I have the PSAudio Directstream DAC with the Bridge. What is the best way to use the Amazon HD service with Directstream to take advantage of the HD Quality? How do you connect to play the HD quality?
1 Like
You can’t until Amazon releases their API to vendors other than those on their web page list. They seem in no hurry to do so.
2 Likes
It’s a very much desired Roon feature request.
And in their financial and market share condition Amazon doesn’t really have to care about it.
2 Likes
I use AmazonHD Music only (no Roon/no Tidal/no Qobuz - did the 30 day trial though). I run a simple USB cable from my PC to the DSD Sr. and don’t have a Bridge II. It sounds great but is not BitPerfect. I have Audirvana but there’s no Amazon support.
Only Bluesound Node 2i supports AmazonHD @96/24 so 192/24 tracks would be downconverted.
Currently I am aware of only one UPNP/DLNA program that can work with Amazon Music, and that is Bubble UPNP https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp&hl=en_US. This is available only on Android devices and not on IOS.
2 Likes
Thanks, everyone for the replies, I could not figure it out, so I suspected this was the case with Amazon. I have a modified Sonos Connect (modified to improve sound by MagnaHiFi in Europe), which replaces the clock and does a number of other modifications, that connects directly to the DirectStream DAC. The benefit is ease of use, and all the major services play through it, including AmazonHD music, but not at high definition. The sound is greatly improved over the standard Sonos Connect, but still not really high definition. Using the Mcontrol app I can play most of the other services directly to the Bridge on Directstream. So far, the master recordings on Tidal are by far the best sounding streaming service - significantly beating Qobuz and Spotify - I have not tried Deezer.
1 Like
For the price , Amazon HD is the best deal but sonically I couldn’t hear a difference between it and Qobuz which has 3rd party support (e.g. Audirvana). After almost a year, they’re still not willing to work with 3rd party’s which sucks. My DSD Sr. always displays 352kHz/24 Bit which I know is just my Win 10 PC spitting it out over USB. I stopped worrying about it long ago and just sit back, relax, and enjoy what hear.
1 Like
I’ve had success with iOS by using the Amazon Music app on my iPad mini2. I use Airplay to send the music to an Apple TV (second generation) which is connected via optical cable to the Bridge II on my DSD Jr. Works very well with good sound but I don’t know what the native bit rate of the Amazon source is. I do know that the encoder that drives the optical output of the Apple TV Gen. II is limited to Red Book (16 bits, 44 kHz).
I decided to go with Spotify Premium for these reasons; (1) it supports (on the iOS app and Windows desktop program) direct connection to the Bridge II via ethernet from my router (without the need for the Apple TV and the optical connection); (2) the selection is just as comprehensive as the Amazon Music Unlimited (perhaps slightly wider), and; (3) Spotify Premium is now $10/month - slightly cheaper than the Amazon Music Unlimited at $11. I can live with the bit rate of 320 kbps - it sounds very good.