• Home
  • Blog
  • Mac Attack
  • Photo/Gear
  • More Apple
  • Den/HT
  • Essentials
  UofMTiger Tech
UOFMTIGER'S DEN

Why I won't switch to Amazon Music Unlimited

10/16/2016

0 Comments

 
On these Surface, I am the ideal candidate for Amazon's new music device.  First and foremost, I am a huge fan of Amazon.  I use them for most of my product links, pay for Prime, and pretty much buy most everything  I own from them.

Amazon Unlimited vs Apple Music

Right now, I use Apple Music for most of my listening needs.  However, it is 9.99 a month (for a single account) vs 7.99 for Amazon with Prime.   That is a pretty decent deal, but I have used Apple Music for a year so that it knows exactly what I like.  This is important because it uses that information to recommend playlists and albums and it is spot on with the eclectic mix of music I listen to.

Siri is the real distinguishing factor, though.  I unashamedly use Apple devices most of the time.  I am writing this article on an iPad in bed while listening to Apple Music streaming from an iPhone to an Airport Express that feeds my bedside headphone setup.  I have an Apple Watch that I use to skip songs or tell it what to play next.  I will then add any links to this article and post it from an iMac or MBP.  All of these Apple devices now work with Siri.  The problem with Amazon Music is that it does not work with Siri.
Picture

​Family Plan

Literally, two days before Amazon launched this service, I convinced my girlfriend to try Apple Music.  She has bought three or four CDs in the last week, so it was time to introduce her to streaming.  Heck, I am even picking up the extra cost by increasing my membership to the Family Plan.   Apple Music charges 14.99 for this service and Amazon will eventually charge the same thing (though, their Family Plan hasn't been launched yet).

​Echo

This is the only enticing thing about the service for my needs.  It is a $3.99 a month charge that gives you unlimited music on an Echo.  Since I have the fantastically awesome Echo Dot and another one on pre-order, I could see this as a convenient addition.  However, I paid $25 in May to load my music onto the regular Prime Music and I still haven't gotten my money's worth.  When it is time to renew, I may consider this option again since it would only cost and extra $23 for the year over the matching service.

Location, location, location

​My Dot sits in my kitchen between two rooms and it sends audio out via a Phillips Soundring speaker.  For that use, the million song "free" service (not really free, but comes with a Prime membership), combined with thousands of songs from my library, is plenty.   As a side note, one of the great things about streaming music is getting unlimited variety.  However, sometimes I want to go to my well curated music library (~25,000) and listen to music I know I like.  

​(Note:  I should mention that I still haven't gotten all of my files loaded up to Amazon because their app is awful and crashes every time I use it.)
Picture

Bluetooth

My iPhone or Apple Watch is on me most of the time.  While it is slightly more inconvenient, I can start playing music on my phone and just tell the Echo to connect to it and Apple Music will play through the Dot.  It is actually one of my favorite features because I use it for podcasts, rather than music, on most mornings.  But the point here is that the Dot isn't really limited for music/audio options right now because it brilliantly has a Bluetooth receiver built in.

AirPlay

For my needs, AirPlay is simply a better way to listen to music for long sessions than the Dot.  This is mainly because I have so many AirPlay devices, but it is also related to how this technology works versus how the Echo works. 

The first shortfall to the Echo Dot is that it doesn't have a digital output.  This means you are using the onboard DACs vs higher end DACs that you can use with the Airport Express which has an optical digital output.  

Also, I now have 3 receivers with AirPlay built in.  This means that I can hit one button on my iPhone and my receiver will come on, switch to the correct input, and start playing.  It will even show album art, album info, and song information on my TV if I have it on.  To listen to the Dot on that setup, I would need to turn on the receiver and switch to the correct input.  Sure, with the Dot, I could do that with a command, but it is still more steps to start playing music.  In other words, some of the convenience of the Dot would be outweighed by some of the inconveniences.

AppleTV 4

Amazon and Apple are at odds, so I don't think Amazon Unlimited will be coming to the AppleTV anytime soon.  I do have a Roku, but the Amazon music app is sparse compared to the AppleTV app.  The implementation of Apple Music on the AppleTV is the best implementation of any music streaming service on any other streaming device.  Once again, you get Siri control, which is great.  I have used Spotify, Rdio, SiriusXM on Roku and none of them come close to the AppleTV implementation of Apple Music.

