatibility with other platforms) so they can do this in a big way. Remember, they've hired US talent that is aligned with the audiophile market, so this is a good thing for all of us, from casual users to those of us who want to integrate this with the systems we use now. And I am betting the wider beta program will have much of this in place once it is ready.

Sure, I'm anxious for Qobuz to arrive, but it will be exciting to see what they offer on "opening day," so to speak. :)
 
A quick heads-up. I had a brief discussion with development/marketing at Qobuz. The service is in private beta right now, as we are all aware of. They will be opening up a wider beta program very soon to the industry and the press before offering general subscriptions, so I have a feeling that this may not be available to the general public for a couple more months yet.

I don't have information beyond this. However, I suspect that the audiophile market they are actively seeking is a reason for the delay--I have a feeling that they are testing various things (such as, perhaps, Roon integration right at the beginning, and compatibility with other platforms) so they can do this in a big way. Remember, they've hired US talent that is aligned with the audiophile market, so this is a good thing for all of us, from casual users to those of us who want to integrate this with the systems we use now. And I am betting the wider beta program will have much of this in place once it is ready.

Sure, I'm anxious for Qobuz to arrive, but it will be exciting to see what they offer on "opening day," so to speak. :)
Thanks for the info Wildcat, I guess that kinda explains how I got in (good timing). It’s good to hear there taking there time and trying to do this right the first time, shows that this may be the streaming service for discerning listeners after all .

Audiofreak71
 
A quick heads-up. I had a brief discussion with development/marketing at Qobuz. The service is in private beta right now, as we are all aware of. They will be opening up a wider beta program very soon to the industry and the press before offering general subscriptions, so I have a feeling that this may not be available to the general public for a couple more months yet.

I don't have information beyond this. However, I suspect that the audiophile market they are actively seeking is a reason for the delay--I have a feeling that they are testing various things (such as, perhaps, Roon integration right at the beginning, and compatibility with other platforms) so they can do this in a big way. Remember, they've hired US talent that is aligned with the audiophile market, so this is a good thing for all of us, from casual users to those of us who want to integrate this with the systems we use now. And I am betting the wider beta program will have much of this in place once it is ready.

Sure, I'm anxious for Qobuz to arrive, but it will be exciting to see what they offer on "opening day," so to speak. :)
The check is in the mail:dunno: .....sorry for my sarcasm but just tired of people bashing Tidal for Qobuz that has been promising US service for several years and has yet to produce anything significant. We should enjoy what we have readily available, for nobody’s promised tomorrow.
 
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The check is in the mail:dunno: .....sorry for my sarcasm but just tired of people bashing Tidal for Qobuz that has been promising US service for several years and has yet to produce anything significant. We should enjoy what we have readily available, for nobody’s promised tomorrow.
Well some of us do have and have been using Qobuz in the states . I would rather the first roll out be well thought out and secure rather than rushed and faulty . Tidal has pluses and minuses and Qobuz does as well , it’s up to the user to decide which service works for them , or in my case maybe both .

Audiofreak71
 
Well some of us do have and have been using Qobuz in the states . I would rather the first roll out be well thought out and secure rather than rushed and faulty . Tidal has pluses and minuses and Qobuz does as well , it’s up to the user to decide which service works for them , or in my case maybe both .

Audiofreak71
Do you get full 192/24 or the compressed version? I would like to have both services too but I’m not computer savvy enough to get it VPN style.
 
Well some of us do have and have been using Qobuz in the states . I would rather the first roll out be well thought out and secure rather than rushed and faulty . Tidal has pluses and minuses and Qobuz does as well , it’s up to the user to decide which service works for them , or in my case maybe both .

Audiofreak71

Freaking French need to do a discount :naughty:
 
Freaking French need to do a discount :naughty:
You ain’t never lied. They could give a crap about a U.S. military discount or any discount for that matter I’m sure , but who knows they may prove me a liar and I’m hoping they do .

Audiofreak71
 
Do you get full 192/24 or the compressed version? I would like to have both services too but I’m not computer savvy enough to get it VPN style.
Look into Mconnect it’s a player you can download that will enable you to use any streaming service or link up to your home computer etc and it also decodes MQA from Tidal all for only $6 a month.

Audiofreak71
 
You ain’t never lied. They could give a crap about a U.S. military discount or any discount for that matter I’m sure , but who knows they may prove me a liar and I’m hoping they do .

Audiofreak71

You would think as often as we baled them out ;)

But your right, I have been there enough, they could careless
 
You would think as often as we baled them out ;)

But your right, I have been there enough, they could careless
I agree seems like they could give back some love after all we have done for them , but there not thinking of that, there only thinking of those pockets getting deeper . Oh and it seems that they do care about the quality of music we get so that’s a plus .

Audiofreak71
 
The check is in the mail:dunno: .....sorry for my sarcasm but just tired of people bashing Tidal for Qobuz that has been promising US service for several years and has yet to produce anything significant. We should enjoy what we have readily available, for nobody’s promised tomorrow.
Yes, they've been promising it for years, but as of this year they hired people who are instrumental in launching the service in the US. As of April, Qobuz had a new global CEO in place (Yann Miossec), and the US hirings include Dan Mackta (a business development specialist in new media and entertainment) along with David Solomon as their "audiophile evangelist" who has worked for numerous digital companies including Peachtree, and ironically also led Tidal's expansion in the past. They want to enter the market in a big way, and I don't blame them for taking extra time to get it right from day one. Especially since no other streaming company has offered lossless high-res up to 24-bit/192kHz--the infrastructure needs alone are different from the McSpotifies of the streaming world And don't forget, they are headquartered in France, meaning that licensing deals are another sticky legal mess they have to sort out prior to widespread US availability.

Qobuz is already in a limited, private beta for manufacturers and software developers. Public beta will be here very soon (as a preview for industry folks, including journalists and bloggers), followed by the public release. So it's happening, whether anyone chooses to believe recent history or not. It's not a matter of just throwing a switch and hoping it will work, in other words, and it'll be here soon enough.
 
It looks like they’re moving into the public beta phase. I just got an email invite to be considered as a beta tester. Had to fill out a quick questionnaire, said they’d let me know within a week if I’m selected. We’ll see.
 
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