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CD v Streamed



Uncompressed CD audio will take about 10.6mb per minute to play, to stream that takes big space and dollars to stream an album, see what your streaming company’s takes mb per minute to stream, find out and post up here.

I hear CD’s are better, I get better dynamic range from CD every time it’s A/B to me, now that could be that the streaming companies are using the "later compressed re-issues" of the same albums, you can find that out here https://dr.loudness-war.info/
Or that the streaming process itself compresses the music to save "streaming size" to save big dollars even if in small amounts.

Here’s a video from the CEO of Disc Makers Pty Ltd, yes he probably also biased because he manufacturers CD’s and vinyl, and is a very bad dancer.
https://youtu.be/YHMCTUl2FQo?t=1

Cheers George
128x128georgehifi
jafant
18,871 posts
 
georgehifi

Great idea for a thread. The measured proof would become provided via these server/streamer companies. Much like our cable or satellite TV companies(bandwidth, reception upload/upstream capabilities).
As above, all technology is finite in the digital realm. Compare/contrast against your favorite CD/SACD player(s). I have yet to hear a server/streamer below $20K that beats (no pun) my Reference spinners.

Happy Listening!
wolfie62
352 posts
 
Streaming makes money by using inferior sources and reformatting to stream data. Money is based on file size. NOT quality of the file. Garbage out, money in. 
gormdane
35 posts
 
I stream mostly from my NAS to my Roon endpoint (PS Audio Directstream DAC) via fiber optic using gigabyte wifi/internet.  I also have a Qobuz subscription that integrates nicely with Roon (used mostly to explore other music before I buy it).  In my case the sound quality of the CD might barely edge out the streamed version (less potential interference or things that can go wrong with the data stream including processing), but not enough for me to be concerned about it.  I’m also more engaged with the music when I pull a CD off the shelf - a better listening experience for me overall.  I’m not convinced that Hi Rez always sounds better than standard CD resolution either for various reasons, but that is another debate for another time.
sgreg1
612 posts
 
Is this not just a subset of the analog vs digital, vinyl vs streaming, tubes vs solid state, my $250,000 system vs your $20,000 system, and on and on. There is and always will be one thing that will sound better to one person than to 59 others. I guess for me it is at the end of the day about the music. I listen on four or five different systems and all are delivered from different sources. Do some sound 100% better than others yes they do. Do I care not really as I listen to what I can at that time and place I am at. Do I enjoy my reference system better than my Pioneer smart speaker? Hell yes, but does my smart speaker work for the situation I need it to. Hell yes!
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi OP
10,312 posts
 
jafant13,429 posts
georgehifi

Great idea for a thread. The measured proof would become provided via these server/streamer companies.
Yes it would be good, but nobody as yet has come forth with any measured proof, to the threads opening paragraph question.

Uncompressed CD audio will take about 10.6mb per minute to play, to stream that takes big space and dollars to stream an album, see what your streaming company’s takes mb per minute to stream, find out and post up here.

Cheers George

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