I don't mind a bit of compression if it'll allow me to scale down the volume yet still allow me to get viscerally caught up in the music. Compression makes the musical performance room-friendly. To me, truth of instrumental & vocal timbre and the ability of the machinery to play a tune are far more important than slam or how deep the bass goes. I want to be able to understand the lyrics (or not understand them when that's the artist's wicked intent). I want to be able to recognize an artist's individuality & tone, and to appreciate the acoustics of venues. I want to be able to be caught up in the fun when the producer/engineer plays wicked games with the "truth." I love microdynamics. I don't need to be punched in the nose.
CD Quality Versus Streaming Quality
I realize this will be a contentious subject, and far be it from me to challenge any of the many expert opinions on this forum, but if I may offer my feedback vis-a-vis what I am hearing, and gain some knowledge in the process.
i will begin saying that my digital front end setup is not state of the art, but i have had the good fortune to listen to a number of really high-end systems. I guess the number one deficit in my digital front end is a streamer server, and no question about it that will improve the sound.
My CD player is a universal player; Pioneer BDP-09fd. It uses Wolfson DACs. It has been modified to a degree. I have bought and sold other players, but kept this one, because it has a beautiful sound that serves the music well.
Recently, i ventured over to my son’s place and we hooked up my player (he doesn’t have one and rely’s on streaming only) We compared tracks / albums of CD quality and master quality streamed on Tidal with ‘redbook’ CDs I have. For example, some Lee Ritenaur CDs and some Indian classical and the wonderful Mozart and Chopin.
His system is highly resolving.
we were both very surprised to find the CDs played on the player to be the better sound. And not just by a little. The sound was clearly superior, with higher resolution and definition, spatial ques, much better and clearer imaging. Very surprising indeed. Shouldn’t there be no difference? This would suggest the streaming service is throttling the bandwidth or compressing the signal?
i am most interested to hear others’ observations, and suggestions as to why this might be? I do love the convenience aspect of streaming, but it IS expensive for a chap like me of fairly modest means. The Tidal HiFi topline service is $30 per month I believe, something the good lady is not too thrilled about. God forbid I should suggest Roon on top of that I may likely get my walking papers. I jest, but only partially LoL. My point is, if I pay this sort of money, isn’t it fair to expect sound to equal the digital stream from the CD player and silver disc?
Thoughts?
AK
i will begin saying that my digital front end setup is not state of the art, but i have had the good fortune to listen to a number of really high-end systems. I guess the number one deficit in my digital front end is a streamer server, and no question about it that will improve the sound.
My CD player is a universal player; Pioneer BDP-09fd. It uses Wolfson DACs. It has been modified to a degree. I have bought and sold other players, but kept this one, because it has a beautiful sound that serves the music well.
Recently, i ventured over to my son’s place and we hooked up my player (he doesn’t have one and rely’s on streaming only) We compared tracks / albums of CD quality and master quality streamed on Tidal with ‘redbook’ CDs I have. For example, some Lee Ritenaur CDs and some Indian classical and the wonderful Mozart and Chopin.
His system is highly resolving.
we were both very surprised to find the CDs played on the player to be the better sound. And not just by a little. The sound was clearly superior, with higher resolution and definition, spatial ques, much better and clearer imaging. Very surprising indeed. Shouldn’t there be no difference? This would suggest the streaming service is throttling the bandwidth or compressing the signal?
i am most interested to hear others’ observations, and suggestions as to why this might be? I do love the convenience aspect of streaming, but it IS expensive for a chap like me of fairly modest means. The Tidal HiFi topline service is $30 per month I believe, something the good lady is not too thrilled about. God forbid I should suggest Roon on top of that I may likely get my walking papers. I jest, but only partially LoL. My point is, if I pay this sort of money, isn’t it fair to expect sound to equal the digital stream from the CD player and silver disc?
Thoughts?
AK
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- 239 posts total
Tune?? how is that possible, when the foot tapping bass, sounds like a stick of salami being smacked on a bed mattress, in the 3rd music pass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ&ab_channel=MattMayfieldMusic All it serves to do is give listeners fatigue. Because it’s relentless in it’s average level and there’s no quite parts to let the music, your ears, and your brain time to breath. If it were live, there’d be no compression, just like any sound in life. Can you imagine if life’s sounds were compressed to all the same level!! eg: distant traffic noise being the same volume level as the singing bird in the tree next to you "If you have no quiet you can have no loud" It’s called dynamic range. Why screw up our music by taking it away?? Cheers George |
So, if you have a CD player costing 5000 dollars and want the same from a streamer, look to spend around 15-20,000 dollars. Still got the problem of what ’s being streamed to you is very well the compressed later re-issues vs the uncompressed CD early issue. Same album different issues https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=Traveling+Wilburys&album= And the majority of new music today is compressed too, only a few artist/bands are saying "NO to Compression" . Cheers George |
I’ve run into sound quality issues recently running Qobuz. I posted about it here. It caused enough grief that I signed up for a 3 month Tidal trial. I have since tested multiple albums to compare Qobuz and Tidal and in 99% of the cases I prefer Tidal. Qobuz sounds flat with glaring mids that results in an uneasy overall presentation. Vocals are more recessed and are set further back, details are more subdued. With Tidal the music just flows easier with better overall clarity and more relaxed, more inviting presentation. Acoustic bass has better texture. As I’m reading comments on this thread I see majority prefer Qobuz over Tidal. I’m wondering is it really that system dependent? I don’t dispute what others hear but at the ssme time I know what I hear as well. As far as CD vs streaming…few days ago I had an opportunity to test a $550 CD transport driving my DAC via SPDIF cable and it bettered Tidal, Qobuz and CD Rips ( FLAC/WAV) files on the hard drive that’s connected to my streamer. It was just more engaging, more real sounding with better detail retrieval and better sense of conveying the emotions in the music with layers and textures that aren’t as apparent with streaming. Listening to streaming after listening to a good old original redbook CD sounded lifeless. Now don’t get me wrong…streaming sounds good on its own but not immediately after I heard the same material on CD. System: Auralic Aries G1 streamer (Audience AU24se USB cable) Bryston BDA-3 DAC Rogue RP-5 pre Rogue ST-100 amp Martin Logan Montis speakers Interconnects: Acoustic Zen Matrix Ref II Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper Sp. Cables - Audience AU24sx |
- 239 posts total