Qobuz has introduced its music streaming app on Android TV, bringing access to its expansive 100-million-track library to Google TV devices such as Sony, TCL, and Hisense as of today. This app, designed for casual users, offers playlists, albums, editorial content, personalized suggestions, and supports Qobuz Connect for smartphone control. However, audiophiles might face challenges with audio quality.
Audio Playback Limits
While the Qobuz app enhances user convenience with seamless playback and integration features, it inherently resamples all audio to 48 kHz due to the Android TV platform's limitations. This affects even the native hi-res files, which typically offer higher fidelity at 24-bit/192 kHz. Streaming through HDMI ARC to soundbars or AV receivers also results in the same 48 kHz output.
Options for Audiophiles
Audiophiles seeking bit-perfect, native hi-res playback might need to explore alternatives like dedicated streamers or DACs such as WiiM, Eversolo, or Bluesound. Qobuz's desktop and iPad applications remain unaffected by this limitation, offering higher fidelity playback. This technical constraint stems from the Android platform itself and was not emphasized in Qobuz's initial announcements.
