But, with Amazon’s resources, the potential is unimaginable, IF they have the right development guys. When I cancelled, I listed their shortcomings. Hopefully, they actually read my, and other’s reasons, and use them to build a better product. For me, Roon will be hard to beat. I’ve tried JRivet, Plex, Audirvana, and several others. For ME, Roon is significantly better, so much so, that I’m a lifetime subscriber. But I definitely am keeping an eye on Amazon HD as a potential supplement for some future point. Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be.
I have a few hundred Albums which I still listen to, several thousand CD’s which I NEVER listen to but have ripped and stored digitally. I haven’t purchased a CD in probably 10 years. Buy the occasional LP but now stream absolutely everything and don’t plan on changing this anytime soon.
For what is worth, Amazon has an abysmal Android Auto app, Qobuz is FINALLY available for Android Auto, at least in the US, and it works flawlessly compared to Amazon HD.
I support artists by purchasing their music from Bandcamp (often in 16-44 FLAC or even WAV) though not everyone sells their music on Bandcamp; ~10 releases per year. For a select few of my favourite artists I purchase every release on CD which goes onto a pile hundreds of CDs tall to collect dust as I don’t have a CD player anymore; ~5 CDs per year. I’ve ripped my entire CD collection to 16-44 FLAC. I’m always on the hunt for classic vinyl and occasionally pickup a new release on vinyl if I think it lends itself to vinyl well (I’ve preordered Kiwanuka on vinyl); ~25 vinyl purchases per year. I’ve purchased high-res PCM and DSD albums from various online services; ~25 high-res purchases per year.
I don’t care for MQA (I rarely use Tidal for critical listening) but I love Tidal for looking up new music, remote play and Roon Radio. For $5 / month for a Family HiFi subscription (discount for Third Man Vault members) it’s a no-brainer and works very well with Roon.
No need for Amazon HD here.
OT, but have been very interested in the Cocktail X45Pro - great features and a beautiful looking machine; a tad expensive, though. Kudos!!!
Now, back OnT: I’ve thought about AmazonHD, but wondering if many of their 192/24 offerings are just upsampled from CD quality. And, as others, have pointed out, its compatibility with any decent playback platforms is very limited. So, therefore, until it integrates with Roon . . . Just sayin’ . . .
I’d imagine their hires offering would be as real as what the other services are offering. They get their files from the labels. If find a fake hires album, need to let the streaming companies know.
If Amazon was just upsampling CD quality, why wouldn’t they offer everything at 192/24. Technically with the poor implementation of IOS app, all their music is being upsampled at that rate to my dac.
That’s an unfair speculation. There is no reason to believe that.
I shouldn’t post just yet, but it seemed that only just recently everything one got from Amazon HD was being transmitted in 192/24, despite the original file, and despite what one requested. I’ll admit I’ve got to look into this further, so I will accept your thoughts and go with the “unfair speculation” as of this point. But there are far more knowledgeable members of this forum than myself that might speak to this issue. Of course, I hope it is not the case, but you do realize that many of the 192/24 downloads available for purchase were just upsamplings of lower definition files at the start of this whole HiRes craze? Time will tell.
There are no far more knowledgeably members of this forum regarding your conspiracy theory.[Moderated]
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You are on top to this; impressed – I just posted seconds ago, then edited. I don’t really think this is a conspiracy theory, though - just business. But I do have opinions. 
I’m playing the Amazon HD trial via Amazon Echo Link’s digital output to my system. So far, I’m impressed with the sound quality, even with the Echo Link added to the chain. They have “channels” that work like the old Pandora stations with the endless playlists shaped by your thumbs up/down. I would listen for that feature. It is much less friendly for browsing and playing albums unless you search for what you are looking to play. And meta data is poor.
Tracks/Albums are labeled HD (CD quality) or Ultra HD (above CD quality). My DAC only reads 48K no matter what is playing from them. I don’t know what’s up with that. May be something about my system. It is accurate for streaming input, maybe not for the external device inputs.
Anyone know a way to determine the sample/bit spec some other way?
My guess is the Echo Link is limiting your bitrate to 48K so you can’t get anything higher than that.
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Sampling frequency
Sample rates of 44.1, 48.0, 88.2, and 96.0 kHz are supported over optical and coaxial digital inputs
You beat me to it. I just looked that up myself. I guess I’ll hook something else up and see what the display gives me.
Edit: Playing Pandora from my BDP with coax output to DAC gives me 44.1, so it’s not the DAC’s method of display. I don’t have a handy way of playing hi-res content via the BDP without getting my NAS server setup. I may try that, but not tonight. Nothing critical, just curious.
From what I saw in the three days I used the trial, most of the Ultra HD was 48/24. Very little, if any, above that. But, in all fairness to Amazon, I only used the service three days. Enough to tell that it didn’t work with Roon, or have Roon’s editing capabilities, nothing else.
Once I paid for a year of Roon, Amazon HD no longer made any sense at any price. I also have Apple Music for free, but never use it.
Is there a single positive review of this service (and I mean positive beyond that it’s $7 less per month than Tidal)?
Upsampling is a software issue and not Amazon lying about the file type. I’m sure this will get worked out. Actual upsampled files were an issue with the labels. If there are any still out there, it would affect Qobuz as well as Amazon.
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yes, mine a day ago
I read your review, but, unless I’m reading it wrong, you say it has poor browsing capabilities, poor metadata, and outputs everything at 48k. Is it an upgrade over the $10 mp3/aac streaming services?