Spotify HiFi one-ups Apple Music with lossless audio streams
Spotify is preparing to offer higher quality music streams to subscribers in a number of markets, with Spotify HiFi set to offer lossless audio, a feature currently not available on Apple Music.
In its ongoing bid to fend off Apple's competing streaming service, Spotify used its Stream On virtual event on Monday to launch a new feature. Spotify HiFi will provide users with a CD-quality, lossless audio format.
Streamable via the Spotify app and through Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, the service will be an opt-in upgrade for Premium subscribers. Free-tier users will have to subscribe to listen to the higher-quality streams.
According to Spotify, the HiFi addition will let users "listen to their favorite songs the way artists intended," and that it was "consistently one of the most requested new features" of the service.
Spotify is working with "some of the world's biggest speaker manufacturers" to add Spotify HiFi support through Spotify Connect. The add-on will also be part of a "seamless music experience," namely for users to listen to the HiFi streams however they want.
Spotify HiFi will be made available in "select markets" later in 2021. More information on its availability will be offered by Spotify "soon."
The move could potentially give Spotify an advantage over Apple Music, which currently does not provide lossless music streams to its subscribers. It will also bring Spotify in line with Tidal, which has provided lossless audio streaming and "master-quality" tracks for some time.
However, the benefits of the Spotify HiFi service may not necessarily be noticed by all users.
The Pono music player and service, championed by legendary rocker Neil Young, was a short-lived attempt to provide audiophile-quality sound to its users. However, blind audio tests in 2015 found that people couldn't really tell the difference between the PonoPlayer and an iPhone.
In its ongoing bid to fend off Apple's competing streaming service, Spotify used its Stream On virtual event on Monday to launch a new feature. Spotify HiFi will provide users with a CD-quality, lossless audio format.
Streamable via the Spotify app and through Spotify Connect-enabled speakers, the service will be an opt-in upgrade for Premium subscribers. Free-tier users will have to subscribe to listen to the higher-quality streams.
According to Spotify, the HiFi addition will let users "listen to their favorite songs the way artists intended," and that it was "consistently one of the most requested new features" of the service.
Spotify is working with "some of the world's biggest speaker manufacturers" to add Spotify HiFi support through Spotify Connect. The add-on will also be part of a "seamless music experience," namely for users to listen to the HiFi streams however they want.
Spotify HiFi will be made available in "select markets" later in 2021. More information on its availability will be offered by Spotify "soon."
The move could potentially give Spotify an advantage over Apple Music, which currently does not provide lossless music streams to its subscribers. It will also bring Spotify in line with Tidal, which has provided lossless audio streaming and "master-quality" tracks for some time.
However, the benefits of the Spotify HiFi service may not necessarily be noticed by all users.
The Pono music player and service, championed by legendary rocker Neil Young, was a short-lived attempt to provide audiophile-quality sound to its users. However, blind audio tests in 2015 found that people couldn't really tell the difference between the PonoPlayer and an iPhone.
Comments
Admittedly, psychoacoustics is not my specialty. Last I had heard, though, nobody had yet demonstrated the ability to distinguish lossless from 256 kbit AAC in ABX testing, let alone in double-blind. Seems like a great way to waste a lot of network throughput and battery power.
On my big Hi-Fi rig - it's not even a comparison... the 320 mp3 outshines the 256 AAC in detail and depth. (more information for the Chord DAC to upsample).
Tidal lossless blows them both away on most things - Tidal MQA blows everything away. Anyone with decent gear will acknowledge this.
If you are listening with Beats, AirPods or other lo-fi consumer products... sure, it doesn't matter - Lossless means nothing to you.
If you are listing on prosumer gear like Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer - with sub $2k speakers and Monster Cables... you will notice a small/moderate difference. More if you have a dedicated DAC.
If you are listening on HiFi gear... it's night and day.
This move by Spotify will be huge - and threatens Tidal more than Apple. Spotify isn't even thinking about Apple with this move.
If Spotify licenses MQA... look out! Spotify has far better curation and larger library than Tidal.
also, nothing wrong with monster cable, it is as good as any $5000 cable or monoprice cable. Sure, a $5000 cable looks fancy and make you able to show off to your friends. But that is about it.
If you ever have the opportunity to listen maybe then some of you will understand.