Tidal HiFi vs HiFi Plus: How Much Extra Audio Quality Is There?
When it comes to streaming high-quality music, Tidal offers options that promise audiophile-grade sound. But how much difference does it make between the standard HiFi tier and the HiFi Plus plan? In this article, we’re going to compare Tidal HiFi vs HiFi Plus to look at audio quality, audio formats, and see if the Plus upgrade is truly worth it. Whether you’re a regular user or a true audiophile, figuring out the differences between Tidal’s tiers can help you get the best audio for your system.
Tidal HiFi & HiFi Plus: Overview
Tidal offers two main subscription plans: Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus. Let’s take a closer look at Tidal HiFi vs HiFi Plus and see what each plan has to offer.
Tidal HiFi:
The Tidal HiFi is the standard subscription plan. This plan is less expensive and provides you with Tidal’s entire music catalogue at a very reasonable price. You can stream music on HiFi up to 1411kbps (CD quality), which is no different from the standard quality available on most music streaming platforms. You can also enjoy offline listening, ad-free listening, and sharing your favourite songs with friends.
Tidal HiFi Plus
Tidal HiFi Plus is the upgraded subscription plan with more features for audiophiles. HiFi Plus, in addition to everything that comes with HiFi, offers four streaming qualities for you to choose from: normal, high, HiFi, and Master, with songs playing at up to 9216kbps. You can also listen to your favourite songs in Dolby Atmos or Sony 360 Reality Audio. These features provide an immersive and high studio sound quality that audiophiles will enjoy. If you’re an audiophile and want to enjoy high-quality audio, HiFi Plus is for you.
What are the Common Features of Tidal HiFi & HiFi Plus?
Both plans share several core benefits that make Tidal an excellent choice for music lovers:
Music Library: HiFi and HiFi Plus both allow you access to Tidal’s extensive library of over 100 million songs and 650,000 videos, which includes music videos and exclusive content. In addition, users are offered curated playlists and personalised recommendations based on their listening behaviour.
Offline Listening: Downloads are available for offline playback on mobile devices and tablets for both plans. Users can therefore enjoy high-quality Tidal music at any time without an internet connection. Offline playback is not supported on the desktop app or Tidal web player. If your subscription expires, songs in your offline queue will automatically play at a maximum of 160 kbps, under the Free plan.
TIDAL Connect: TIDAL Connect enables you to cast and control your music from the Tidal app on supported devices. Stream and control lossless music on compatible speakers, soundbars, and receivers seamlessly and without interruptions.
Multi-Room Audio: Tidal works with Samsung Audio Lab to allow Wireless Audio 360. Samsung’s Ring Radiator technology enables you to stream and enjoy music in 360° sound. Through the Samsung Multiroom app, users can log into their Tidal account, access and control their playlists and stream music to one or all speakers simultaneously around the home.
Live on TIDAL: Subscribers can enjoy live performances, concerts, and exclusive live streams on Tidal. They can access live events, behind-the-scenes footage, and artist interviews in real time directly from the app.
Tidal HiFi vs HiFi Plus: Detailed Comparison
In both the Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus tiers, you can listen to every song available on Tidal and access the core features of the service. However, both plans differ greatly when it comes to their pricing and audio quality. The HiFi Plus plan has higher pricing and enhanced audio quality with additional features. On the other hand, the HiFi plan is much more affordable while still offering great sound. In the sections below, we’ll explain these differences between tidal premium vs tidal hifi so you can choose the plan that fits your needs and budget.
Price
The Tidal HiFi is the more affordable subscription tier, with plans that range in price from $4.99 to $14.99 per month. The lowest Student tier is $4.99, while Military and First Responders get a discounted rate of $5.99, Individual at $9.99, and Family is $14.99. Each tier offers the same benefits, which include access to Tidal’s complete music catalogue, offline listening, and ad-free streaming. In addition, you can get a free 30-day trial on Tidal HiFi, which allows you to test out all the features and make sure that it works for you before paying.
On the other hand, Tidal HiFi Plus price ranges from $9.99 to $29.99 per month. Students will pay $9.99, Military and First Responders get the discounted $11.99 rate, Individuals at $19.99, and Families pay $29.99. It also has a 30-day free trial and can offer discounts of 40–50% to qualified customers. The higher cost of the plan unlocks advanced audio features, as well as a higher streaming quality.
Sound Quality
Tidal HiFi streams over 100 million tracks in high-fidelity (HiFi) quality at up to 1,411 kbps (16-bit/44.1kHz). This bit rate is CD-quality and reproduces the original recordings with near perfection. For most people, this will be more than enough quality for their speakers or headphones.
Tidal HiFi Plus takes things a step further with Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) streaming. Bit rates for HiFi Plus go up to 9,216 kbps (24-bit/192kHz), which is studio-quality sound and the quality the artist originally intended. It also supports other immersive formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio. This allows you to listen to music in high resolution, with a three-dimensional experience. HiFi Plus also has nearly 70 million tracks available in Master quality. This is a good option for audiophiles or anyone who just wants the highest quality.
