Amazon HD

Answered
David
Thinking of moving to Amazon HD from prime - just want to check if there is anything I would need to do on my bluesound kit to enable this? Noticed a few old posts that said no - just wanted to check that this was still the case
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Comments

21 comments

Date Votes
  • David

    Thanks Seppi - much appreciated

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  • Piers Rawson

    Hi - I preordered and then just received new Bluesound Node; installed via LAN and controlled by Mac desktop via LAN (and Android phone app version). The unit upgraded its firmware automatically and the BluOS controller apps are all latest versions.

    Can it be right that the unit will not play Amazon HD FLAC files at full resolution? After selecting and registering the app to my account at Amazon music from the music services menu, the 'now playing' tag shows 'HR' by some albums I know stream at 192 K, but the optical input on my Audiolab MDAC+ shows only 48 K. This same MDAC+ unit displays 192 K from Audiolab 6000N streamer controlled by DTS-Play app playing the same Amazon HD material. The Bluesound App is certainly streaming the RadioParadise stream at 88 K so there is not a problem with the Bluesound to MDAC+ compatibility.

    At the very least, Amazon HD needs to be added to the list of available music services. The BluOS homepage at https://bluos.net/ definitively represents the Amazon HD logo under the banner 'Listen to all the music ever recorded.'

    I'm sure there is no intention to misrepresent the BluOS service offer, but as I bought the Node expressly for the MacOS desktop control facility (not available for the DTS-Play control system) to play the Amazon HD Hi-Res material, it would be unacceptable if this could not be accessed, as claimed on the BluOS website https://bluos.net/2019/09/bluos-among-first-to-integrate-amazon-music-hd/

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  • Piers Rawson

    Amazon HD tracks are CD QUALITY The Tracks with HR are the 24bit ones.

    Thanks for response Seppi, but the fact remains that the precise same track from Amazon hits my Audiolab MDAC+ at 48 K via the BluOS app/new Blusound Node just purchased, and 192 K via DTS-Play/Audiolab 6000N.

    I've been using my Amazon HD streaming service for a few months now, so I'm fairly familiar with the different naming/streaming protocols. The attached image shows an Amazon HR track I know streams at high resolution, it's playing currently via BluOS with a HR tag as you can see, but it's only registering 47.9 K at the optical input of the MDAC...

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  • Tony W.
    Product Support Manager

    Hi Piers

    Please select Help, Send Support Request in the BluOS App to escalate to our Support Crew. This will send a Player Event Log and we can take a closer look.

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  • Piers Rawson

    The audioquest optical cable is fine, is currently streaming higher-res 88 K from the Radio Paradise stream in the BluOS app, so not basic connectivity issue; was working fine with the Audiolab 6000N to MDAC+ hookup giving 192 K from Amazon HD 'ULTRA HD' files.

    Can you kindly suggest which Bluesound settings may influence the streaming quality/resolution? (n.b. the only manual available to download as at yesterday is a 4 page basic layout guide);

    I also have reset the Node factory settings and uninstalled/reinstalled the control Apps (MACOS 10.14.6 and latest iteration of Android smartphone app, Samsung S10), re-registered to the Amazon selection in the Bluesound music services menu - no change discernible...

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  • Piers Rawson

    Tony W suggests escalating support crew via this this comment

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  • Piers Rawson

    No, all controls are in basic default/reset status, the MQA DAC setting is greyed out and not available for change (see pic) - thanks for suggestions, but the fundamental thing is the Node is not passing-through a hi-res signal from the Amazon music service, although it is streaming at higher res from some other services available in the Bluesound app...

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  • Piers Rawson

    Thanks for the suggestion, Seppi, but I exchanged the toslink for a heavier duty Atlas model, no difference - do please note, a week ago, this same MDAC+ was connected with the same cable to the Audiolab 6000N and was successfully streaming 192 K from Amazon HD over the same LAN Network. I will try to source a coax lead...

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  • Piers Rawson

    Found a basic digital coax cable at the back of a drawer, but the 48 K with HR material still the same readout on MDAC+; streaming higher-res 88 K from the Radio Paradise stream in the BluOS app. Am trying to sign for free trial Hi-Res Qobuz to check streaming set up...

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  • Piers Rawson

    OK, I am now listening to the track in the pic via qobuz - on both coaxial and optical it is showing 'pcm 192 K'... so now we know there is no problem in the physical set up of Bluesound > MDAC+ (only several hours spent on this...)

