# Is 96 kbps too slow? **URL:** \ **Category:** DACs\ **Created:** [January 17, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708 "2018-01-17T15:58:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oneartist](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/oneartist/32/17_2.png) [@oneartist](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/oneartist)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/1 "2018-01-17T15:58:47Z")
Should Tidal be at least 320 kbps? Mconnect Control list 96 kbps, 16 bit and 44.1K. But DS Bridge II list 24 bit and 44.1K. Since Bridge II list 24 bit, does it also change the kbps? Is 96 kbps a non issue? ---
**Author:** ![eldrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eldrick](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/eldrick)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/2 "2018-01-17T16:23:08Z")
Depends whether sound like you get on a cellphone, with pauses for buffering, is an issue for you. ---
**Author:** ![oneartist](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/oneartist/32/17_2.png) [@oneartist](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/oneartist)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/3 "2018-01-17T17:43:55Z")
The only time I get pauses and buffering with Tidal is if I load it with my laptop. Using MConnect Control or Lite MConnect Player with DS w/BridgeII both work with no pauses or buffering and sound very good. My question is whether 96 kbps, as listed in MConnect is an issue? ---
**Author:** ![seegs108](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@seegs108](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/seegs108)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/4 "2018-01-17T17:51:20Z")
The mobile applications on iOS and Android have an option to stream at that bitrate if you choose it iirc. This would be for people who are looking to keep their data usage low while connected to a cell tower. I believe this is the default audio bitrate option if the application detects you’re streaming from a cell tower. ---
**Author:** ![dawkinsj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@dawkinsj](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/dawkinsj)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/5 "2018-01-17T18:55:51Z")
That’s the speed of the stream itself through the device and is indicative of the network it is streaming on. For example the album I am play is streaming on my network at 810 kbps. Every album and every track on an album can be slightly different. Tidal’s speeds are so varied that many times all that matters is that it works or it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![oneartist](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/oneartist/32/17_2.png) [@oneartist](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/oneartist)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/6 "2018-01-17T19:22:14Z")
This prompted me to run a speed test. 5.4Mbps. I checked with Charter and since my modem often has to be powered off and on, they told me to take it in and get it replaced. Also, my Nighthawk R7000 router is a little old. Does anyone have any good router suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![dawkinsj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@dawkinsj](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/dawkinsj)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/7 "2018-01-17T20:32:36Z")
I’ve had good luck with this one, but you can certainly go further up their chain. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZ3S6B8/ref=oh\_aui\_detailpage\_o03\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZ3S6B8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) ---
**Author:** ![oneartist](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/oneartist/32/17_2.png) [@oneartist](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/oneartist)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 7:50am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/8 "2018-01-18T07:50:30Z")
> **dawkinsj said** > > That’s the speed of the stream itself through the device and is indicative of the network it is streaming on. For example the album I am play is streaming on my network at 810 kbps. What software are you running? It must not be Tidal. ---
**Author:** ![dawkinsj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@dawkinsj](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/dawkinsj)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/9 "2018-01-18T15:03:29Z")
On my network Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify all run between 600 and 1400 kbps depending on the time of day and the amount of traffic on the particular service at the time. The only one that ever has a problem is Tidal and that is due to issues with their content servers. When I saw your post I just went and randomly picked an album on Qobuz and Tidal. I got mid 800’s on Qobuz and around 1100 kbps on Tidal. That will go down a bit in “prime time” but still be well above 500 kbps. ---
**Author:** ![oneartist](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/oneartist/32/17_2.png) [@oneartist](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/oneartist)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/10 "2018-01-19T18:03:11Z")
Problem solved. I had a bad modem from Spectrum. I got a new Arris modem that downloads at 67Mbps. Now my Masters sample rates are over 1700 kbps. ---
**Author:** ![seegs108](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@seegs108](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/seegs108)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/11 "2018-01-19T18:48:20Z")
Yikes! 96kb/s is the slowest bitrate version of songs that Tidal offers. Usually this is reserved for those looking to save data on a mobile device connected to a cell tower. The modem must have been on it’s last leg. Glad you got it sorted out! ---
**Author:** ![oneartist](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/oneartist/32/17_2.png) [@oneartist](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/oneartist)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 8:14am UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/is-96-kbps-too-slow/4708/12 "2018-01-20T08:14:39Z")
What is amazing about this 96 kbps situation is how good the music still sounded so good due to PS Audio DirectStream w/Bridge II. There are many Tidal users on the ComputerAudio forum who have drop-outs many problems. They are mostly trying to get Tidal to work on the cheap. Even at 96 kbps I did not have any drop-outs with PSA.