Streaming vs. CD

three_easy_payments382 posts06-11-2019 1:15pmstreaming services like Qobuz offer three levels of audio quality:

- MP3 320 KBPS (compressed like Spotify)
- FLAC 16-BIT / 44.1 KHZ (this is CD quality)
- FLAC 24-BIT UP TO 192 KHZ (hi-res, better than CD)
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I'm an old dog, have stayed away from streaming, so I 'know nothing'. my friend, another old dog, loves streaming.

a few questions:

1. what is the source of these oversampled 24 bit files?

2. if not 24 bit 192khz master, isn't it 44 boosted for a marketing numbers game?

3. I have many regular and SACD versions of music, i.e. Oscar Peterson, created from higher rez masters. ... My focused listening conclusion is the difference is not the signal but the lower noise floor, especially quiet passages. (an argument can be made that it is an unnatural quiet). Is this lower noise floor what people are reacting to?

@elliotbnew I suggest you contact Qobuz or look at their website perhaps to gain more info as I don't exactly know the answer to your questions. A quick look at their website indicated the following:

We do the preliminary work with recording studios, in partnership with record labels and film studios, to obtain 24-Bit Hi-Res files with an identical sound to that of the engineer’s studio master

good advice. 24 bit originals makes sense. I will gather some knowledge now.

I find that streaming my own music over my wifi system is fantastic. Better than my transport by far! I have yet to commit to a service, but I am headed that way. I am able to get great quality over my "mesh" network up to 24/192. I hard wire my Raspberry Pi based streamer to my Orbi satellite.  Then into my DSpeaker X4. I may upgrade to Blue Sound soon. Just to see if it is better, but I doubt it.