Proximity

​The other issue with using the Dot in my main system is that it would need to be near my receiver to use the aux output.  With music blaring, I think I would need to yell to have it pause music and issue it a command to play something else.  While Siri is on my wrist, so I could whisper the name of the album I want to hear and it would start playing.

I should mention that my receiver also has Bluetooth built in, so I could place the Dot near my seating location and send music to my receiver wirelessly.  However, AirPlay is lossless and Bluetooth currently uses compression which means the music might sound worse.

The Wrap Up

​Right now, I am sitting this one out.  I may eventually get the Echo Dot service, but right now there isn't a compelling reason for me to switch to Amazon Music Unlimited.  The main reason is that Siri only works with Apple Music right now and Siri is with be everywhere.  The second reason is that I use my Echo as a secondary music player and AirPlay works better and provides better sound quality for my main systems.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About me:

    Dog loving, Big Green Egg worshiping, Tech enthusiast, residing in Memphis, TN.  Home of the Tigers, Grizzlies, Elvis, Al Green, Stax, Hi Records, Ardent Studios, Beale Street, Peabody Ducks, etc..  I have also added the Jeep Wrangler to the list of things I am enthusiastic about.

    Archives

    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Flickr pics below

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    135i Convertible
    16GB RAM MBP
    1 Series
    2010 Mac Mini For Media
    2011 MBP Dock
    2016 MBP
    2016 Office Tour
    2018 Mac
    328i Convertible
    3gs
    3rd Generation Ipad
    3rd Gen Ipad
    3 Series
    413j
    4K Dock
    4k FireTV
    4k Media Streaming
    4k TV
    4s
    5d Mark Iii
    5d Mark Iii Vs Nikon D800
    5d Mkiii
    5 Inch Iphone
    7 Cities Album Review
    85mm Review For Sony
    Air Display
    Airfoil
    Airfoil Speakers
    Airfoil With Echo
    Airfol
    AirMusic Player
    Airplay
    Airplay 2
    Airplay Mirroring
    Airplay Watch
    Airport Express
    Airport Express Airplay
    Alexa
    Alienware M15 R4
    Amazon
    Amazon Echo Dot
    Amazon Echo Dot Review
    Amazon Prime
    Angels Horn
    Angels Horn Review
    Anova Bluetooth Review
    Anova Precision Cooker
    Anova Suos Vide
    App
    Appel Watch
    Apple
    Apple And Sonos
    Apple Cinema Display
    Apple Has Awful Customer Service
    Apple Headphone Jack
    Apple HomePod
    Apple Is Doomed
    Apple LIghtning To USB Adapter
    Apple Lossless
    Apple Mac
    Apple Music
    Apple-music
    Apple-music-app-of-the-year
    Apple Music Beta IOS 10
    Apple Music Beta On IPad
    Apple Music Lossless
    Apple Music Mastered For ITunes
    Apple Music - Mastered For ITunes
    Apple Music Mastered For ITunes
    Apple Music Matching
    Apple Music Preview IOS10
    Apple Music Review
    Apple Music Siri
    Apple Music Suggestions
    Apple Music Watch
    Apple Music Wishlist
    Apple's Customer Service Is A Joke
    Apple Spartan
    AppleTV
    Apple Tv2 Airplay
    Apple TV 3rd Gen
    Appletv 4
    AppleTV 4 And Airplay 2
    AppleTV 4th Gen Review
    AppleTV 4 Wishlist
    AppleTV Wishlist
    Apple Watch
    Apple Watch 1 Year
    Apple Watch As Remote
    Apple Watch December 2015
    Apple Watch Review
    Apple Watch Vs Mechanical Watch
    Apple Watch With Airplay
    Apple Wishlist
    Apple Wishlist 2016
    Apps
    Arlo Q Review
    Arlo Wireless Review
