Best way to connect Tidal with Arc Ultra

What sounds best to you?

​@106rallye : No idea, I haven’t tried it all out yet and actually I wanted to benefit from other people’s experiences since I already spent more than 8 hours on the phone with the Sonos support and with trying to fix connectivity and speaker quality issues of my Playbar, only in February. I thought that’s the reason of having a forum?  

Yes, of course. But I’d try to form an opinion first before letting others influence me. 

Thank you ​@106rallye , but I don’t see any value to influence any reply beforehand into the direction of my own opinion. That’s not what a forum should aim for, right? I would expect open, fact- and experience based feedback, no matter if that meets my own taste or not. Related to my question, there should be a clear reply which is technically measurable: lossless Tidal through Sonos App connection to Sonos Arc Ultra vs. direct Tidal Bluetooth connection from a mobile device or through Apple play. Which connection is technically the best with the least loss of sound quality for the Sonos Arc Ultra? I guess that’s what ​@AjTrek1 replied to and thanks a lot for this answer. To be perfectly convinced and in order to no longer bother this forum with my questions, I’d just like to know the source of the statement that direct Bluetooth does not even achieve CD quality and what Bluetooth version you are referring to. There should be measured test results somewhere, right? I mean other results than just what sounds better to individual ears which are all very different from each other. Thanks a lot again to both of you!  Have a nice Sunday evening! Cheers, Daniel. 

​@Daniel40160 

Your reply to that of myself and ​@106rallye was to say the very least insulting. You came to this community for advice. No one says you have to like the advice given.

However, you should know that people in the community volunteer their time to help and assist as best they can. The majority are Sonos users; not sound engineers. We all have various levels of expertise and experience with Sonos.

To use a cliche’ “Just as beauty can be in the eye of the beholder” so goes the sound of music to one’s ear.

I don’t like a lot of heavy bass; but there are others who do. Does my not liking heavy bass make my preference the standard for music...of course not. Therefore, no matter what we may suggest in this community regarding audio...at the end-of-the-day it’s the listener who decides what’s best and/or pleasing to their ear.

As you seem to want proof of what Tidal can send over Bluetooth or streamed over WiFi via the Sonos app the answers were readily available to you. All you had to do was look on the Sonos website by clicking here ; or go online and conduct your own research.

As a courtesy I’ve done the online research for you. It’s out there...you just have to look. Whether you agree with the data or not; I really don’t care given your attitude. So let’s begin…

Bluetooth compresses audio using some defined codec before transmitting it, to make the bitrate fit below its maximum. Sending already-compressed audio like *. mp3 via bluetooth is like a double-kill. Since a bluetooth codec is always lossy compressed, no adapter can deliver the same quality as compact disc (CDDA).Mar 8, 2023

CDs generally have better sound quality than Bluetooth, but Bluetooth technology has improved over time. 

Explanation

• CDs

CDs have a higher data rate than Bluetooth, which results in better sound quality. CDs have a data rate of 1,411 kilobits per second (kbps), while Bluetooth's SBC codec has a maximum data rate of 345 kbps. 

• Bluetooth

Bluetooth uses compression to pass data between devices, which can result in less detail in the music. However, Bluetooth has improved over time with the introduction of codecs like aptX and LDAC. 

• aptX

aptX is a compression technology that allows CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) audio streaming. 

• LDAC

LDAC is a codec developed by Sony that allows streaming up to 990kbps at 32bits/96 kHz. 

Other considerations

Bluetooth can be susceptible to radio and electromagnetic signal interference, which can result in audio dropouts or reduced sound quality. 

Bluetooth audio connects devices directly, while streaming audio uses a network to connect devices. Streaming audio generally offers better sound quality than Bluetooth, but Bluetooth is more portable and can connect multiple devices. 

Bluetooth audio

• Connection: A direct connection between devices, without an intermediary 
• Portability: Bluetooth speakers and players can be used independently of a network 
• Compatibility: Bluetooth is compatible with most modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops 
• Limitations: Bluetooth compresses the audio signal, which can result in lower sound quality 

Streaming audio

• Connection: Uses a network to connect devices, such as a home network or the internet 
• Sound quality: Generally offers better sound quality than Bluetooth 
• Accessibility: Streaming makes music more accessible to people anywhere on the planet 
• Limitations: Streaming consumes significant data, which can lead to high data usage charges 

Last but not least here’s another link with helpful information. If you want graphs, sine waves and measured test results maybe a community member will point you in the right direction. Otherwise you may have to go find it on your own.

You have a nice Sunday evening as well. Cheers!