Vote Your Ranking -If you have an opinion on this digital subject


There have been many statements made about this question here and on other forums stating differing opinions as which SQ is better :

 

1.-Red book CD

2.-Streamed High resolution files- i.e. Tidal/Qobuz

3.-Downloaded files purchased in Super Hi Res-Acoustic Sounds

4.-Red Book CDs ripped and stored for playback as files

 

Everyone may have an opinion on their preference

but is there any actual evidence of this? I suppose the only

way to produce evidence would be via blind testing and

survey results.

 

So please list in your preferred order the numbers

1,2,3,4  with the 1st being the best/ 4 the worst SQ 

 

Audiophiles may have an idea of their preference

but is there any actual evidence? I suppose the only

way to produce evidence would be via blind testing and

survey results. 

 

Does anyone have some hard facts as it relates to this query? 

 

Thank You.

 

chorus

3, I don't have many of these, but those I have were extremely well recorded/original masters

 

4, extremely close to 2, I doubt I could distinguish between the two in blind testing

 

1, haven't played cd's in a few years, so this not a fair rating, my experience is that transport used has great effect here

 

Bottom line for me, I have no strong preference for any playback method, all good for sq, rips and streams win on accessibility/create my own mixes.

1..digital output direct from transport to DAC..way fewer boxes

3,4…

2 last but close..

The only controversy comes from what equipment you own and your experience level.

 

If you have the equipment: Streaming is now capable of sounding better than Red Book in any format with High Rez files and equal to high Rez files of the same resolution from other sources. 

 

Since I don’t stream and I have an excellent SACD player, I’ll go with 1.