    Audio
    Audiophile Reviews
    Audioquest Dragonfly Review
    Audiotap App
    Audirvana
    Audyssey
    Backups
    Backyard Cooking
    Bakersfield Review
    Battery Power
    BBQ
    BBQ Guru DigiQ Review
    Beats Music
    Beats Music IOS
    Beats Music Review
    Best Cloud Services
    Best IOS Apps 2015
    Best IPad Apps (2015)
    Best IPhone Apps Of The Year
    Best Office Setup
    Best Sounding Bluetooth
    Best Tech
    Best Tech 2021
    Best Web Services
    BFG KO2
    Bge
    Bge Table
    Big Green Egg
    Birsket On The BGE
    Black Rapid
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Headphones
    Bluettooth Headphones
    Bmw
    Bmw Apps
    Bourbon Decanter
    Brisket
    Brisket On The Big Green Egg
    Brisket Pizza
    Cablecard
    Camptune
    Canon
    Canon F4 Zooms
    Canon Wishlist 2016
    Canon Zooms
    Cars
    Case With Bluetooth Keyboard For IPad
    Case With Keyboard For IPad Air 2
    Ceramic Grill Store
    Charge IPad While Using DAC
    Cheap HiRES
    Checklist For Sous Vide
    Christmas Ideas 2021
    Chromecast Audio
    Chromecast Vs Airplay
    ClipR
    Clockology
    Cluttered Home Office
    Coach Pastner
    Consumer Reports
    Convertible Laptop
    Cool Tools - A Catalog Of Possibilities Review
    Cool Tools Book Review
    Crashplan+ Family Plan
    Crashplan Review
    Crashplan+ Review
    Crashplan Seed Review
    Crazy Room Setup Video
    Cuisinart
    Cuisinart ICE-21 Review
    DAC
    Denon
    Denon 4311CI
    Design Trends That Aren't Practical
    Desk Tour
    Desk Update
    DigiQ For BGE
    Directv Genie
    DLNA
    Dog Anxiety
    Dog Gadget
    Dog Tech
    Dog Thunderstorm Solutions
    Dragonfly DAC
    Dragonfly DAC With IPhone 6 Plus
    Dragonfly Usb Dac
    Dragon Glasses
    Drone
    Ds413j
    Earbuds
    Echo Dot For Music
    El Capitan Install Problem
    Elgato Dock Review
    Elgato Thunderbolt 2 Dock Review
    Elliptical
    E Pl5
    E-pl5
    Epson 2040 Review
    Ergotron MX Mount
    Extending Wifi
    F4 Preference
    Ff Vs M43
    Fidelia
    Fix El Capitan Install Issue
    Full Frame Vs Miro Four Thirds
    Gadget Backpack
    Gaming Projector
    George Foreman Grill
    Gps App
    Grill
    Grilling
    Grilling Out With A Griddle
    Harken Hoister
    Hdmi To Ethernet
    Headlamp
    Headphones
    Headphone Stand
    Headphone Stand Review
    Heed CanAmp
    Hi Rez Music Overrated
    Hi Rez Vs Redbook Audio
    Home Design Ideas
    Home Office
    Home-plug-and-airplay
    Homepod
    Homepod-compared
    Homepod-review
    Homepod-review
    Homepod-with-echo
    Homepod-with-j-river
    Homepod-with-plex
    Home-surveillance
    Home Theater
    Hot
    Hot85a534125d
    How-to-use-that-old-iphone
    Hp-4k-display-review
    Hp-spectre-32inch-studio-display-ledlit-monitor-review
    Hue-lights
    Huge-bluetooth-speaker
    Imac
    Imac-ssd-thunderbolt-upgrade
    Imac-ssd-thunderbolt-upgrade
    Imac-thunderbolt-2-dock-review
    Imac-with-second-monitor
    In Defense Of Tim Tebow
    Inexpensive Home Theater
    Inexpensive-home-theater
    Intuos 4
    Ios
    Ios-10
    Ios-lightroom
    Ios-multiple-room-airplay
    Iososx-hybrid
    Ios-remote
    Ipad
    Ipad2
    Ipad 3
    Ipad Accessory
    IPad Air 2
    IPad Air 2
    Ipad-air-2
    Ipad-air-2-audio
    Ipad-air-2-vs-ipad-3
    Ipad-apps
    Ipad Battery
    Ipad-battery-pack
    Ipad Battery Running Slingbox
    Ipad-bluetooth-keyboard
    Ipad-case
    Ipad Consumer Reports
    IPad Desktop
    Ipad Doesn
    Ipad Hot
    Ipad-kelbyone
