Amazon offers lossless and high bit rate streaming

[sterling shoote]

Sorry Amazon, I want multi-channel streaming. After all it's a surround sound world today and iTunes already delivers stereo as good as it gets; so, unless you bring me multi-channel I'll pass.

 

[Auditor55]

Well, I'm used to listening to SACDs, DVD-Audio, and they do sound better to me, more organic and natural, than CD quality. So, I'm going to give it a try.

That's what they call the "Placebo or Expectation Effect". That is why blind, double blind, level matched listening test are required when comparing audio.

 

[Auditor55]

I wouldn't expect to hear a difference at all, but I do. Like I said tho, wasn't a very well controlled situation.

I wonder if the comparison was level matched would hear a difference. Quite honestly I don't expect much from high bit rate, high-rez audio formats over what we hear from say 320 kbps (lossy).

 

[mtrot]

That's what they call the "Placebo or Expectation Effect". That is why blind, double blind, level matched listening test are required when comparing audio.

Yeah, yeah, I call it expectation bias, and I'm well aware of that. But I went into these things quite skeptical and did not expect to hear any difference. BTW, I also can tell that lossless audio codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio sound better than Dolby Digital. The music in films sounds noticeably more realistic and musical.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah, yeah, I call it expectation bias, and I'm well aware of that. But I went into these things quite skeptical and did not expect to hear any difference. BTW, I also can tell that lossless audio codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio sound better than Dolby Digital. The music in films sounds noticeably more realistic and musical.

When I listen to a multich SACD or DVD or Bluray, it's the multich mix that stands out to me mostly. Maybe the 2ch layer but that could well be due to the mix/mastering more than the media. Hard to compare films that come with a lossless soundtrack only, and again possibly a different mix/mastering, too. YMMV.

 

[Pogre]

I wonder if the comparison was level matched would hear a difference. Quite honestly I don't expect much from high bit rate, high-rez audio formats over what we hear from say 320 kbps (lossy).

I've been too lazy to drag out the mic and set up for level matching, but it's gonna be in the back of my mind until I do.

 

[snakeeyes]

Not sure if anyone ran into this same issue, but I had to delete the app and download it again on my iPhone for it to work as HD.

My airplay to my Apple 4K TV can only do 24/48 max. It looks to be the same 24/48 max on my Fire TV 4K stick.

Not sure what streamer can do 24/192.

I’m reading that I could add a DAC to my iPhone to get 24/192 on my headphones. I’ll need to research that...

 

[Bucknekked]

I've been too lazy to drag out the mic and set up for level matching, but it's gonna be in the back of my mind until I do.

nah, that's a lot of trouble to determine something you've already figured out. Remember, I only pay attention to Pogre non-scientific stuff. I am not technical enough to understand the scientific stuff. Especially stuff I can't hear or experience. Angels on the head of a pin stuff. People seem endlessly fascinated with bit rates and such that have no audible value.

 

[Pogre]

nah, that's a lot of trouble to determine something you've already figured out. Remember, I only pay attention to Pogre non-scientific stuff. I am not technical enough to understand the scientific stuff. Especially stuff I can't hear or experience. Angels on the head of a pin stuff. People seem endlessly fascinated with bit rates and such that have no audible value.

Yeah, I already realize the futility of it, but my unscientific mind won't let it go... lol.

 

[Bucknekked]

Yeah, I already realize the futility of it, but my unscientific mind won't let it go... lol.

more like OCD rather than your unscientific mind. Sometimes OCD can be a very useful thing. Like when your music needs organizing or the room furniture needs to be adjusted "just a little bit". But, it can be a nag too. Especially when it wants you to do stuff you know is fruitless. But, you still will probably do it anyway. OCD is like that. Like me writing this note.......

 

[snakeeyes]

Hoping this allows me to avoid buying CDs other than a few multichannel. (Like “normal” people).

