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Sound quality issues streaming from Tidal vs CD

I am hoping someone familiar with streaming from Tidal might be able to help.

I have recently installed the Pro-Ject Streambox S2 Ultra, which is a small Raspberry Pi based network bridge. I connect this to my router via ethernet cable and to my Vitus DAC (which is part of the CD player) via USB. My CD player obviously outputs through the same DAC.

The sound quality from CD is so much better than the sound quality from Tidal (I am a Tidal Hifi subscriber).

So my questions are:

1. Is this just a feature of streaming via the internet, it simply is not as good as a good quality CD transport?
2. Or is it an issue with the Pro-Ject - would something like the Autralic Aries G2 (also a network bridge with no DAC) which costs 6 times the price of the Pro-Ject, improve the Tidal stream?
3. Or is it the fact that the USB cable I am using is an entry-level £10 cable?
4. Or is it Tidal? - would Qobuz sound better?

Any advice or knowledge would be welcome.
128x128duckworp

Showing 2 responses by big_greg

big_greg
6,567 posts
 
It might be the streamer.  The quality of the streamer matters just as the quality of your CD player matters.  I'm not familiar with that streamer, so don't have any comment on how it compares to others.

Streaming music can sound as good as CD, a lot depends on the components used.  Just as a CD may sound better or worse depending on the player, the sound quality of your streaming experience will vary based on your setup. 

The quality of your internet connection, cables, your router, and whether you're using a wired or wireless connection may also affect sound quality.

Both Qobuz and Tidal sound excellent.  I use both.
big_greg
6,567 posts
 
It could be that your CD player is so good that the streamer doesn't compare favorably. 

I have a Marantz KI Pearl CD player and it sounds better (to me) than any of my other source components, including my streamers. 

I am using lower cost streamers (Bluesound Node 2 @$500 each) in two systems.  In my main system I have one connected to my Auralic Vega DAC and it sounds great.  Not quite as good as the Marantz CD player, but close.  In my bedroom, I have the Bluesound connected to a Mytek Liberty DAC.  I think it sounds as good or better than the Oppo BDP-105D that I use for CD/SACD in that system. 

In my computer system I am streaming from my computer to a MHDT Labs Orchid DAC via USB and it sounds as good or better than the CD player I have in that system (a cheapo Japanese Onkyo SACD player).  

I don't know enough about router technology to provide specifics on what to look for.  High speed and low data loss would seem to be the most obvious things. 

Having a wired connection as you do is said by most to be better than wireless. 

I haven't experimented enough to say whether cables make much difference, but you might consider trying better cables (both the USB and the ethernet).

I'm a little surprised that feeding the signal into the same DAC as your CD player uses isn't producing similar sound quality.  I need to try sending my Bluesound's signal to my Marantz player and see how it compares to the Auralic.

Hopefully someone can chime in that has experience with the gear you have and/or can speak more to the technical issues that might help you have a better streaming experience.
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