    Ipad Killer
    Ipad-lightroom-app
    Ipad-lyndacom
    IPad M1
    Ipad Mini
    IPadOS
    Ipad-photography
    Ipad-pro-97
    Ipad-pro-97-review
    Ipad-pro-97-vs-ipad-air-2
    Ipads Fatal Flaw9e14764628
    IPad Vs Mac
    Ipad Warm
    IPhone
    Iphone 4s
    Iphone 5
    Iphone-6-plus
    Iphone-6-plus
    Iphone-6-plus-case
    Iphone-6-plus-inexpensive-case
    Iphone-6-plus-in-hand
    Iphone-6-plus-review
    Iphone-6splus-best-accessorires
    Iphone-7-plus
    Iphone-7-plus-jet-black
    Iphone-7-plus-review
    Iphone-accessories
    Iphone Airplay
    Iphone-apps
    Iphone-apps-2015
    Iphone-battery-pack
    Iphone Case
    IPhone Headphone Jack
    IPhone X
    Is Apple Music Perfect?
    Is Hi Rez Worth It?
    ITunes
    ITunes Lossless
    Jazz - Mastered For ITunes
    Jazzradio Airplay
    Jeep
    Jeep Accessories
    Jeep Cabin Curtain
    Jeep Cargo Cover
    Jeep Wrangler Accesories
    JKU SeatCovers
    JKU Seat Covers
    JKU Updates
    J River Airplay
    J River With Echo
    Kelbyone Review
    Kettle-Q Review
    Kindle
    Kindle Fire
    KitchenAide Mixer
    Kohler Mirror
    Kurt Kinetic
    Lacie Drive
    Lending Service
    Lexi
    Lexi IOS App
    Lifeproof
    Lifeproof Case For Ipad
    Lifeproof Case For Ipad Review
    Lifeproof Case Review
    Lifeproof IPhone 4s
    Lightroom
    Lightroom Mobile
    Liquid Spirit Album Review
    Living Room
    Living Room Projector
    Lodge Cast Iron
    Lossless Audio
    Loudness Wars
    Lynda.com Review
    Lynda.com Vs Kelbyone
    M43
    Mac
    Mac Apps
    Macbook Pro
    Mac Mini
    Mac Mini Home Theater
    Mac Mini Living Room
    Mac Mini M1
    Mac Mini Media Maven
    Mac Mini Media Server
    Mac Mini Remote
    MacOS
    Magic Keyboard
    Make Any Headphones Wireless
    Marantz 2220b
    Mastered For ITunes
    Maverick Et732
    Mbp
    Mbp Accessory
    MBP Mid-2011 SSD Upgrade
    Mbpr
    MBP SSD Update
    Melophobia Review
    Memphis Basketball
    Modernize
    MOG
    Mog Airplay
    Mountain Lion
    Mountains Of Sorrow
    Mount IPad To Mac
    Movie Streaming
    Multiroom Airplay Audio
    Music
    Music Streaming
    Nas Vs External Hard Drive
    Netgear Router
    New Ipad
    New Ipad Hot
    New Ipad Review
    New Ipad Tests
    New Year Resolutions For Tech 2015
    Nfl Tebow
    Ninja Blender Review
    Ninja Dough
    Ninja For Pizza
    Ninja Mega System Review
    Noise Cancelling Headphones
    Nvidia Shield
    Nvidia Shield Review
    Nyne Cruiser
    Office Setup 2016
    Old IPad
    Olympus E Pl5
    Olympus E-PL5
    Olympus E-PL5 Neck Strap Review
    Olympus With Canon Adapter
    Online Backup Review
    Online Photography
    Orbi Modem
    Orbi Wifi
    Original Ipad Vs New Ipad
    OSX Apps
    Outdoor Cooking
    Overrated Home Design Ideas
    PA2V2 Headphone Amp
    Parrot Anafi
    Parrot Zik 2.0 Headphones
    Parrot ZIk App
    Pcworld Has A Messed Up Ipad
    Pcworld Ipad 3 Battery
    PDP Pixel Pal Ren And Stimpu
    PDP Pixel Pals
    Petzl Tikka Improved Lumen Output Xp 2 Headlamp
    Phone 6 Plus Video
    Photo Airplay
    Photography
    Photography Classes On The Ipad
    Photography Videos For The Ipad
    Photography Videos On The Iphone
    Pixel Art
    Pizza
    Pizza On The Big Green Egg
    Plex
    Plugable USB Hub
    Plugbug
    Portable Hard Drive
    Portable HD Projector
    Portable SD Reader
    Power Bank
    Power Dots
    Power Line Ethernet
    Powerline Ethernet
    Powerline Ethernet And Airplay
    Projector
    Projector Setup
    Pulsar
