Spotify is adding a high-quality audio streaming option called Spotify Hi-Fi. It will be “CD-quality” and available “later this year.” But will anyone notice?
The Audiophile Reason to Ditch Spotify Now! – SoundStage! Real Hi-Fi (Ep:27)
Spotify Hi-Fi streams lossless audio to devices and directly to speakers. It’s supposed to make streamed audio as good as CDs or other high-quality sources. But since we’re all listening to music on crappy Bluetooth speakers or through earbuds and AirPods, we might not be able to tell the difference.
“I think most people listen to music at [Spotify's default setting] 160kbps or even 320kbps,” musician and music video creator Calvin West told Lifewire via email.
"I'm sure most people won't notice the difference between 320kbps or 160kbps and lossless. In fact, I'd say half of the audiophiles who claim to hear the difference between 320kbps and lossless wouldn't pass a blind test."
