<p class="financial-disclaimer"><i>When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a></i></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>HD audio, or high-definition audio, enables streaming music to sound more like an original studio recording.  </li><li>While the specifications for HD audio can vary, the term is generally used to refer to digital music formats that offer at least CD-quality mastering.</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biipf_042920_what-is-hd-music-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c8b72bb4ad8608124bd15ad0a117524f&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325p=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.1.0-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fpost%2Fpreview%3Fpost_id%3D5ea9efb542278d17de75cc6d%26mode%3Ddesktop&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.awin1.com%2Fcread.php%3Fawinmid%3D17117%26awinaffid%3D257137%26p%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftidal.com%252F%26clickref%3D1588195257097a8y6ra4jy%7Cxid%3Afr1588195259104dcd&amp;xguid=01DVRNF4JJ74KD618XM295YQAT&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=c7885af5c7ad2ec18ecc50b68e2058bd&amp;xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5Df=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tidal</a>, and <a href="http://www.qobuz.com/us-en/music/streaming/offers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qobuz</a> all offer HD audio options via streaming.</li><li>To truly take advantage of the added benefits of HD audio, you'll need gear that can support the higher quality sound.</li></ul><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5d113e6ee3ecba1eaf00c974&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5ea9f23148d92c1ad50b1aec&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eaacb2d5f726e57e23a8677&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><p>If you're ready to be fully immersed in music from your favorite artists, you're likely a good candidate to explore HD audio and what it can offer your ears. Though once a concept geared mostly toward big audiophiles, HD music streaming solutions are now expanding to the mainstream.</p><p>On that note, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biipf_042920_what-is-hd-music-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c8b72bb4ad8608124bd15ad0a117524f&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325p=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Amazon Music</a> is one of the latest services to offer higher quality audio options, so you may have seen an advertisement for HD Music and wondered what it's all about. In short, HD music is about allowing you to listen to music exactly as the recording artist intended, with quality that comes closer to the studio recording itself. </p><p>If you're someone who already has a pair of good <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-speakers">speakers</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-over-ear-headphones">headphones</a>, then you'll likely want the highest quality music to flow through your gear. Thankfully, there are several streaming services that now offer HD music plans for a premium subscription price. It's very similar to having a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-4k-tv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-end TV</a> and needing to pay for Netflix's Ultra HD plan in order to make sure you can take advantage of your display's 4K resolution.</p><p>While listening to higher quality music seems like an obvious choice, there are still a few drawbacks or hurdles related to HD music. Below, we've broken down some of the basics about HD audio to help you determine how to get started or whether it's right for you.</p><h2>What is HD audio?</h2><p>HD audio is a general term used to refer to digital audio tracks that are presented in at least CD-quality. Unlike typical streaming music tracks (like those on Spotify), HD audio tracks use lossless compression so more information from the original recording is preserved. Examples of common HD music formats include FLAC and WAV, while examples of common lossy music formats include MP3 and AAC.</p><p>When music streaming first became widely available, services initially relied on lossy music formats in order to reduce the file size of songs so streaming wouldn't use too much bandwidth. This is fine for casual listening, but this kind of compression leads to a loss of detail, dynamic range, and overall quality, especially if you're listening to music on a high-end system. </p><p>Home internet connections have since improved, however, and good audio gear has come down in price. With that in mind, more platforms are starting to embrace lossless HD music tracks with larger file sizes in order to provide listeners with a higher quality experience.</p><p><div type="image" title="HD audio comparison chart" height="800" width="1067" msid="75477114" hostid="261"></div></p><p>In order to be considered HD, music tracks typically require lossless compression and a minimum sample rate of 44.1kHz, a minimum bit depth of 16-bits, and a minimum bitrate of 850kbps. With that said, there is no formal standard for HD audio, so exact specifications can vary. Labels like hi-res, high-resolution, and Ultra HD are also commonly used to refer to music tracks that actually exceed CD-quality, with sample rates and bit depths even higher than 44.1kHz and 16-bit.</p><p>But just what do these sample rate and bit depth specifications really mean? Well, they relate to how the track was mastered digitally during the recording process. For instance, when an HD music track has a sample rate of 44.1kHz, that means that the original audio signal was digitally converted, or sampled, 44,100 times per second. Meanwhile, the bit depth refers to the size of the information in each of those samples.