Spotify upconverting

[opusarlo]

I just read that it is entirely possible to have upconverted lossy tracks playing on Spotify premium. I currently do not subscribe to any streaming high rez service for this precise reason. Are there any streaming services that undeniably play high rez and not upconverted tracks? This is what I read on Spotify:

"Generally, music is submitted to Spotify in CD quality, losslessly compressed as flac I think. That's fine. However, we now have the input (via aggregators) of over 300,000 labels. I think what may be happening is that some catalogues are simply being "upconverted" from old low bitrate stock from the days when music was sold online like that. Of course, this isn't going to sound good at all, although - ironically - any bitrate inspection you could perform will tell you that it's high bitrate, because it is, and that's why there isn't really any way for aggregators to detect this kind of thing when it is submitted."

 

[JoeESP9]

I don't see the point of up converting lossy tracks. You can't reproduce what isn't there.

 

[sKiZo]

Theoretically, matching the file resolution to that of your DAC allows for more accurate decoding. Same holds true throughout the audio chain if the number of conversions are kept to a minimum. Lot would also depend on the quality of your decoders - I know my DAC's lower resolution USB runs rings around the optical and coaxial for overall sound quality.

And agreed - you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

[opusarlo]

I don't see the point of up converting lossy tracks. You can't reproduce what isn't there.

I agree 100%, but I am not a shady person trying to increase profits. If Spotify wants to add Wider's 6th Organ Symphony in high res they would have a choice: They could purchase a legitimate high res recording or they could simply upconvert some MP3 or other lossy format that can be downloaded from the Internet for free. If you multiply that cost difference by thousands of tracks, it becomes reasonable to consider there may be at least a portion of the collection that is merely upconverted lossy files repackaged as high res. This is not much different than the CD I posted about not too long ago. It was labeled as "DDD" (digital recording, digital editing, digital mastering), but there was so much static it made the recording worthless. That entire CD was merely an upconverted recording of an existing terrible recording.

 

[opusarlo]

The problem is you will up convert the noise also. I prefer 'bit perfect' playback, but that is me.

I would like "bit-perfect" as well, but I am not sure that is something that can be achieved from any third party

 

[Danddd]

I like Tidal a lot. I use Tidal through Audirvana and the sound is excellent. I use a simple DAC, so I'm not getting MQA.

 

[Danddd]

If you are using the Tidal app and listening to their high res format, you are getting the first unfold done in software.

Not quite sure what you mean 'getting the first unfold done in software,' I don't use the Tidal app. Audirvana has a Tidal section. It seems through Audirvana, it reads the DAC capability and outputs to the highest level of the DAC. I have a Beresford Caiman SEG DAC. It doesn't do MQA, but will squeeze as high a signal that Tidal/Audirvana puts out. When I was auditioning a NAD M51 DAC, it showed what resolutions were coming through. Side note: The Beresford SEG DAC outperforms the $2K NAD M51 in my system.

 

[JoeESP9]

There are two "unfolds" for MQA. The first is via software. Tidal and other applications can do the unfolding. The second and supposedly more audible is available only through MQA compatible hardware.

 

[kray]

I like Tidal a lot. I use Tidal through Audirvana and the sound is excellent. I use a simple DAC, so I'm not getting MQA.

i do this too. Tidal via Audirvana is sweet!

FYI - there are easy ways to get 90-day trials to Tidal Premium/HiFi

 

[Danddd]

i do this too. Tidal via Audirvana is sweet!

FYI - there are easy ways to get 90-day trials to Tidal Premium/HiFi

I was pleasantly surprised what Audirvana brings in sound quality for computer audio.

 

[kray]

I was pleasantly surprised what Audirvana brings in sound quality for computer audio.

Yeah I’ve pretty much given up on physical cd’s (outside of ripping them) and use my Mac mini as dedicated music server with Audirvana

 

[Danddd]

Yeah I’ve pretty much given up on physical cd’s (outside of ripping them) and use my Mac mini as dedicated music server with Audirvana

I did the same. My CDs are stored in the basement. This probably sounds crazy, but sometimes I think the same album sounds better on Tidal than my own lossless ripped CD... on my Mac Mini.