Spotify or Apple Music or YouTube Music Premium?

[mbhangui]

Yes , all unlikely hopes.
I have some small hope of Spotify going lossless, at least there was some talk in going around sometime ago.

Spotify's hope of launching lossless was killed by apple launching lossless apple music at the current price point. It is impossibe for spotify to launch lossless version without incurring significant costs. Most likely Apple will wait till it acquires significant subscribers at the cost of spotify subscribers.

It is wait and watch. Spotify is waiting for apple to increase the price. Apple is waiting for spotify to fold belly up.

In reality it would be quite trivial for apple to kill spotify. All they have to do is tweak tv os on the Apple TV to automatically change sample rate as per the song.

 

[suku_patel_22]

There are definite advantages of Spotify Connect’s native play. But a few days of lossless streaming at 99 Rs pm via AM (and A/B comparisons), and I was a convert. The musicality of a lossless file is difficult to achieve with a 256/320 kbps stream. Yes, the SQ (esp clarity) of the native Spotify stream is better (expectedly, due to fewer stages in the playback), but for me the richness & musicality of the full content scored over cleaner sounding but incomplete content. it depends on what one values more. (My preference is stated in my signature )

The only issue with Apple music is that you do need Apple TV to play music. With Spotify, the TV doesn't even need to switch on. I just connect to my Marantz using Spotify connect, it switches on, and starts playing music. I have to do nothing.

 

[sachinchavan 15865]

The only issue with Apple music is that you do need Apple TV to play music. With Spotify, the TV doesn't even need to switch on. I just connect to my Marantz using Spotify connect, it switches on, and starts playing music. I have to do nothing.

What you are describing is ‘native play’ (on the streamer) as referred in my post. Easily the best way to stream. But I doubt Apple would open up their service to be accessed without an Apple gadget unlike Spotify/Tidal/Qobuz. (By the way, you don’t need Apple TV to play Apple Music, any Apple gadget - phone, tablet or computer would do. I believe Apple Music also works on Andoid phones)

Also, let’s remember that this matters only to those listening via stereo system (like most of the members on this forum). A large majority of users listen through IEMs connected to their mobile phones and to them, AM is such an attractive value proposition, delivering lossless music at a very attractive subscription rate. Nothing comes even close in terms of VFM.

 

[DilipPune]

I use both, Apple and Spotify , Play Through IFI Zen V2 blue HiFi Dac. both sound good in their own ways. Choose whats most suitable to your ears.

 

[Phew]

The only issue with Apple music is that you do need Apple TV to play music. With Spotify, the TV doesn't even need to switch on. I just connect to my Marantz using Spotify connect, it switches on, and starts playing music. I have to do nothing.

Why would you need apple tv to play apple music? Can't we simply play it over Airplay to the streamer/avr?

 

[suku_patel_22]

Why would you need apple tv to play apple music? Can't we simply play it over Airplay to the streamer/avr?

AFAIK, you don't get lossless and Atmos via Airplay. However, I'm a Pixel user and can be completely wrong.

 

[cvijayc]

Why would you need apple tv to play apple music? Can't we simply play it over Airplay to the streamer/avr?

No we don't need an apple device necessarily to play apple music , however again Airplay is restricted to apple devices. Airplay restricts the transmission of lossless 16 bit / 44.1 khz between devices.

If the goal is to listen to hi-res lossless on Apple , currently only way is to invest in a DAC .