    Pure I20
    Random Tech
    Rdio
    Rdio Is Best
    Regear To 4.88
    Remote Control App
    Repartition Bootcamp
    Retina
    Ring Doorbell Review
    Rivers Of Song Review
    Rock Music: Mastered For ITunes
    Roku
    Roku 4 - Best 4k Option
    Roku 4 Review
    Roku 4 Vs Nvidia Shield
    Roomie Remote App
    Roomie Remote Review
    Rugged Case
    Samsung 840 EVO MBP
    Samsung UltraWide
    Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Thunderbolt Adapter
    Seagate Desktop Thunderbolt Adapter
    Security Camera
    Setup Video
    Shiatsu
    Shure
    Shure 940
    Shure Sh940
    Shure SRH940s
    Simple Control
    Simple Control App With Echo
    Simple Control - Voice
    SimpleControl Watch
    Siri
    Siri And Apple Music
    Siriusxm
    Siri With Apple Music
    Sitting Exercise
    Smarthome
    Smartplugs
    Smoked Brisket
    Smokeware SS Vented Chimney Cap
    Sonos
    Sonos Connect
    Sonos Or Airport Express
    Sonos Vs Airplay
    Sonos Vs Mac Mini
    Sony A7 Lens
    Sony Bluetooth
    Sony Camera
    Soundsource
    Southeastern Album Review
    Speaker For Biking
    Spotify
    Srh940
    Srh940414fd02963
    Ssd-portable-drive
    Standing Desk
    Steelseries-siberia-elite-prism
    Stepper
    Stereo
    Stero
    Stir Fry
    Streaming Itunes To Iphone
    Streaming-music-is-it-for-you
    Streaming Music To Itunes
    Superchips
    Sweet Mac Setups
    Synology
    Synology Nas
    T3Hub Substitute
    Tech
    Tech Backpack
    Tech Gadget Bag
    Tech GIfts
    Tech Wishlist
    Tech Wishlist 2016
    Ten Best Apps For Mac
    Terflex 2.5 Lift
    T-Fal Skillet
    The Most Advanced Headphones In The World
    Thunderbolt
    Thunderbolt 2 Dock
    Thunderbolt 3
    Thundershirt
    Thundrebolt
    Tidal
    Tidal Review
    Tim Tebow
    Tivo Bolt
    Tivo Bolt Review
    Tivo Mini
    Top IPad Apps
    Top Jeep Accessories
    Top Tech 2018
    Top Tech 2021
    Top Tech List 2015
    Top Tech Of The Year
    Top Ten Albums 2013
    Top Ten Apps For Web Services
    Top Ten Cloud Apps
    Top Ten IPad Apps
    Top Ten Tech
    Top Ten Tech 2012
    Top Ten Tech 2013
    Top Ten Tech 2105
    Toshiba Convertible Review
    Toshiba Laptop Review 2016
    Toshiba Satellite Fusion 15 Review
    TP-Link RE200 AC750
    Travel Tech Bag
    Trektop NX
    Tripod Projector Screen
    Tuffty Security
    Turntable
    Turntable Review
    TV Sound To Headphones
    Ultimate Mac Office
    Ultimate Office For Music
    Ultimate Office Setup 2015
    Ultimate Setup 2016
    UltraHD 32 Inch Monitor Review
    Unvarnished Album Review
    Uofmtiger Photography
    Uofmtiger's Mac Attack
    Uplift Desk
    USB-C
    USB SSD
    USB Turntable
    Use This
    Vacation Tech
    Vehicle Cupholder Mount For 6 Plus
    Victorinox Knife
    Videogear
    Vintage Receiver
    Vitasound PAE-200 Review
    Vudu
    Vudu Disc To Digital Review
    WHAALE App
    What Is A Pro Laptop?
    What They Use
    Whiskey Glasses
    Why Apple Music Will Succeed
    Why I Chose The 5d Mark Iii
    Wifi
    WiiM
    WiiM Airplay 2
    Wiim Audirvana
    WiiM Hi Res
    Wiim Hi Res Update
    Wiim Mini 24/192
    WiiM Update
    Wiim UPNP
    Wild Feathers Review
    Willie Sugarcapps Review
    Windows And Mac Video Setup
    Wired Airplay
    Wired Airport Express
    Wireless Security Cam
    Wok
    Work Stations
    World Boogie Is Coming Review
    Wrangler Accessories
    Wwdc Review
    Zoom Modem
    Zuli Review
    ZyXel 600mbps Powerline AV2 Gigabit Adapter ZyXel 600mbps Powerline AV2 Gigabit Adapter