The high quality sounds available in the HiFi Room, together the immersive audio content released as part of Sony's 360 Reality Audio experience, can only be enjoyed with a Deezer HiFi subscription. Being encoded and streamed in FLAC means that the original files are available without the artifacts that are caused by compression, clearly audible in earlier mp3 files, even those encoded at higher bit-rates. Most files available for streaming are only 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD quality) or 48kHz at best, and not necessarily newer 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio material, most of which is streamed at lower bit-rates and/or sampling rates in order to be manageable over wireless connections. Streaming FLAC is not synonymous with streaming high-resolution audio, and users should be aware that if their receiver is converting the streaming to be transmitted locally over standard Bluetooth (to wireless headphones for example), any benefits from FLAC streaming will be lost.
With the announcement of HiFi Room, Deezer is enabling the discovery all types of music that are focused mainly on the high fidelity experience - not necessarily just Jazz or Classical. "Discerning ears will be pleased to know that our new HiFi Room features hand-picked tracks to draw out the rich, intricate sound of FLAC quality music. HiFi fans can now access a dedicated channel featuring exclusive playlists and recommendations. Our editor’s picks are here to help you make the most of your HiFi subscription, whether it’s 70s classics like 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' by Prince, or recent chart-topping smash hits like Ariana Grande’s 'God is a woman'," the company explains in the announcement.
The HiFi Room is only visible on the homepage for HiFi subscribers. Once inside the channel those users will find three sections, starting with HiFi Playlists covering a wide range of genres, followed by The Perfect Record Collection, with a selection of top albums from every year and decade, and finally Reissues, allowing users to discover the best remasters. All the Experience playlists are updated weekly.
"We know that true audiophiles like to immerse themselves into their favorite music. That’s why we've brought together over 500 of the best albums of all time in HiFi for our listeners. Now it's easier than ever to enjoy your favorites in the way they’re supposed to sound. Or take a leap and dive into a sea of music you’ve not yet had a chance to explore, in crystal clear FLAC quality. And HiFi isn’t only great for listeners, it also benefits artists further thanks to higher royalty rates," says Alexander Holland, Chief Content and Strategy Officer at Deezer.
Deezer is offering new subscribers a 3 month free trial of Deezer HiFi worth $14.99, allowing users to evaluate the difference in FLAC streaming and access the new Sony 360 Reality Audio experience (users should compare the difference in quality with other streaming services and not with Deezer's own Premium and Free tiers, which use mp3 compression. Differences with Deezer Free (MP3 at 128 kbps) are clearly audible. Deezer HiFi is available across many devices and apps, through to big TV and speaker brands like Bang & Olufsen, Bluesound, Bose, Sonos, Sony and more. Deezer is also available in over 180 countries worldwide.
www.deezer.com
