Downloads Versus Streaming

@christianb5s4 

Thanks for your observations. It sounds to me you confirm the state of the art. The components you choose determine the sound you hear and they can be close in sound quality. Therefore, carefully chosen streaming can probably equal or exceed the fidelity of stored files. Your choice of components determine the sound quality. In the past, CDs, then stored files would trump streaming. Today… it depends.

OP,

You are correct. But technologies reach tipping points a point where the financial and sound quality proposition is overwhelming, in my opinion that has happened with streaming. Yes, I think the better investment is streaming.

So, you have to look at the gains versus loses… there are normally compromises.

So, you gain access to 1/2 million high resolution recordings in various formates and millions of CD resolution recordings recordings where the mastering varies widely. You loose a few hundred specialty records and a can stream at a number of standard formats with millions and millions of recordings but not use one particular format. If it becomes popular, the streaming companies will start streaming in it. So what? Your universe expands a 100,000 times and you loose a tiny percentage of the possibilities.

Finally, streaming is paradigm shifting. We are trained to make careful choices and finding the very best recordings because once we make a purchase it is permanent. Streaming is different, and it takes a while for you to realize you can behave differently and increase your range of music.. It allows the great freedom to try some thing and if you don’t like it just move on to create a library that has no additional cost. It just creates a completely different way of looking at music but it takes a little while of living in that world to adapt to the new freedom.

In general, I find most any high end audio component gets significantly improved in ten years. Either making a case to upgrade or not. If you wait technology to stop improving then you will never change. Nothing wrong with that.

I do not believe there is any compression at all from Qubuz or Tidal for that matter. By todays standards the bitstream for music is minuscule. My streamer worked seamlessly while I can’t refresh my   News page on my iPad. Since high Rez from my streamer matches or exceeds CD and vinyl on my system it makes me pretty confident in believing this.

A great streamer isolates, buffers, and translates the incoming signal. It sounds like it is not doing a good job on the streaming side. It sounds like you may be able to make up for that by doing things with your network. Or, as I mentioned, upgrade your streamer. It would not surprise me if an Ethergen would help… but my feeling it would just help a little. But the only way to know is to try it.

Streaming of red book CDs in my system sound exactly the same as CDs and streaming typically better because streaming has high Rez versions.. Actually streaming in my system sounds as good as my very high level vinyl playback analog leg.

It is like every other thing in high end audio… it depends on your components and interconnects. The streamer is every bit as important as the DAC… and the interconnect.

This has definitely not always been true and for a while only at a cost premium. But now it is relatively easy to achieve.

I highly recommend an Aurender streamer… I own two. Buy the best you can afford. In general, I recommend one at the price level or a bit higher than your average component cost. So, like amp, preamp, and DAC.

Alternatively, you can try to fiddle with your network to help make up for your streamer. I was in IT all of my life… I’m sick of it. You can use special routers, EtherRegerators. But a good streamer will negate the necessity.

My systems runs on a wall wart wifi extenders. I have a EtherRegen. I swapped it in and out over the last couple days. No difference. Many people experience differences. It has been my theory for a while that you have the choice of a good streamer or a less expensive one and fiddle with the network. I have tried and researched many streamers, my choice is Aurender (most common used at high end audio shows) and Linn (yeah, I know… who would have thought).

There is a huge payoff in getting streaming up to or exceeding stored files or CD… or vinyl for that matter. Your library goes from small to nearly infinite… instantly. Qobuz has over 1/2 million high resolution albums… plus likely virtually all the albums you own. Also, new music acquisition cost drops and your library only costs  $14.99 / month. So, if you acquire much music… you start saving money because of that streamer you bought.