</p><p>An analog sound wave is continuous so the more times you sample it per second and the more information you have in each sample, the cleaner and more precise the resulting audio becomes. In other words, a lossless digital audio track with a high sampling rate and a high bit depth has the potential to sound closer to the original studio recording than a lower quality track.</p><p>Of course, even if HD audio's benefits are clear on paper, there's still a chance that you simply won't notice the upgrade that these higher technical specifications provide. Since some people have more discerning ears than others, the improvements can be subtle for some listeners and more dramatic for others. </p><p>Before going too much further, you should take a quick hearing test to see if you can identify higher quality music, or if standard quality is adequate for your needs. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/06/02/411473508/how-well-can-you-hear-audio-quality">NPR has a short six-question quiz</a> that compares lossy audio to uncompressed WAV files from various genres. While those specific samples shouldn't serve as a definitive demonstration for what all HD audio can offer, if you can correctly identify the uncompressed tracks, then HD music might be more worthwhile for you.  </p><h2>What do I need to listen to HD audio?</h2><p><div type="image" title="iFi AUDIO xDSD Dac" height="800" width="1067" msid="75477117" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The good news is that you can technically listen to lossless HD music on any pair of speakers or headphones — the bad news is that depending on the gear you own, it's possible that you won't be able to take full advantage of HD music's benefits. </p><p>In fact, you can't just connect your wireless headphones to an iPhone and get high definition music delivered in sparkling clarity to your ears. To ensure the best quality, you'll most likely want to invest in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-dacs">digital-to-analog converter</a>, or DAC, that connects to the device you're listening on. This device will provide optimized processing for HD tracks, especially those that feature high-resolution sample rates and bit depths. You'll also want to stick with a wired connection to your headphones or speakers in order to ensure the best playback quality. </p><p>If you do want to stay wireless, there are some Bluetooth devices that are capable of HD music playback, but you'll want to check with specific manufacturers for specifications. In most cases, you'll need devices that support <a href="https://www.aptx.com/aptx-hd">aptX HD</a> or Sony's LDAC codecs to maintain CD-quality sound.</p><p>In general, Wi-Fi solutions have the potential to provide a better HD audio experience than Bluetooth. Sonos speakers are capable of streaming CD-quality music via a Wi-Fi connection. Denon's HEOS audio components, Yamaha's MusicCast products, and DTS Play-Fi compatible gear can also provide the necessary playback support for CD-quality and hi-res.</p><p>The three major HD audio streaming providers, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_AMHDFAQ_md2_w?node=14063680011&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&amp;pf_rd_r=YHPVMFHD9HYQJG9YD2ME&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_p=8a024364-032a-457c-ac7c-a4f8b1d51579&amp;pf_rd_i=14070322011#hd-edu-brands4070322011#hd-edu-brands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon Music HD</a>, <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftidal.com%2Fsupported-devicesices" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tidal</a>, and <a href="https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/discover/apps-partners#anchor-premier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qobuz</a>, all provide lists of partnered brands and devices that you can use to enjoy their HD music tracks. </p><h2>Where can I listen to HD audio?</h2><p>There are several streaming services currently offering HD music options, including <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.1.0-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fpost%2Fpreview%3Fpost_id%3D5ea9efb542278d17de75cc6d%26mode%3Ddesktop&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.awin1.com%2Fcread.php%3Fawinmid%3D17117%26awinaffid%3D257137%26p%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftidal.com%252F%26clickref%3D1588195257097a8y6ra4jy%7Cxid%3Afr1588195259104dcd&amp;xguid=01DVRNF4JJ74KD618XM295YQAT&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=c7885af5c7ad2ec18ecc50b68e2058bd&amp;xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5Df=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tidal</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biipf_042920_what-is-hd-music-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c8b72bb4ad8608124bd15ad0a117524f&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325p=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Amazon Music HD</a>, and <a href="http://www.qobuz.com/us-en/music/streaming/offers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qobuz</a>. Each of these services reaches the minimum requirements for CD-quality while also providing even higher quality streams, referred to as hi-res, Ultra HD, master audio, or studio audio.