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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





4afsanakhan
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
+ 1 @sns 

You're experiencing the value of network optimization.

geph0007's avatar
geph0007
184 posts
 
Going back to the very original post.   Most streaming I have heard( (I am not an expert on streaming )  sounds good but at the end of the day does not sound like music to me.   We are in an era of hyper detail and ,leanness.  I do not hear a guitar players nose hair moving when he is standing in front of.  I do not want to hear it through the system. It is almost like the harmonics are stripped or something.  A decent CD players sound more like music to me and vinyl takes that a step further.  I think ears have changed as to what is good sound and naturally your mileage may vary.  Each to their own.
4afsanakhan OP
134 posts
 
Geph0007,

Thanks for your observation. I do get what you are saying. My latest experience has me much more willing to go the whole hog down the streaming path - albeit not giving up CD - because i definitely hear a major improvement after sorting out the network. I am convinced bandwidth was probably responsible for my experiencing a sub-optimal result. The best way i can describe it, is when someone sends you a vid of very low res as a text message. Its small so you can’t see it properly. Try and expand it and it looks awful. I think something similar happens with streaming. If the bandwidth is affected, the file will down-convert, resulting in a smaller lower quality image that loses any sense of scale and proper imaging. It sounds hard and distorted. Now i have been using the newly revamped Apple music with lossless and high res. They also have a spatial audio / atmos for compatible headphones /DACs. Replacing my modem / router and running 5G, the Apple service has quite honesty sounded really really good. I am very impressed. Yes compared to my current, admittedly limited streaming setup, CD as far as I can hear does sound more complete. I think anyone with good hearing could tell instantly. But then, i do not have a dedicated streamer. Logically there should be no reason why a bitstream at full resolution should sound any different than CD.
Cheers and happy listening.
elmo2
4 posts
 

I know this topic has been hashed to death, but I wanted to add one other consideration: I just got an Audiolab 6000cdt transport running into my PS Audio DAC, and I am astonished to hear what it's doing.

If I compare any CD track on the transport to the same track streamed from Qobuz through the same DAC, the difference is pretty dramatic. Through the transport, the first thing I notice is the dimensionality of the music. It's like the difference between looking at a picture of the Grand Canyon and standing on the rim of the canyon. Really.

Instruments and voices exist as separate, individual sources. Reverberation tails are much more apparent, as is the timbre and texture of the instruments. The frequency spectrum is fully realized--I never realized how much was missing in streaming. Everything is as clean and natural as I could wish. No CD player has ever done this in my system. Using a transport elevates CDs to a point where I'm comfortable listening to them next to my Well Tempered turntable. 

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