The problem with streaming

If you can't enjoy streaming sound quality for serious listening sessions something wrong with streaming setup, or have serious case of audiophilia in that you can only enjoy the very best recordings (say hot stampers) played on the best tt with the best cartridge with the best phono stage.

While I consider myself an audiophile, my system, and ability to accept less than best sound quality from various sources and recordings gives me great pleasure! I can turn off the analytical mind and simply enjoy the music.

The title of this thread is the problem, I'd never begin a thread with the "problem with vinyl." There is no problem with vinyl and there is no problem with streaming, I enjoy both for all the reasons given above. Why do we always have to battle between the two, what is the real problem people have with streaming? Always seems like a Luddite argument to me, some people don't like change.

I have both cd's and streams recorded from lp's, all are  from obscure artists from 60's and 70's.

I get it that one would want to keep vinyl setup to play releases not available in any other format or rare pressing. I have both in my now over 3k collection of vinyl.

On the other hand, vast majority of streams not available on newly released vinyl or any vinyl for that matter.

If one judges streaming solely on these commercial, popular artists recordings your  missing what streaming is all about. I'm into new discoveries, all genres, the obscure, I'm constantly finding incredible recordings and artists previously unknown to me. I'd never find, or be able to purchase much of this music without the streaming.

And the streaming not merely for the discovery aspect, fully satisfying for this extremely hard to please audiophile. Just last night streamed  Ultra Lounge 'Space Capades' (from the larger set of Ultra Lounge releases), this would be considered bachelor pad music from early 60's, perhaps exotica as well. All releases in this set are well recorded as this music partially existed as demonstration music for bachelors with high end stereo systems in their bachelor pads. So, segueing this 20th century space trip into a rather new contemporary discovery, Brazilian  Girls, 'New York City,' 21st century space trip.

Both these recordings top flight, wide open, transparent, highly resolving, far better than most vinyl recordings. I could add more recordings from last night's listening session, and every listening session, with same high level of sq. Any talk about streaming being inherently inferior sq comes from ignorance. Playback is the greatest variable in streaming, setting up high end streaming is both complex and subject to constant innovations. I've been experimenting with different setups for past six or seven years, constant and consistent  evolution over those years to get to present totally satisfying setup.

@mijostyn I sure am lazy, 3k plus albums, at least 2500 cd's, many albums collected from record shows, I'm gifted albums as its well known I still collect and play.

I think its just the opposite, streaming is for people who love music. And if sound quality is as bad as detractors say it is, must mean they really love music over worrying about sound quality all the time.

Please stop with the generalizations and put downs of streaming, can't we all get along? I'm happy for everyone who gets pleasure out of listening to music on their curated sound systems, regardless of format.

@vuch With Roon you do get the provenance of recordings, and then you have multiple versions of many many recordings to choose from. And finally, we always have our ears in order to determine quality of each version. While my vinyl setup no longer resolves at same high level as my streaming, there was a time when they were essentially on level playing field. There were times when my vinyl beat digital versions and vice versa. Advantage for streaming in long run is constant releasing of new remasters, while not always preferable to original mastering, they are often enough to make new version preferable. I often see these remasters on vinyl with ever increasing cost, how many times do I have to buy Beatles Abbey Road or whatever recording? I may have to end up spending thousands to get the best release with vinyl.

I lived in the golden age of vinyl, days when you could go to record shows and find all kinds of obscure releases for less than $20, many times far less. Nowadays, it seems everyone knows the value of vinyl, very expensive pursuit these days, the common guy can no longer play this game.

@mijostyn Now I see streaming is political issue for you. How that became so I can't fathom, really takes a conspiracy minded person to come up with that.

As for dropouts there should be absolutely no issues here with optimized wired network. Nearly all complaints about streaming sound quality related to poor network utilization. Get network in order with high quality dac and server and you have the beginnings of good streaming sq.

And actually, optimizing a streaming setup has far exceeded the complexity of setting up quality vinyl setup. It has reinvigorated my interest in the equipment side of audio, haven't felt this enthused in many years. Based on what I'm hearing I may be to end of pursuing streaming setup, now planning my vinyl side improvements.

In thinking more about perception of streaming being for lazy people I can see how that thought may occur.

For some playing vinyl is a ritual. Handling vinyl with care, placing it on cleaning machine, handling with care again to place on tt, carefully dropping arm onto record, adjusting VTA, VTF, cleaning cartridge. This all repeated over and over ad infinitum is ritual, just as so many of our rather reflexive or automatonic actions. This may be perceived as one's comfort zone and/or we can apply meaning to it. Rituals evoke many kinds of emotions, playing vinyl can be a precious activity when we apply meaning and invest emotions into it.

I also understand how the physical aspects of vinyl evoke various emotions. Values above and beyond the music contained on the grooves become meaningful. The art work on the cover, the long held possession of a physical object may be both inherently valuable in a monetary and memory sense. I still have some vinyl purchased well over thirty years ago, they certainly have subjective value way beyond their monetary value for me.

For others all the rituals stated above is simply work, little or no value placed upon it, and the value of the vinyl physical object is only monetary. I can understand how the vinyl aficionado could feel disdain for one who so undervalues vinyl and the ritual of playing vinyl.

But then, the vinyl aficianado  may misunderstand the streaming enthusiast.  They see we have very little cost in order to play our music, the perception being how can anything worthwhile cost so little. This seems rather like the Christian work ethic principle to my mind. I ask myself does pleasure require pain, work, suffering, I think not. I believe one can very much value music with very little cost, I know I do!

Perhaps I'm unique in that I live in both these worlds, playing vinyl and steaming are both unique listening activities I enjoy. I don't need them to be in conflict, got enough of that in this world!

Good for you, and yes, the sonics will continue to improve as you improve your streaming setup. Sound quality potential with streaming will amaze!