Quick Comparison Table Between Tidal HiFi vs HiFi Plus
Feature / Plan |
Tidal HiFi |
Tidal HiFi Plus |
Monthly Price |
$4.99 – $14.99 |
$9.99 – $29.99 |
Tiers |
Student: $4.99 |
Student: $9.99 |
Free Trial |
30 days |
30 days |
Music Library |
100M+ songs, 650k videos |
100M+ songs, 650k videos |
Offline Listening |
Yes |
Yes |
Audio Quality |
Up to 1,411 kbps (16-bit/44.1kHz) |
Up to 9,216 kbps (24-bit/192kHz, MQA) |
Dolby Atmos / Sony 360 |
No |
Yes |
TIDAL Connect |
Yes |
Yes |
Multi-Room Audio |
Yes |
Yes |
Live on TIDAL |
Yes |
Yes |
Can You Really Hear the Difference?
One common question that users have is whether the improved audio quality of Tidal HiFi Plus is noticeable when compared to the standard HiFi plan. On paper, HiFi Plus does have significantly better audio quality with Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) files having bit rates that can go up to 9,216 kbps, while HiFi only offers a 1,411 kbps bit rate with CD-quality audio. This is a huge jump technically, but does it translate to a real listening difference?
The answer isn’t straightforward. This will be very dependent on your listening device. HiFi Plus files deliver an enhanced audio experience with richer instrument sounds, clearer vocal tracks and a broader soundstage. These audio details tend to disappear when played through standard headphones or speakers. With standard earbuds, laptop speakers, or car stereos, most listeners won’t be able to tell the difference.
Another factor is human hearing itself. Some people simply may not be able to perceive the differences of ultra-high-resolution audio in typical listening scenarios. Distractions like background noise and room acoustics, as well as one’s hearing abilities, also factor in.
A lot of customers have compared both plans, and these accounts are somewhat mixed. Some people are convinced that they hear a significant difference with HiFi Plus, while others report the improvement to be subtle or negligible. In double-blind tests, the results tend to be similar: many people are unable to consistently identify which track is HiFi or HiFi Plus.
In short, if you’re an audiophile with a high-end setup, HiFi Plus has the potential to sound better in a more spacious and enveloping way. But for general listening, HiFi still sounds fantastic and is already close to CD-quality.
How to Download Tidal Music for Offline Enjoyment
If you’re a Tidal music fan, you may wish to have your favourite songs available offline for listening. Whether you’re travelling, commuting, or simply looking to save on mobile data, offline listening can be a huge help. Tidal does offer an option to download songs for offline playback to its subscribers, right in the app itself. However, sometimes you might want to have more flexibility with the formats in which you can save songs. Or you just want to download your favorite track and play it on any device, this is where OneConv Music Converter can help.
OneConv Video Converter is an easy-to-use and dependable video converter that can help you download and convert your favourite music to any format in no time. You can enjoy your favourite songs offline wherever you like with the help of OneConv. OneConv Converter works with a wide range of popular formats, including MP3, MP4, WAV, FLAC, and more. It works on both Windows and Mac and offers lightning-fast conversion speeds. It also features batch processing to help you save multiple songs at a time easily, even for large playlists.
Key Features
- A 100% lossless conversion converts videos and audio without losing quality.
- Ultra-fast speed converts files very quickly, even large ones.
- Batch conversion lets you convert multiple files at the same time.
- Supports multiple formats, allowing conversion to MP3, MP4, WAV, FLAC, and more.
- Easy to use, has a simple interface that anyone can navigate.
- Offline enjoyment lets you save music and videos to play anytime without internet.
Step-by-Step Guide to Download Tidal Music Offline with OneConv Video Converter:
Step 1 Download and install OneConv on the computer.
Step 2 Launch OneConv, select the ‘Download’ module, and choose your output format of choice (MP3 for audio).
Step 3 Copy the URL of the music or playlist from Tidal that you wish to download, click the “Paste URL” button, and then click Download. The program will start downloading the tracks automatically.
Step 4 After it’s finished downloading, your saved music files can be found in the ‘Downloaded’ panel. Play and enjoy anytime, even offline.
Conclusion
Tidal HiFi and HiFi Plus both offer high-quality sound and access to Tidal’s vast music catalogue, but the HiFi Plus plan takes things up a notch with even richer, high-resolution audio quality and immersive listening experiences like Dolby Atmos. But if you want to listen to your favorite songs offline, convert them to different file formats, or play them on any device, OneConv Music Converter is the perfect solution. It’s fast, easy to use, and lets you take your music wherever you go with the click of a button, so you can enjoy your favorite tracks anytime, anywhere.
