JamesMF

Has anyone used Qobuz, Amazon Music HD, or Tidal Master subscription with their ML sound system and noticed a huge difference ? I was reading somewhere someone used Spotify’s max streaming settings matched up with their ML sound system and the sound quality was way better. I figured with Qobuz, Amazon Music, or Tidal’s streaming quality this would be a tremendous difference. Any one tested this?

vraa

iTrader: (2)

Honestly it all sounds the same to me, I'm using wired carplay, and not all albums on Tidal are "masters"

MMI

I stream Tidal Hifi and Master on my Galaxy S8 over Bluetooth to my ML (2011MY). Both hifi and masters sound the same and definitely not as good as off original CD. Tidal's hifi is supposed to be the same SQ as CD so that leads me to believe that the BT is the bottleneck in my setup. I'm ordering a Dragonfly USB DAC to wire directly to the AUX in and see what happens. I can report back if you want.

Quadrphnia

Remember too that the ML is unbelievably sensitive to the quality of the actual mix you're listening to (whether compressed or not). This is one of the key differences in the quality of the audio as you traverse different albums in full. Trying to track down the perfectly compatible "sound" in this system is an exercise in futility. First thing to do is go into the settings balance more towards the rear of the car, then EQ to taste on the albums you're most fond of. Audiophiles rag a lot on Bose systems because they don't deliver accuracy, but the changes a Bose system makes to the sound before it leaves the speakers often creates that near-universal equality between mixes (once you turn down the excessive bass...). Anyway, just a comparison.

weezyFbaby

Been doing a lot of research on this lately and still struggle with finding the right balance..

I solely use Youtube Music. I Installed an aftermarket sub/box and got the bass i wanted, but the ML system has made it VERY clear that not all music is produced the same. Damn near every song is different...some come in loud, some quieter, some perfect. Some bass notes hit exactly the way i want them to, some overemphasize kicks and some dont register bass as much. I have noticed that it really depends on what genre of music you listen to, as well as when the music was made. 80's rnb is where i dont get as much bass but i get the clarity, 90's hip hop i get bass but its filtered (more mid and bass than high), and modern dance seems to be the sweet spot.

Im not at the point where i want to get GROM but still want bluetooth capability so i bought an external DAC (FiiO BTR15. The DAC plugs into the Aux, and i control music from the phone via bluetooth). It has an app you can download that gives you an insane amount of tunability to suit your listening needs. Quad was right about the ML system, you will never get every track to sound exactly as you want it unless you have a setting for each and every track. I too shifted the balance more toward the rear. Also, there is a notiicable difference between having the surround sound on and off (having it on makes it slightly louder with more bass). In the actual head unit, i have the bass down to the 2nd to last mark, and also turned the lower frequency bands down (in the FiiO app) and there are still times when it hits too hard.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

YouTube music has significant variability built in. I listen to it most of the time only because I have a premium subscription, and even when I play it on my Bose QC35 headset, the volume and equalization vary noticeably from track to track.

weezyFbaby

How are those headphones? I have the Grade 325x and love them.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

I got them free, so it's not fair to compare them to genuine high end headphones. They're great for flying. The noise cancelling function works wonderfully so you can sleep on a flight and feel rested when you wake up. Imaging is very good, and they're fully capable of taking and making phone calls, so they do everything I need at no cost to me.