Qobuz music streaming integrated into Devialet Phantom wireless speaker

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We caught up with Benoit Rebus from French music streaming service Qobuz at the Bristol Show, where he outlined its plans for 2015.

Qobuz, the French CD-quality music streaming service, has been incorporated into Devialet's latest wireless speaker, the Phantom, which is on display on the Qobuz stand. Visitors to Bristol can see and hear it in action.

Elsewhere around the show Qobuz is exhibiting alongside KEF, Bowers & Wilkins and Naim, and Benoit Rebus says the company is working closely with Sony, Astell & Kern and Cocktail Audio to integrate its CD-quality streaming service with those companies' products.

Qobuz also has a new app (v3.0) for Android and iOS devices, and has developed a mobile version of its website. The latter means that Android or Windows Mobile phone users can download music directly to their mobiles.

Later this year Qobuz will add compatibility with Google Chromecast, Qualcomm AllPlay and DTS Play-Fi.

Intriguingly, Rebus says Qobuz has a "big announcement" planned for a press event in London on March 13th. Could it be that Qobuz will join is rivals in offering a high-resolution music streaming service? Might it adopt Meridian MQA?

Whatever happens, 2015 looks set to be a fascinating year for music streaming, with the likes of Deezer Elite, Tidal and Beats Music (now owned by Apple) all joining the market.

MORE: Qobuz updates apps, launches CD-quality web player

Andy Clough
Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.