</p><p>Here's a rundown of the individual plans for each HD streaming service:</p><ul><li><a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.1.0-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fpost%2Fpreview%3Fpost_id%3D5ea9efb542278d17de75cc6d%26mode%3Ddesktop&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.awin1.com%2Fcread.php%3Fawinmid%3D17117%26awinaffid%3D257137%26p%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftidal.com%252F%26clickref%3D1588195257097a8y6ra4jy%7Cxid%3Afr1588195259104dcd&amp;xguid=01DVRNF4JJ74KD618XM295YQAT&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=c7885af5c7ad2ec18ecc50b68e2058bd&amp;xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5Df=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tidal HiFi</a> - $19.99 per month</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biipf_042920_what-is-hd-music-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c8b72bb4ad8608124bd15ad0a117524f&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325p=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Amazon Music HD</a> - $14.99 per month ($12.99 for Prime subscribers)</li><li><a href="http://www.qobuz.com/us-en/music/streaming/offers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qobuz Studio Premier</a> - $14.99 per month</li></ul><p>Both <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.1.0-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fpost%2Fpreview%3Fpost_id%3D5ea9efb542278d17de75cc6d%26mode%3Ddesktop&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.awin1.com%2Fcread.php%3Fawinmid%3D17117%26awinaffid%3D257137%26p%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftidal.com%252F%26clickref%3D1588195257097a8y6ra4jy%7Cxid%3Afr1588195259104dcd&amp;xguid=01DVRNF4JJ74KD618XM295YQAT&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=c7885af5c7ad2ec18ecc50b68e2058bd&amp;xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5Df=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tidal</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biipf_042920_what-is-hd-music-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c8b72bb4ad8608124bd15ad0a117524f&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325p=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Amazon HD</a> offer family plans for HD music, but <keyword id="2573165" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Qobuz">Qobuz</keyword> only has an individual plan. In addition to CD-quality HD audio, each of the above subscription plans also offers the ability to stream in even higher quality.</p><p><keyword id="1527458" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amazon-Music">Amazon Music</keyword> HD's highest quality tracks are called Ultra HD and they offer a bit depth of 24 bits, sample rates rup to 192kHz, and an average bitrate of 3730kbps. Like Amazon, Qobuz's highest quality music also tops out at 24 bits and 192kHz. Meanwhile, <keyword id="756559" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="tidal">Tidal</keyword>'s highest quality streams feature MQA technology with up to a 96kHz sample rate and bit depth of 24 bits. </p><p>If you'd like to buy and download individual HD songs instead of paying for a streaming subscription, <a href="https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qobuz</a> and <a href="http://hdtracks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HDtracks</a> both offer digital HD music stores.</p><h2>Are there any downsides to HD audio?</h2><p>There are some key hurdles to getting the most out of HD music, particularly if you're on a budget. The main downsides for HD music include: </p><ul><li>Higher prices for HD plans on streaming music services</li><li>The very best playback requires more expensive gear</li><li>More internet data is used for streaming </li><li>HD music downloads take up more space</li></ul><p>The flip side is that if you can hear a difference and appreciate the finer details with HD Music, it can be hard not to listen to music at the best quality possible. So, if you're someone who truly appreciates the higher fidelity and greater accuracy that HD music can provide, then the format is likely worth the cost of admission. </p><p>Thankfully, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited/hd?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=biipf_042920_what-is-hd-music-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c8b72bb4ad8608124bd15ad0a117524f&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325p=1789&amp;creative=9325" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Amazon Music HD</a>, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=14.1.0-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fpost%2Fpreview%3Fpost_id%3D5ea9efb542278d17de75cc6d%26mode%3Ddesktop&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.awin1.com%2Fcread.php%3Fawinmid%3D17117%26awinaffid%3D257137%26p%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Ftidal.com%252F%26clickref%3D1588195257097a8y6ra4jy%7Cxid%3Afr1588195259104dcd&amp;xguid=01DVRNF4JJ74KD618XM295YQAT&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=240&amp;xuuid=c7885af5c7ad2ec18ecc50b68e2058bd&amp;xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5Df=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tidal</a>, and <a href="http://www.qobuz.com/us-en/music/streaming/offers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qobuz</a> all offer free trial periods so you can sample the benefits of HD music to see if it's worth the added cost with your gear. </p><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5d113e6ee3ecba1eaf00c974&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5ea9f23148d92c1ad50b1aec&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe><iframe src="https://produktor.businessinsider.com/productCardService?id=5eaacb2d5f726e57e23a8677&amp;type=small&amp;live=true" width="100%" height="150%" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute; top:0; left: 0"></iframe>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-hd-audio">Business Insider</a>