    I can only suggest there is an incompatibility Amazon HD > Bluesound app

     

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  • Piers Rawson

    ...and yes, I have checked by Amazon HD account is fully paid up... :-)

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  • Piers Rawson

    ...and thanks for your time too...

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  • Piers Rawson

    Well, today the issue seems resolved... Whether there was a technical intervention via the diagnostics panel or a glitch has somehow ironed itself out, I don't know. Anyhow, thanks again for your support and time.

    Aside from this initial connection issue to Amazon HD, the Bluesound Node was straightforward to link to the LAN; the software user interface is better for Qobuz than Amazon, bundled music services seem comprehensive, the radio tuner is easy to use; the lack of a on/off control either physical or via control app was a little puzzling, as there is a 12V trigger facility - but 'always on' state ensure quick wake-up.

    And, while it's great to have a MacOS desktop BluOS control app, it's a little strange to have a constant status notification also displayed on my android smartphone (which  has the mobile app installed) when the Node player is actually being controlled by the desktop app - here's hoping it's not using too much background battery power on that account...

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  • Ernie Schmuntz
    • Edited

    Same issue with Amazon HD. I look at a track via the Amazon music app on my iPhone, the track shows “UltraHD”. When I play the same track through the node2i app, it’s hd/cd quality only. My preamp verified the bit rate as cd quality. This is consistent regardless of the artist/track. Really disappointed with the Node2i. Hard to see how it would be Amazon when their app shows the ultraHD. I have a scorching fast fiber connection. My Node2i is hardwired running the latest firmware. 

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  • Piers Rawson

    greetings Seppi, just a catch-up user report re: Amazon HD and the Node/Bluos -
    The app on Macos desktop and android phone works very well, is stable, quick on startup (LAN connection) - in this case I am getting HR icon for PCM 96K stream and above (as indicated by display on Audiolab MDAC+); MQA for tracks on Radio Paradise services, a great bundled bonus! Klara Continuo internet classical radio which is 16 bit 44K MP3 also sounds good...

    On the contrary, I use DTS play on another LAN based system with Audiolab 6000n streamer: here the interface is buggy and can tie itself in knots over direct control of unit by preset buttons, direct play via app, and transfer off device function (useful if you leave the wifi zone and don' want to lose stream...), best feature is the not always visible numeric readout of current bit depth/sample rate...

    (nb all software/firmware updated as per notifications via app)

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  • Piers Rawson

    Also re Ernie comment earlier, There is a section in the Amazon settings which allows it to stream at variable qualities (perhaps to relieve Amazon bandwidth?), mine's set to prioritise  highest resolution...

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  • Ernie Schmuntz

    That’s how I have mine set as well. Strange the iPhone app shows a track as
    Ultra HD, but the Node2i shows HD only. Their both pulling from the same file source.

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  • Ernie Schmuntz

    I’m basing my Amazon high res issues on my Rotel preamp DAC. I’ve got high res content running on a local media tank. When playing, I can see the display at 192k as expected. When viewing an Ultra HD track from Amazon via their iPhone app, I play the track on the node 2i and the preamp reports 44.1 cd quality. I see the same on both the Node2i DAC and the preamp DAC. Other high res services I’ve tried work as expected.

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  • Ernie Schmuntz
    • Edited

    If only we had a bloody log file so we could troubleshoot our own issues. But I’m not bitter……much 

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  • Piers Rawson

    Not an expert Ernie! But some thoughts:

    1. I've definitely experienced Ultra H D albums and compilation offerings on the Amazon HD service to actually only include a couple of tracks at UHD, when you look closely at the tracklist...

    2. Sure Seppi's right, that Amazon is using the UHD and HD and HR CD terminology loosely when it's tagged (presumably) to read out on 3rd party apps

    3. is it possible by accessing the Amazon services on 2 devices simultaneously (to monitor the content resolution) you may be reducing the bandwidth available to your account?

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  • Ernie Schmuntz

    At last…..raw data

    Never Really Over Katy Perry true 1 163 0 Amazon:https://music-api.amazon.com/catalog/tracks/B07SDL9SBM/ /Artwork?service=Amazon&songid=Amazon%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fmusic-api.amazon.com%2Fcatalog%2Ftracks%2FB07SDL9SBM%2F 0 5 0 Never Really Over 1801 0 hd 2 Amazon /Sources/images/AmazonMusicIcon.png Amazon Music 0 10 163 play FLAC 44100/24/2 4 Never Really Over Katy Perry Never Really Over 223 -1 2

    Thx
    Mate

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