Now I can just buy shiny Blu-ray / UHD movies for my Atmos setup. LOL

 

[Pogre]

more like OCD rather than your unscientific mind. Sometimes OCD can be a very useful thing. Like when your music needs organizing or the room furniture needs to be adjusted "just a little bit". But, it can be a nag too. Especially when it wants you to do stuff you know is fruitless. But, you still will probably do it anyway. OCD is like that. Like me writing this note.......

Interestingly, I saw a special that talked about OCD being an evolutionary advantage in that we all have it to some degree and can help with survival when it comes to stuff like keeping your cave clean and organized, lessening threats of disease or dangerous microorganisms.

 

[panteragstk]

Funny thing is, which is sort of related to this post, is that I don't use my FireTV 4k because of the lack of audio codec support. My shield TV has Amazon Music. Might have to fire it up and start the trial to see what results I get.

Fire TV is a great device, as long as you don't mind lossy audio.

 

[lovinthehd]

Funny thing is, which is sort of related to this post, is that I don't use my FireTV 4k because of the lack of audio codec support. My shield TV has Amazon Music. Might have to fire it up and start the trial to see what results I get.

Fire TV is a great device, as long as you don't mind lossy audio.

Can you expand on that....what codecs does it not support? Amazon just doesn't provide much info....altho there's a whole page of books of "manuals" to "unlock" the mysteries on Amazon It wouldn't surprise me it only handles commonly streamed audio codecs for video streaming services, tho.

 

[panteragstk]

Can you expand on that....what codecs does it not support? Amazon just doesn't provide much info....altho there's a whole page of books of "manuals" to "unlock" the mysteries on Amazon It wouldn't surprise me it only handles commonly streamed audio codecs for video streaming services, tho.

You pretty much get dd+ and pcm, but I'm not sure what levels of pcm are supported. I'll do some checking.

Edit: according to this it should support pcm up to 96khz 24bit. I gave mine away so I can't check, but once it failed the lossless hd audio test for movies I was done. Excellent picture quality though. Too bad.

 

[lovinthehd]

You pretty much get dd+ and pcm, but I'm not sure what levels of pcm are supported. I'll do some checking.

Edit: according to this it should support pcm up to 96khz 24bit. I gave mine away so I can't check, but once it failed the lossless hd audio yes for movies I was done. Excellent picture quality though. Too bad.

Thanks, but curious how did you feed it lossless hd audio?

 

[panteragstk]

Thanks, but curious how did you feed it lossless hd audio?

Plex. It supports just about everything as long as the client does. My Shield TV has no issue with Dolby TrueHD/Atmos or DTS-HD MA/X. I use both regularly in my theater.

Most of the streaming services support DD+/Atmos, so I guess that's why Amazon chose to stick with that. Everything I threw at it was converted to DD+.

 

[snakeeyes]

You pretty much get dd+ and pcm, but I'm not sure what levels of pcm are supported. I'll do some checking.

Edit: according to this it should support pcm up to 96khz 24bit. I gave mine away so I can't check, but once it failed the lossless hd audio test for movies I was done. Excellent picture quality though. Too bad.

I haven’t got it working yet on my 4K fire stick but maybe I missed something.

 

[Auditor55]

You pretty much get dd+ and pcm, but I'm not sure what levels of pcm are supported. I'll do some checking.

Edit: according to this it should support pcm up to 96khz 24bit. I gave mine away so I can't check, but once it failed the lossless hd audio test for movies I was done. Excellent picture quality though. Too bad.

That's why discs are preferred for both audio and video. Can you really tell difference between lossy Dolby Digital and lossless True Dolby?

 

[lovinthehd]

That's why discs are preferred for both audio and video. Can you really tell difference between lossy Dolby Digital and lossless True Dolby?

If they're the same in most respects I think it's usually a subtle difference. Altho when I heard a rip of Blade Runner 2049 with the AC3/DD soundtrack vs the Dolby TrueHD (I don't have Atmos enabled system) it wasn't a subtle difference....