Everything you need to know about HD audio and how it can enhance your music-streaming experience on Tidal, Amazon Music, and Qobuz

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c9e78d72cc74056bb0ee995-1200/music streaming 43.png" border="0" alt="music streaming spotify qobuz tidal" data-mce-source="Yutong Yuan/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Yutong Yuan/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">We tested the sound quality of music streaming service Qobuz against the highest-fidelity versions of Spotify and Tidal.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>For music lovers, sound quality is one of the most important things a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/music-streaming">streaming service</a> can offer.</strong></li><li>Qobuz, a music app that's new to the US, claims to stream music with sound quality nearly thirty times better than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spotify">Spotify</a>'s.</li><li>We compared Qobuz's sound with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spotify">Spotify's</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tidal">Tidal's</a>, and found that while the difference was noticeable from track to track, it might not be worth the extra cost.</li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Are you happy with the sound quality of your music streaming app? You might not think much about it. But audiophiles are always on the hunt for better sound quality, and a new streaming service has debuted, offering to deliver it. </span><a href="https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/discover"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Qobuz</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, new to the US, supports much higher audio quality - according to the company, as much as 29 times better than Spotify. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">High resolution audio is nothing new. In the last decade, formats like DVD-Audio and SACD have promised sound quality far surpassing anything on CD, but they largely failed because they were inconvenient compared to CD playing. A few years ago, musician Neil Young tried again with </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neil-youngs-kickstarter-raised-millions-2014-4"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pono</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a combination music player and music service, but not enough people wanted to lock themselves into a special music player, regardless of the superior sound quality it offered. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Qobuz is different, though - it delivers (depending upon the track), high quality MP3s, CD-quality music, and 24-bit lossless tracks just as conveniently as </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spotify"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spotify</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tidal"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tidal</span></a> deliver their respective sounds<span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So we put all three streaming services to the test to see if there was any noticeable advantage to using Qobuz.</span></p><h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Spotify</strong></span></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You already know Spotify, which has been around since 2008. You can use the free, ad-supported version to listen to the roughly 30 million tracks, even if you don't pony up $10 per month for Spotify Premium. Spotify Free lets you listen at 160 kbps, but Premium adds the option to play music at 320 kbps, which is the highest quality level that MP3s can be encoded at.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c9b97a409b60322a025cacd-1819/spotify.jpeg" border="0" alt="Spotify Black Rebel Motorcycle Club" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson" /><p class="source"><span>Dave Johnson</span></p><p class="caption">Spotify is the most popular streaming music service, thanks in part to the fact that you can listen for free.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><strong>Tidal</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tidal is a newer streaming service, launched in 2014 by the Norwegian company Aspiro and "</span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-jay-zs-tidal-music-streaming-service-2016-8"><span style="font-weight: 400;">re-launched</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">" by Jay-Z in 2015. There's no free-play version of Tidal, but in addition to the standard $10/month subscription, there's also a $20 per month premium service that includes access to some FLAC-format lossless tracks. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c9b9825dc6767063f2c56c2-2211/tidal.jpeg" border="0" alt="Tidal Throwing Muses" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson" /><p class="source"><span>Dave Johnson</span></p><p class="caption">Tidal offers higher quality tracks than Spotify, but to get those, you need to pay twice as much as you would for Spotify Premium.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><strong>Qobuz</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new kid on the block, Qobuz has some catching up to do. The service costs a premium, literally: access to everything including the high-res content (<span>FLAC 24-Bit up to 192 KHz)</span> starts at $24.99 per month (CD-quality only is $20 per month, and MP3-only is $10 per month). And while the company claims to have about 40 million CD-quality tracks and a couple of million hi-res songs, the library sometimes feels barren when searching for popular artists. