High-Resolution Audio (Battle of the Sound). What say you?
High-Resolution Audio (Battle of the Sound)? How does streaming audio match up against
or with downloading audio? Oh yeah and how about vinyl?? What say you?
Audio lovers and music connoisseurs have moved past the days of IPods and uploading small audio files onto portable listening devices. We moved into and past the days of Spotify or Pandora streaming 160 or 320 Kbps music. Audiophiles moved into the days of HDtracks, Super Hi-Rez and Qobuz, where we can own the music by downloaded high resolution FLAC files. Even the Apple crowd has enjoy ripping music into CD quality (16 bit/44.1 kHz) files such as AIFF and/or purchased audio files via ITunes Store. These audiophiles now own libraries of high resolution audio files now played back on computers or audio streaming devices often with external DACs. Many companies are well into the mix, such as Bluesound, Logitech, Cambridge Audio, Bryston, Auralic, Chord, PS Audio, NAD, Aurender, Sony, and many, many more.
Now we are entering into a new digital age of better music players, better external DACs and higher resolution files! Many audiophiles are letting go of their most cherished CD player. DSD and multibit DACs are pushing the limits of digital music playback. Even with the comeback of vinyl and the re-design or re-engineering of the turntable, digital music is inching forward. Meridian and Tidal’s MQA masters files have offered the folding of a hi-Rez file (24 bit/192 kHz) so that it can be streamed. HDtracks has been offering true hi-res file downloads for many years now. In all of this… these prices are competitive and bringing pure music enjoyment within the grasp of the blue-collar average Joe. Regardless of the success or failure of Tidal MQA, Spotify, Pandora, SuperHiRez, Murfi, Roon, Deezer, Qobuzor or any other emerging audio service or technology the questions begin to emerge in the evolution of digital audio playback….
Will audiophiles download high resolution audio files or will they stream these high resolution files? Most likely, I think record albums, digital audio streaming and digital audio downloads will exist together.
What say you? Will you be strictly an analog audio nut? Will you be a hi-Rez streamer? Or will you be downloading the hi-Rez music? Share your thoughts and your reasoning for doing so?
For me I really like streaming, but I put a VPI turntable on my Christmas wishlist???…..
