Check in: How quickly are streamers and servers evolving?


This is a question for those who have been trying streamers and servers recently, watching reviews and product launches, or who just know their stuff and keep up with the technology. I am trying to separate market hype and churn from what is happening, technologically.

Many have said that DAC technology development has slowed down enough for people to feel comfortable spending real coin on a good DAC. Good to know.

So my question is: How quickly do you think streamer and server technology is evolving? Is it still a moving target -- in other words still worth being somewhat cautious about perhaps waiting before dropping serious coin as the technology is soon to change again? Or are we slowing down?

(For those who think these technologies can be accomplished in economical ways (Raspberry Pi, etc.), I'm still curious about your opinion about the speed of change, regardless of whether high dollar expenditures are unnecessary.)

Of course the other yet integral issue is how fast music catalogs are keeping up with the hardware changes to supply the new hardware with files that it can play. I just watched Darko discuss the Spotify move to CD quality (which he celebrates and for which explains the rationale), and it seems most of the music out there continues to exist at CD quality only, not higher resolution.

(Oh, and before someone chimes in with how analog beats digital so why bother...please don’t. I know you think that.)
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Showing 1 response by tubes444

4 those that didn't know Spotify has been streaming CD quality with Roon
since last summer. It's quality is very much on par with CD playback.
I've A/B  Spotify HiFi  Ex: Diana Krall SACD tunes against my Marantz RUDY CD player same Stream song vs CD same song at least 6 or 7 times before "I noticed a little longer length of decay on some notes on the her piano."
 Very tiny although!!! But to some V tiny is completely is un-exceptable
at any level. I gave up YEARS AGO trying to build a audio system that was capable letting one hear the rosin fall off the Violin bow strings an hit the FLOOR. It's all about the Music isn't IT??