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While preparing to compare the audio quality of the three services, we had to veto a few songs because they weren't yet available on Qobuz. If you're a fan of indie music, be especially wary. Searches for alt rock bands like Throwing Muses and Downpilot turn up few-to-no tracks.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c9b9848ee52ef18a812e52b-2205/qobuz.jpeg" border="0" alt="Qobuz the Beatles" data-mce-source="Dave Johnson" /><p class="source"><span>Dave Johnson</span></p><p class="caption">Qobuz boasts the best quality tracks and a large library, but we sometimes couldn't find the tracks we wanted to hear. And the top subscription level is quite pricey.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><strong>Qobuz definitely sounds better than Spotify on most songs</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's one thing for Qobuz to say it's 29 times better than Spotify - but can you really hear the difference? </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To find out, we tested 10 songs that spanned a range of musical styles. Two test subjects (myself, and fellow tech journalist John Lyon) got to hear each song once - the highest-quality versions of Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz - through a pair of high-quality headphones without knowing which version was which. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The result? Qobuz noticeably outperformed the others as we picked Qobuz as our favorite in "blind" testing a surprising 75% of the time. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'll be honest: I didn't expect Qobuz to fare that well. Not because I didn't trust that its audio was high quality, but because I didn't think it would matter very much. I suspected that Spotify and Tidal sound "good enough," and it would be hard to really hear the difference. And while there's some truth to that, Qobuz really did pop. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listening to Leonard Bernstein's performance of "The Death of Ase," John heard the Qobuz version immediately after Tidal and exclaimed, "Wow, that was a much more interesting song than it seemed the first time!" About Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks," I observed that the song opened up with a much wider soundstage than either Tidal or Spotify, making the reverberating drums all the more impressive. BRMC's "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" features percussive finger-snaps in the background; John marveled that unlike the others, Qobuz's version was "super-clean. The snaps actually sounded fleshy." </span></p><h2>But we're not sure Qobuz is worth the money</h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Qobuz didn't win first place for every song, however, and Spotify and Tidal jockeyed for first and second place from song to song. (A few times, like in the Beach Boy's remastered mono version of "God Only Knows," Spotify actually took the top spot over Qobuz, which John described as "blasting me unpleasantly in the forehead.")</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What's the lesson? Yes, Qobuz does generally deliver better sound, and if that's your priority, this is the service for you. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But it's a closer race than Qobuz's "29 times better than Spotify" claim might suggest. Really hearing - and appreciating - the difference between Qobuz and the competition requires active listening, and that's not how we usually consume music. When I let Qobuz fade into the background, it  became easy to miss the nuances that make it special. I suspect that might be why Qobuz fell out of first place a few times; the differences in quality were sometimes subtle, and it was easy to lose track of why one track excelled over another. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you aren't the sort of listener who pays complete attention to your music, then the decision to subscribe might come down to other factors, like cost, the variety of the music catalog, or whether it contains your favorite artists. </span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-stadia-video-game-streaming-platform-console-event-watch-2019-3">Watch Google's Stadia video-game-platform event in 5 minutes</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/UkwgpP6L-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

We compared Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz, a streaming service that says it has 29 times better sound quality than Spotify - here's how they fared

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Qobuz" title_caption="Qobuz CEO Yves Riesel" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/552be76fdd089573498b45f9-960/qobuz-ceo-yves-riesel-4.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/552be76fdd089573498b45f9-1200-924/qobuz-ceo-yves-riesel-4.jpg" border="0" alt="Qobuz CEO Yves Riesel" /></a><p class="source"><span>Qobuz</span></p><p class="caption">Qobuz CEO Yves Riesel</p></div><p></p></div></div>France has built a vibrant tech culture in the last few decades, growing from a network of hardware manufacturers in the 1990s to a collection of video game developers, apps and streaming sites today.</p><p>We ranked together some of the most interesting tech startups headquartered in France, including established companies, innovative hardware manufacturers, and small startups making waves in the tech scene.</p>

You Searched For "Qobuz" and got 3 results

Everything you need to know about HD audio and how it can enhance your music-streaming experience on Tidal, Amazon Music, and Qobuz

Tyler Hayes

We compared Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz, a streaming service that says it has 29 times better sound quality than Spotify - here's how they fared

Dave Johnson

The 17 hottest tech startups in France

James Cook