Qobuz Review: Pure Sound, Premium Price – Is It Worth It?
Qobuz Review: A premium music streaming service offering hi-res audio, vast music library, and exclusive content for audiophiles.
Qobuz Review: While big names like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal compete for attention, Qobuz has quietly become a top music streaming service. Unlike others that focus on social features, Qobuz is all about sound quality — you pick your music, press play and enjoy.
Qobuz offers the widest selection of hi-res formats like FLAC and DSD and works with most DACs right away. However, it’s more expensive than its competitors and lacks some features, like spatial audio, that Apple and Tidal offer for less.
Still, Qobuz stands out for its audio quality. Should you switch? Let’s find out in this full Qobuz review!
Qobuz Review: Key Features
| 🏆 Feature | 🔍 Details |
|---|---|
| 🎵 Audio Quality | Hi-res FLAC (up to 24-bit, 192kHz) |
| 💰 Plans & Pricing | Studio: $12.99/month Sublime: $14.99/month (with store discounts) Duo: $17.99/month Family: $21.90/month Student: $4.99/month |
| 🎁 Free Trial | ✅ 1 month |
| 📀 Music Library | 100+ million tracks |
| 📥 Offline Mode | ✅ Yes (albums, playlists, tracks) |
| 🛒 Music Store | ✅ Buy & download music (discounts for Sublime users) |
| 📰 Exclusive Content | ✅ Articles, artist interviews, curated playlists |
| 📱 Apps | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| 🔊 Smart Speakers | ✅ AirPlay, Chromecast (❌ No Spotify/Tidal Connect) |
| 🎛️ Roon Support | ✅ Yes |
| 👥 Social Features | ❌ No |
| 📻 Podcasts & Radio | ❌ Not available |
| 🎧 Spatial Audio | ❌ Not supported |
| 📊 Data Usage | 🚨 High (for hi-res streaming) |
Qobuz Review: Pricing
Qobuz offers two main subscription tiers, with some differences in pricing and benefits.
- Studio: This plan costs $12.99/£12.99 per month and gives you access to over 100 million tracks in high-quality audio (24-bit, 192kHz FLAC), offline listening, and exclusive editorial content. It’s more expensive than most services but supports artists better than platforms like Spotify.
- Sublime: This plan costs $14.99/£19.99 per month (billed yearly at $179.99/£199.99). It includes everything in the Studio plan plus up to 60% off digital album purchases in the Qobuz store. This is great if you prefer owning music and storing it locally.
There are also family and multiple subscriber plans that offer discounts:
- Solo – $12.99/£12.99 per month or $129.99/£129.99 per year
- Duo – $17.99/£17.99 per month or $179.88/£179.98 per year
- Family – $21.90/£21.90 per month or $215.88/£215.88 per year
- Student – $4.99/£4.99 per month
Although Qobuz’s standard plans are more expensive than competitors like Spotify or Apple Music, the family and student plans offer savings. Plus, all plans come with a free month trial.
Qobuz is a premium service with a higher price, but it offers quality and great discounts if you buy music.
Qobuz Review: Availability
Qobuz has apps for iPhone, Android, MacOS, and Windows. The apps have a similar layout, so switching between devices is easy.
It supports hi-res audio on both desktop and mobile apps, which is a big plus, especially for Windows users (Apple Music doesn’t support hi-res on Windows).
Qobuz works with AirPlay but lacks Tidal Connect or Spotify Connect. It also supports Roon, a nice feature for audiophiles, though it’s less flexible than Tidal. Wireless device options might be limited, but it covers the basics well.
Qobuz Review: Features
Qobuz stands out with its massive library of hi-res streams. While most tracks are CD-quality (16-bit 44.1kHz), it also offers a large collection of hi-res FLACs up to 24-bit 192kHz, which sounds better than Apple’s ALAC. However, you might miss spatial audio, available on Apple Music and Tidal.
You can also download music for offline listening, including albums, tracks, and playlists. Just be mindful of file sizes, especially for FLACs, which can fill up your device quickly.
Qobuz excels in curated playlists created by real people, making it easy to discover new music. This human touch sets it apart from other platforms.
Another highlight is editorial content, covering everything from deep dives into niche genres to popular music. It’s like having a music magazine with your subscription, offering articles, reviews, and more.
Lastly, there’s access to the Qobuz store, where you can buy hi-res music. The ‘Sublime’ tier gives you up to 60% off, making it a great option for audiophiles who want to own their music in top quality.
Qobuz Review: Sound Quality
Qobuz delivers clear, spacious, and detailed sound, making it a treat for audiophiles. Compared to Spotify, the difference is huge—especially when using a DAC and high-quality headphones or streaming through a HiFi system. The jump from Tidal or Apple Music isn’t as drastic, but trained ears will notice more depth and width in the tracks.
Even over Bluetooth headphones, Qobuz sounds better than Spotify, thanks to its higher-quality tracks. LDAC-compatible devices (like some Android phones) can enhance this even further, while iPhones are limited in this area. Even budget wireless headphones can reveal more detail when streaming on Qobuz.
However, hi-res streaming uses a lot of data. Some longer tracks can take up hundreds of megabytes, so an unlimited data plan is recommended if you plan to stream on the go.
- Oura Ring 4 Review: Sleep Tracking and More
- Powerbeats Pro 2 Review: Big Improvements, Big Sound
- Netgear Orbi 870 Review: A Deep Dive into Long-Range Wi-Fi 7 Performance
Pros and Cons of Qobuz
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 🎵 Excellent sound quality (lossless & studio-quality) | 🚫 No free plan |
| 📚 Large music library (new & old releases) | ❌ No social features |
| 💾 Option to stream or buy music | 🎙️ No live radio or podcasts |
| 📄 Liner notes included (PDF format) | 🔊 Limited smart speaker support |
| 📰 Exclusive content (interviews, playlists, articles) | ❌ |
| 📱 Easy-to-use apps on all platforms | ❌ |
Conclusion
Qobuz is my favorite music streaming platform. The sound quality is outstanding, no matter what device I use. The app is simple and consistent across platforms, making it easy to navigate. I also enjoy the editorial content and curated playlists, which help me discover and learn more about music. The Qobuz store is a great bonus, and the Sublime tier discount makes it a smart choice for building a local music collection.
However, it’s more expensive than other streaming services and lacks features like spatial audio (Apple Music & Tidal) or audiobooks (Spotify). There’s also no video content. But for me, those extras don’t matter—I just want the best music and deeper insights, and that’s exactly what Qobuz delivers.
