[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Poor Spotify Sound Quality .......................

[Cut-Throat]

I have been a Spotify Premium user ever Since MOG went under.... I liked
MOG a lot, Spotify had a good catalog, but I have never been impressed
with the Sound Quality of Spotify.

I have been listening to some Russian Jazz Stations on Tunein Radio that
stream at 192 kbps. These stations sound far superior than anything I am
getting from Spotify, which is streaming at the 320 Ogg...

Is there something I am doing wrong, or a setting that I have messed up?
.... But all of my Spotify Music sounds Congested, Muffled and dim.....


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cut-Throat's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=43167
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[JohnB]

I used to use Spotify Premium but haven't done so for some years.

What I found back then was that not all the albums were streamed at
320kbps even on a premium subscription. There was no way of telling from
the Spotify interface what the bitrate was and only folk who happen to
run a bandwidth utility on their computer would ever know (assuming they
were listening via a computer). Having said that, Spotify were making
inroads in increasing the percentage of their catalogue available at
320kbps - so I have no idea what the situation is now.

I mainly listen to classical music and Spotify has volume normalization
on by default (though it can be switched off in the settings). This had
a really dreadful effect on classical music, even though normalization
is widely used for other genres.



Touch, Meridian G92, Meridian G55, PMC OB1i speakers, HP Proliant
Microserver/Ubuntu, PC/Windows 7, iPad 4, iPeng, Squeezepad.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JohnB's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=31553
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[Cut-Throat]

Post by JohnB
I mainly listen to classical music and Spotify has volume normalization
on by default (though it can be switched off in the settings). This had
a really dreadful effect on classical music, even though normalization
is widely used for other genres.

Yes, I heard about this Volume setting, but cannot find it anymore
despite googling it, and scouring the App.... Can you tell me how to get
to this setting? Thanks.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cut-Throat's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=43167
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[JohnB]

This might be useful:
https://support.spotify.com/uk/using_spotify/system_settings/high-quality-streaming/

It also seems that Premium Subscribers have to switch on 320kbps
streaming, otherwise they get 160kbps.



Touch, Meridian G92, Meridian G55, PMC OB1i speakers, HP Proliant
Microserver/Ubuntu, PC/Windows 7, iPad 4, iPeng, Squeezepad.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JohnB's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=31553
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[Mnyb]

Spotty plugin should give 320k already there is no exposed settings ? Is
not premium a prerequisite to have any squeezebox integration .

Also LMS have a setting to lower the volume on streaming sources default
is -5dB set this to 0 dB .
Also turn of all volume levelling in LMS if your going to compare .

To get a real comparison use an album that you a have CD of and then
find the same on Spotify and then compare .
Try to find the same version and master ( that's probably impossible) I
tried once with a live album by Eric Bibb that was recent and not a
remaster or remix .
It sounded the same as the CD to me .

That said I had experienced not so good SQ on Spotify in other cases .
Reasons may vary .

Someone mentioned that not all their masters is that good .
The record company migth done a bad job .

Also a radio station migth use a lot of EQ and multiband compression to
get a fuller sound especially on a tabletop radio and similar .
Crank up the volume on Spotify and use on a real hifi ? Or you simply
prefer the radio station sound ?
This is not impossible as we mostly compare without reference to
anything , do any of us really know how to record is supposed to sound ?



--------------------------------------------------------------------
Main hifi: Touch + CIA PS +MeridianG68J MeridianHD621 MeridianG98DH 2 x
MeridianDSP5200 MeridianDSP5200HC 2 xMeridianDSP3100 +Rel Stadium 3
sub.
Bedroom/Office: Boom
Kitchen: Touch + powered Fostex PM0.4
Misc use: Radio (with battery)
iPad1 with iPengHD & SqueezePad
(spares Touch, SB3, reciever ,controller )
server HP proliant micro server N36L with ClearOS Linux

http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mnyb's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4143
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[Mnyb]

I I forgot the UMG watermark that universal and its subsidiaries has
embedded in all thier music it's audible in all music and especially
classic it's not that subtle as it survives lower bitrates than we
discuss here.

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?107906-Audible-watermarking-in-Tidal

https://www.mattmontag.com/music/universals-audible-watermark



--------------------------------------------------------------------
Main hifi: Touch + CIA PS +MeridianG68J MeridianHD621 MeridianG98DH 2 x
MeridianDSP5200 MeridianDSP5200HC 2 xMeridianDSP3100 +Rel Stadium 3
sub.
Bedroom/Office: Boom
Kitchen: Touch + powered Fostex PM0.4
Misc use: Radio (with battery)
iPad1 with iPengHD & SqueezePad
(spares Touch, SB3, reciever ,controller )
server HP proliant micro server N36L with ClearOS Linux

http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mnyb's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4143
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[Man in a van]

Post by Mnyb
Spotty plugin should give 320k already there is no exposed settings ? Is
not premium a prerequisite to have any squeezebox integration .
Also LMS have a setting to lower the volume on streaming sources default
is -5dB set this to 0 dB .

23604


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: aaspotcutthroat3.png |
|Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=23604|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man in a van's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=43627
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[Man in a van]

Post by Cut-Throat
Yes, I heard about this Volume setting, but cannot find it anymore
despite googling it, and scouring the App.... Can you tell me how to get
to this setting? Thanks.

Open Spotify on a computer, go to Settings under your user name,scroll
down to Music Quality


23601


then open the Advanced Settings


23602

Scroll down to PlayBack

23603


Ronnie


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: aaspotcutthroat2.png |
|Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=23603|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man in a van's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=43627
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949

[Cut-Throat]

Post by Man in a van
Open Spotify on a computer, go to Settings under your user name,scroll
down to Music Quality
Ronnie

Thanks Much Van Man!


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cut-Throat's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=43167
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107949