Spotify Hi-Fi lossless is (finally) here!
- Thread starter haveaniceday
- Start date
I have noticed this too when comparing side by side with Tidal so im looking forward to when the update arrives
Yea I thought it was just me being thick, but I couldn't see anything either.
I mean even 192kbps is fine for the casual listener - the majority of people are Bluetooth earbuding or sticking something on whilst they cook dinner. They wouldn't notice
"Spotify hifi" is just cd quality and that's where this is aiming I think. it's a a step up from where they were - which was sometimes upscaling lower quality source to 320 - so I'm happy with the free upgrade. But it's definitely not audiophile lalalala
Re. Normalisation though. I always turn any normalisation off. Do you not?
Associate
- Joined
- 26 May 2008
- Posts
- 1,881
I believe it's 320Kbps for the premium subscription service, their best MP3 is 320Kbps streaming usually.
Spotify HiFi states 24bit 44.1Flac, CD is 16/44 and as hi res as a human can experience.
Remember all you get with 24 bits is an extra 48db of dynamic range, it's great for recording and mastering as it gives headroom, not so great for home listening. No one records music with that sort of dynamic range. 96db with 16bit is more than enough when you consider the room noise floor to overcome and specifications of domestic audio.
HiRes 24/192 is simply more dynamic range and more frequency beyond 20Khz, it isnt more resolution. No one on the planet can listen to 96Khz and 144db.
Yes I like normalized. Because frankly it sucks to be deafened by the next album due to the huge variation in loudness. Normalization is simply meant to affect volume, so two different mixes have similar output at the speakers, it has no affect on sound quality or actual dynamics according to it's description.
But if the normalization s based on high level at some small section of the album, you then have bits removed for the entire duration of the album.
OK if the HIFI was just upsampled to 24bits, you have some to spare.
spotify equalizer is still useful in the car/carplay versus tidal that doesn't have one, not as good as foobar2k;
where having started ripping stuff with OPUS codec now, like youtube, better quality for your MB
OK if the HIFI was just upsampled to 24bits, you have some to spare.
spotify equalizer is still useful in the car/carplay versus tidal that doesn't have one, not as good as foobar2k;
where having started ripping stuff with OPUS codec now, like youtube, better quality for your MB
I had spotify for about 6 years, recently broke up with my long term partner who I had a family plan with, so had to restart my plan about 4 months ago.....
I have wanted Hifi for years now, I hope I'm not at the back of the list for the roll out!
I have wanted Hifi for years now, I hope I'm not at the back of the list for the roll out!
this. shouldn't use it if you're listening for pleasure really
Associate
- Joined
- 26 May 2008
- Posts
- 1,881
Normalisation simply adjusts the volume so badly mastered crap isn't twice as loud as well mastered crap.
It doesn't remove anything as far as I am aware? I could be wrong lol.
Not sure why you mentioned bits, those are not adjusted, and it simply allows dynamic range.
Recording level is a different subject. Hence the loudness wars and why hi res is now a waste of time. Modern music levels are pushed as far as possible, so the recording is louder and sounds punchier, but has no dynamic contrast and on streaming services you end up with different songs with different volumes in some systems.
Quite noticeable if you're driving a pair of large speakers with a large amplifier.
but how does spotify adjust/reduce the volume ? by shifting(adulterating) the bits being sent to the dac/sound-mixer towards the least significant bit.
so if you were listening to bat-out-of-hell say with some very loud sections I wouldn't want the sound on the quiet sections having detail removed because the track had had its volume reduced so the peak level was the same as other music, that might be a lot more monotone - you'd be sacrificing the dynamic range on booh ?
modern music has the reputation of compressing the dynamic range for the typical user listening environment/headphones to boot ? so I guess if you looked at std deviation of level it is reduced.
I've done some rips of vinyl and those sound subjectively better / more involving, than streamed versions.
[if anything, I'd like protection for the loudspeakers on bass notes]
Associate
- Joined
- 26 May 2008
- Posts
- 1,881
Spotify doesn't remove bits or add bits to adjust volume.
Nor does normalisation remove information or details.
It has the potential to reduce dynamic range, but the target volume is -14db LUFS, which is already the common go to in studio mastering.
I'm reality normalisation is used even when mastering albums, but in the context of Spotify it only slightly helps.
Old 80"s masters are still far quieter than modern recordings so you still have to adjust volume.
But again we are taking about a streaming service where most listening is 320kbps MP3.
If I want quality I will play the CD that has the better mastering which again is more personal taste than actual.
Nor does normalisation remove information or details.
It has the potential to reduce dynamic range, but the target volume is -14db LUFS, which is already the common go to in studio mastering.
I'm reality normalisation is used even when mastering albums, but in the context of Spotify it only slightly helps.
Old 80"s masters are still far quieter than modern recordings so you still have to adjust volume.
But again we are taking about a streaming service where most listening is 320kbps MP3.
If I want quality I will play the CD that has the better mastering which again is more personal taste than actual.
