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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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chicks

There have been firmware updates about every other week for several months. Bit-perfect up to 24/192 has been tested by Amir at ASR, and confirmed by me using the test files provided by RME via my RME DAC.

John Atkinson has confirmed that Stereophile will be testing it soon, unusual for such a low cost device.

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

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

Ah, right.

chicks

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?

It’s been on Amazon since late September. It’s already at #10 on the best-sellers list for its category, which unfortunately includes a bunch of cheapo Bluetooth receivers. Ahead of the Echo Link and other WiFi streamers, though it’s not an exhaustive list.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Wireless-Audio-Receivers-Adapters/zgbs/electronics/10110414011

Ken_Griffiths

I’m still taken aback by the difference in the average file size for just a 3 minute ALAC lossless audio track encoded at 24/48 and 24/192 audio - I will personally never be able to hear the difference for anything over 16/44 anyway. I’d just be guessing if there was no ‘badge’ to tell me what I was listening to.

So I think all I really need is another App that allows me to change the ‘badge’ on the ‘Now Playing’ screen of whatever App I’m using to play the audio on my Sonos speakers.. ha😀

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

Went looking for a CD quality chart, not an exact match for the above but close.

I can see why my SonosNet is happier passing 16 / 44.1 audio than 24 / 96 audio, about 1/3rd the data.

K

Kumar

It’s been on Amazon since late September. It’s already at #10 on the best-sellers list for its category, which unfortunately includes a bunch of cheapo Bluetooth receivers.

I had a look; since I do not use HD in any form or manner, I don't see it replacing my Echo Dots/Shows that are wired into various Sonos line in jacks. About the only thing that may be of use is the Airplay capability, but even there I don’t see any pressing need since my Spotify app can go one better by casting from the native app to Echo, with album art present where Echo Show is used, and removing itself from the music play as soon as the stream is directed to Echo.

chicks

You’re getting lossy streaming that way. The WiiM can, in beta, do lossless streaming from Amazon Music. I personally wouldn’t accept anything less than CD standard lossless FLAC. The CD standard has been around since the 1980s. Why accept anything less?

It also does lossless from Qobuz and Tidal in-app, and Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect from their native apps. It can participate in Alexa groups, and in AirPlay groups. Unlike most AirPlay devices, it can do bit-perfect lossless, up to 16/44.1 CD quality, over AirPlay.

BTW, I can visualize anything playing on the WiiM too, using a simple Python script I wrote and a raspberry pi Zero. As it’s a full-fledged Alexa-enabled device, it will also work from a Show, including via voice control - in lossless FLAC, unlike the Dot.

M

Marcellus H.

Trending Lyricist I

Went looking for a CD quality chart, not an exact match for the above but close.

I can see why my SonosNet is happier passing 16 / 44.1 audio than 24 / 96 audio, about 1/3rd the data.

@Stanley_4these numbers look like mono bitrates to me. Is this table correct?

16 bits per sample x 44,1KHz samples per second = 705.6 Kbps of Mono
16 bits per sample x 44,1KHz samples per second = 705.6 Kbps x 2 channels = 1,411 Kbps Stereo
24 bits per sample x 48 KHz samples per second = 1.152 Kbps x 2 channels = 2,304 Kbps Stereo

I wanted to ask you people, do you hear the difference between HD (16 bit, 44.1 Kbps) and UHD (24 bit, 48 Kbps)? I certainly don't, and that's why I'm perfectly fine with HD.

People are entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts.

Ken_Griffiths

I wanted to ask you people, do you hear the difference between HD (16 bit, 44.1 Kbps) and UHD (24 bit, 48 Kbps)? I certainly don't, and that's why I'm perfectly fine with HD.

I too am human and from the planet ‘Earth’.😀

Earth

M

Marcellus H.

Trending Lyricist I

I wanted to ask you people, do you hear the difference between HD (16 bit, 44.1 Kbps) and UHD (24 bit, 48 Kbps)? I certainly don't, and that's why I'm perfectly fine with HD.

I too am human and from the planet ‘Earth’.😀