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Amazon Music HD/UHD Confusion

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
June 8, 2022
54 replies
5588 views

I have Amazon Music Unlimited and a Sonos Connect Gen 2. I want to listen to the best quality stream (over my hifi), which is Ultra HD on many songs in Amazon. However, I can’t get a clear answer from Amazon or Sonos on how to do this, AND verify it’s actually happening. Going round in circles as they blame each other on support calls.

The situation is if I start a UHD song from the Amazon app on my phone and play it on the phone speaker it reports as UHD all the way through (when you click on the UHD badge and look at the stream>output page). So, ok...I am getting UHD and my network is up to the job. However, if I stream the song to the Connect then the same screen reports Audio Quality: Unavailable and also says “streaming quality is not available while casting”.

If I then look at the Sonos app now playing screen there is just the Amazon Music logo, no HD or UHD logo at all.

If I go the other way, and start a known UHD song on Amazon from the Sonos app then I do get a HD icon on the Sonos now playing screen, but no UHD icon. Sadly the interface is rubbish so it’s far from ideal. Plus, I want it to play UHD quality.

Naturally all my settings are set for best quality. Can anyone please advise on how to actually tell what quality the Connect is receiving (and playing out) on my hifi? It seems such a trivial request to know I’m actually getting what they both promise but for some reason neither can help.

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K

Kumar

You are clearly more knowledgeable than I about the sonic details here. But when all said and done, I’m just a consumer looking for the UHD badge reassurance from the service I’m paying for. I fully agree my hearing isn’t up to the job but I wanted the UHD badge anyway!

I doubt that any of us writing here have unimpaired hearing.

Once you understand that this UHD thing is a much touted solution to a problem that does not exist, you will stop feeling shortchanged - and getting people to feel this way is the only real thing this entire HD audio thing seems to achieve, more than anything else.

B

boardmonkeyAuthor

Trending Lyricist I

However, swapping out the Connect for the newer S15 version.. has given me closure. I can’t hear the difference FYI :o)

K

Kumar

So long as the closure does not end if/when the UHD label disappears:-).

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

Or when your WiFi channel gets too congested to pass the fatter data-stream required and it either dials back or starts stalling out.

I’d love an option in Sonos to not negotiate any stream connection at above CD quality unless nothing else was available.

chicks

I’d love an option in Sonos to not negotiate any stream connection at above CD quality unless nothing else was available.

Yeah, that’s been a standard feature of LMS for at least 10 years now.

Also, the new WiiM Mini features it for the Optical output, which is bit-perfect up to 24/192, and supports casting from the Amazon Music app at HD and UHD in beta, due for production rollout in a couple of weeks. Also supports Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Airplay 2. Can even be a full-fledged member of Alexa groups. For $89, there’s finally a device that offers some real competition to Sonos. Competition is always a good thing.

K

Kumar

For $89, there’s finally a device that offers some real competition to Sonos. Competition is always a good thing.

Sounds just the thing for folks that don’t want expensive speakers with bundled smarts, that become obsolete just because the smart tech has moved on to a better place, making the whole speaker obsolete.

PS: Above said, and if one were to look beyond the Hi Res Kool Aid, what will this do that the much cheaper Echo Dot cannot?

chicks

For $89, there’s finally a device that offers some real competition to Sonos. Competition is always a good thing.

Sounds just the thing for folks that don’t want expensive speakers with bundled smarts, that become obsolete just because the smart tech has moved on to a better place, making the whole speaker obsolete.

PS: Above said, and if one were to look beyond the Hi Res Kool Aid, what will this do that the much cheaper Echo Dot cannot?

It has an optical output, which is bit-perfect up to 24/192, to drive a quality DAC. It can also act as a UPnP endpoint at the same bit-perfect resolution, for use with excellent software such as LMS and Audirvana, etc. It supports AirPlay 2, can be part of an AirPlay 2 group. It supports Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, so that those can be used with their native apps. It supports Amazon Music HD and UHD from Amazon’s native app, and from Alexa voice control. No more lossy streaming, other than Spotify, for the moment. If Qobuz ever gets around to a Connect, you can bet it will also be supported. It also has a highly responsive development team, which has its modules and firmware in millions of devices already, including Yamaha sound bars and Edifier smart speakers. In short, Linkplay, the WiiM owner, is not going away anytime soon.

K

Kumar

It also has a highly responsive development team, which has its modules and firmware in millions of devices already, including Yamaha sound bars and Edifier smart speakers. In short, Linkplay, the WiiM owner, is not going away anytime soon.

Very interesting; will there be a Big Bang launch event? Soon?

ratty

For $89, there’s finally a device that offers some real competition to Sonos. Competition is always a good thing.

Sounds just the thing for folks that don’t want expensive speakers with bundled smarts, that become obsolete just because the smart tech has moved on to a better place, making the whole speaker obsolete.

PS: Above said, and if one were to look beyond the Hi Res Kool Aid, what will this do that the much cheaper Echo Dot cannot?

It has an optical output, which is bit-perfect up to 24/192, to drive a quality DAC.

Seems a bit strange then that the user manual says:

Audio Sound Quality
Audio Input: up to 192 kHz, 24-bit
Audio Output: 48 kHz, 16-bit, CD quality

Belly M

For $89, there’s finally a device that offers some real competition to Sonos. Competition is always a good thing.

Sounds just the thing for folks that don’t want expensive speakers with bundled smarts, that become obsolete just because the smart tech has moved on to a better place, making the whole speaker obsolete.

PS: Above said, and if one were to look beyond the Hi Res Kool Aid, what will this do that the much cheaper Echo Dot cannot?

It has an optical output, which is bit-perfect up to 24/192, to drive a quality DAC.

Seems a bit strange then that the user manual says:

Audio Sound Quality

Audio Input: up to 192 kHz, 24-bit

Audio Output: 48 kHz, 16-bit, CD quality

There was a firmware update earlier this year, they probably never got round to updating the manual, you have to scroll down as they have been busy,

https://wiimhome.com/releaseNote

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