Why embed TIDAL into the Prisma app and not add TIDAL Connect to the Prisma platform?

It is never easy to add features and benefits, and there must always be a careful consideration of use value, as well as the consequences and costs adding any new feature or functionality.

In our analysis and testing, the use value of TIDAL Connect is subtly improved audio quality, stability of network streaming connection and convenient user experience. With TIDAL embedded into the Prisma application subtly improved audio quality playback and stability of network streaming connection is provided.

Admittedly, the user experience is not that of the native application with TIDAL embedded into Prisma. However, the native application remains available to access those features while casting with either AirPlay or Chromecast that may not be available in Prisma. As a result, new music exploration and curation can be done in the native application to select favourite content that is then automatically available in Prisma for critical listening.

Additionally, for an even more convenient and capable user experience Roon Ready is available for Prisma, offering unprecedented editorial content, aiding cross platform streaming and playlist curation that includes NAS file access, and advanced multi-room/multi-zone playback options, as well as an extremely effective graphic equaliser system not offered with TIDAL Connect.

Costs and consequences for adding TIDAL Connect to the Prisma platform is as already stated, the risk of no future updates. Memory in the Prisma application is not infinite. Technology license holder’s SDKs, the programs that allow for the use of their functionality and features, are becoming increasingly larger in size and greater in number.

So, there is the risk that the future SDKs of current technologies included in Prisma could take up most of the available memory at some point in the future, which we must plan for to extend the useful life of Prisma models.

Additionally, new connection and control offerings will certainly become available demanding considerably more memory. Qobuz will be bringing out Connect for their service, which means that we could not add Qobuz Connect if we had TIDAL Connect in Prisma, or any other similar technology.

Finally, our listening tests of TIDAL Connect indicated that audio performance was identical to that we could achieve by embedding TIDAL into the Prisma application, which made our very difficult decision to embed somewhat easier.

As a result, the decision was made to embed TIDAL and Qobuz in to the Prisma application for the best possible experience for the greatest number of people and for the longest time.