When it comes to lossless streaming for music, there is an abundance of choice. Spotify, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and more all offer different tiers for streaming your favorite tunes. Some of these tiers are based on the amount of data that the app is able to handle, while others focus on the type of sound that the app is able to generate.
ABX test for lossless streaming
One of the easiest ways to test your lossless streaming capabilities is to run an ABX test. Essentially, the ABX test is a game that allows you to compare different music samples. The goal is to choose the one that sounds closest to the reference clip.
The ABX test was designed to show that you can indeed tell the difference between lossless and lossy audio. It is not a perfect test, but it should be good enough to give you a decent idea of how your lossless stream compares to your lossy stream.
There are numerous ABX tests available online. Some of them are the same, such as the Mega-20-Track test and the Digital Feed ABX test. Others are more specific.
The Digital Feed ABX test is a five-track test that measures the audio quality of lossless streams. The ABX test is the best statistically sound measure of blind audio quality testing. You can also do it with ten tracks, if you’re so inclined.
There is an ABX test for lossy and lossless streaming on Spotify. This test will give you an idea of which one is better. If you’re a Premium subscriber, you can enable lossless audio in the app settings.
One of the first tests is the ABX test for lossy and lossless music. This is actually a game that uses a random collection of clips and you have to select the one that sounds most like the reference clip. You can switch between samples by pressing the X button.
Other tests are the Digital Feed ABX test and the ABX test for lossy and loseless music. These tests are the simplest to perform and the best statistically sound measure of blind audio testing.
If you’re interested in a lossless streaming service, you may want to check out Deezer or Tidal. Both of these services have been streaming FLAC format for a while. However, you’ll need to pay for them to receive a high fidelity stream.
Using an ABX test to find out how your streaming service fares is a fun way to learn a little bit about your chosen streaming provider.
ABX test for lossy compression
An ABX test is a method of evaluating the sound quality of various digital audio data compression methods. These tests can be done both by software or hardware.
In a typical ABX test, two samples are compared to one another. One is a “lossless” or non-compressed sample, the other is a compressed version of the same sample. The difference in perceived audio quality is based on the bit rate, the codec used, and the instruments used.
Using a hardware or software ABX test, a person can compare audio files in different formats, such as 320kbps MP3 to 256kbps AAC, or lossless to lossy. Depending on the format, the differences in fidelity may be noticeable, or they may be subtle.
Performing an ABX test is time-consuming. This is because you have to match two clips to a reference clip. You also need an appropriate listening environment and a good hearing system.
However, an ABX test can help you identify and avoid audible compression artifacts. For example, a software tool called aveX can monitor your test and alert you when it detects an audible artifact. It can also be used to perform a blind test.
In this study, a team of trained listeners evaluated the audio quality of AAC, Ogg Vorbis, and other lossy codecs. They recorded excerpts from songs that were coded in the various encodings.
For this experiment, each subject listened to one of the clips, then rated the sound quality of the other. Subjects were given a rating scale of 0-100, which allowed them to assess very small differences.
Most of the time, people are not able to hear the difference between a 192 kbps file and a lossless file. This is because most music streaming services use lossy compression to reduce data usage.
Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that a small number of listeners can distinguish lossy coded audio from lossless coded audio. Among these, one in a thousand can pick out the slight differences in quality.
Considering how important audio quality is to a large number of people, the results of this study are not surprising. As with any other type of testing, it’s important to remember that your results will be affected by your individual preferences and level of experience.
ABX test for hi-fi streaming
In February of this year, Spotify announced its plan to roll out a new premium feature called HiFi. This would enable users to stream lossless audio. It isn’t clear whether the service would compete with services like Apple Music or Tidal.
The company is still testing the service in select markets. When it launches, it will be available through its Connect wireless system and smart speakers. However, it won’t make a big splash until late this year. There’s no word on what the service will cost, or how it will affect artists and consumers.
At the same time, the company is working with the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers. Users will be able to stream music via wireless systems, Bluetooth headphones, or any other device that supports Spotify Connect.
One of the best ways to find out what lossless streaming sounds like is to do an ABX test. An ABX test is a comparison between two sampled music tracks. During the test, you will hear one sample in high quality, and another in low quality.
Luckily, there’s a free tool that can give you a quick and easy answer to that question. Using a program called Digital Feed, you can test out the hi-fi quality of Spotify by downloading two sampled tracks and then comparing them.
Compared to the traditional 320kbps AAC file, the HiFi quality will sound a lot better. But not everyone is going to notice a difference. Depending on your listening habits, it may take some time to hear the difference.
Even though the company has not yet revealed details on how it will deliver the higher quality streams, the company has indicated that they will support CD-quality audio. They have also said that a “lossless” version of their service will be ready by 2021.
While it’s not exactly the same as listening to CDs, this is an example of a quality improvement that’s worth paying extra for. Hopefully, the company will announce more details in the coming weeks.
If you’re eager to try the service, you can start with a one-month free trial. You can then decide whether the upgrade is worthwhile.
Studio sound feature
Earlier this year, Spotify executives announced a new HiFi music tier that would provide users with CD-quality, lossless audio streams. However, they have not yet announced a date for its release. They are still gauging the willingness of fans to pay for such a feature.
Spotify users have been waiting for a HiFi feature for a long time. The company first teased the feature in 2017. Later, it announced a Premium plan that included lossless audio and audiobooks. In addition to these two features, it also has a Headphone Tuner utility and Audio Insights.
It has been estimated that Spotify’s premium plan costs twice as much as its standard plan. But if it offers a higher-end tier, it could lure subscribers away from competing services. Some users speculate that the upcoming Platinum tier might have a HiFi feature. This would bring lossless audio to the service at no extra cost.
Meanwhile, a recent survey has found that the upcoming Platinum plan could have a Studio sound feature. The feature is said to be similar to Apple Music’s Smart Playlists.
Users have expressed concerns about low resolution audio on streaming platforms. Although Spotify doesn’t offer any lossless audio streams, many competitors do. Several of them have recently launched high-resolution music libraries, including Amazon Music HD and Qobuz. Other Spotify competitors, including TIDAL, Tidal and Deezer, have also introduced lossless quality options.
If Spotify launches its own hi-fi subscription, the company will likely give its users a free trial. Its CEO, Daniel Ek, has not confirmed a launch date, but it’s safe to assume that it will happen sometime in 2022.
One Reddit user posted a video of a leaked Spotify lossless audio tier. He claims that the service’s maximum streaming quality is the same as TIDAL’s High setting. A new Spotify survey has found that the HiFi feature could be close to release.
Spotify is now negotiating with music labels to get them on board with the HiFi feature. There are no specific details on the feature, but it seems the company is trying to make the lossless audio service available to as many fans as possible.