Best Streaming Music Service - Opinions Please / Thx :)

[Oktobernv]

Getting my Model S next week.

Looking for recommendations on which "streaming" music services WORK / SOUND best in an S

Pandora?

Spotify?

Apple?

Amazon?


I don't mind PAYING, just looking for the BEST "sound quality" and "variety"


Also, is SIRIUS / XM an option in a Model S?


All thoughts appreciated!!

Many thanks,

Reg

 

[tomas]

Native in the S you have slacker and tunein radio in the US. That’s it. Otherwise you have to Bluetooth from your phone.

Best sound quality is your own music ripped to a usb memory stick in highest quality MP3 or better yet FLAC. The Media player’s features are poor.

If you have the upgraded hi fi system, it is quite good IMO but also sensitive to media quality. I have thousands of tracks in FLAC and it sounds great. When I listen to slacker it is a let down.

 

[Grogfoot]

If you have the upgraded hi fi system, it is quite good IMO but also sensitive to media quality.

And not just quality but the amplification from Bluetooth is bad. At full volume on both the phone and the car its still like half the output from the USB stick. Maybe there is some technical reason why that is, but I just know that it sucks.

 

[ckoval7]

I've been a Spotify subscriber for many years. I love the ability to save music to my phone for offline listening. Spotify also lets you listen to whole albums in order unlike a lot of other services. The variety is excellent, and it also does a good job of recommending new music.

At full volume on both the phone and the car its still like half the output from the USB stick.

How loud do you listen to music? I have the UHiFi system in my car, and I find anything above 8.5 to be unbearably loud.

 

[Grogfoot]

How loud do you listen to music? I have the UHiFi system in my car, and I find anything above 8.5 to be unbearably loud.

I'm old, so I don't know...

But quantitatively, around 50% on the USB stick is about the same volume as 85% on the Bluetooth streaming; at least it is for me.

I've made the mistake of switching from the phone music to the USB stick music without first adjusting the volume down and it nearly broke the windows.

 

[ckoval7]

I'm old, so I don't know...

But quantitatively, around 50% on the USB stick is about the same volume as 85% on the Bluetooth streaming; at least it is for me.

I've made the mistake of switching from the phone music to the USB stick music without first adjusting the volume down and it nearly broke the windows.

Interesting. I'll have to run some tests one day comparing USB, Bluetooth, and built in radio/streaming. I haven't used the USB yet. I hear it's atrocious as far as control/selecting music goes.

 

[Grogfoot]

I hear it's atrocious as far as control/selecting music goes.

Selecting music is fine, the problem is that if you change inputs or even leave the car for a few seconds it doesn't continue playing and defaults back to the root directory. It also has literally no options, not even the ability to shuffle music within a directory. Pretty terrible.

For the OP, I have used Spotify and Apple Music quite a bit and find both services very good with respect to catalog, quality, offline listening and goodies like music suggestion, automated playlist construction, etc.

I personally went with Apple Music because I have Mac products. One nice thing is that I can stream all of the music and playlists I already have stored on my computer in iTunes at home through my phone (used to be called iTunes Match, not sure if that separate product still exists).

If I wasn't an Apple user I may have gone with Spotify; its very popular for good reason.

 

[tomas]

Tidal here. Cd quality or better for most of catalog. Huge difference on home equipment. In car, limited by Bluetooth Codec but still better than other streaming services.

 

[ender3]

One nice thing is that I can stream all of the music and playlists I already have stored on my computer in iTunes at home through my phone (used to be called iTunes Match, not sure if that separate product still exists).

iTunes Match does still exist. It's an excellent way to get higher quality versions of audio you may only have in poor quality versions.