The problem with streaming


As I sit here listening to America Includes: "A Horse With No Name", I realized the problem with streaming. Who knows what source material you're getting with streaming? The album I'm listening to is a Warners Brothers green label. Sonics are absolutely incredible! The band sounds like they're in the room! 

Navigating the pressings to find the best one can be challenging but that's part of the fun of the hobby. I doubt the same care is taken when generating streaming recordings. You're stuck with what they use, thus missing the incredible texture of the best recordings.

Of course, great care must be taken to set up the turntable and match all components downstream. I find the effort to be well worth it! There's just no substitute for great analog!

128x128vuch

@vuch With Roon you do get the provenance of recordings, and then you have multiple versions of many many recordings to choose from. And finally, we always have our ears in order to determine quality of each version. While my vinyl setup no longer resolves at same high level as my streaming, there was a time when they were essentially on level playing field. There were times when my vinyl beat digital versions and vice versa. Advantage for streaming in long run is constant releasing of new remasters, while not always preferable to original mastering, they are often enough to make new version preferable. I often see these remasters on vinyl with ever increasing cost, how many times do I have to buy Beatles Abbey Road or whatever recording? I may have to end up spending thousands to get the best release with vinyl.

 

I lived in the golden age of vinyl, days when you could go to record shows and find all kinds of obscure releases for less than $20, many times far less. Nowadays, it seems everyone knows the value of vinyl, very expensive pursuit these days, the common guy can no longer play this game.

 

@mijostyn Now I see streaming is political issue for you. How that became so I can't fathom, really takes a conspiracy minded person to come up with that.

 

As for dropouts there should be absolutely no issues here with optimized wired network. Nearly all complaints about streaming sound quality related to poor network utilization. Get network in order with high quality dac and server and you have the beginnings of good streaming sq.

 

And actually, optimizing a streaming setup has far exceeded the complexity of setting up quality vinyl setup. It has reinvigorated my interest in the equipment side of audio, haven't felt this enthused in many years. Based on what I'm hearing I may be to end of pursuing streaming setup, now planning my vinyl side improvements.

@sns , I think you missed the point. Streaming is a total non-issue for me. My opinion is, for a healthy person it is the lazy way out. Just turn it on and forget about it. You do not have to create playlists of songs you actually like, or flip records not to mention clean them. Just turn it on and forget about it. It is what I do in my office for background music. But, for serious listening? I think you need to go out and get yourself a juke box, a Wurlitzer with all the colored lights. You can get stoned and watch the lights flash while you listen to scratchy old 45s. 

MC is on...'hiatus'......(but not far away, I suspect...) ;)

Streaming, streamcasting, web noodling, instant audio....

I run into this sort of .....and use it for my own version of 'Muzak'....

 

...has its' own ' subtleties', although not immediately apparent....😏

Well, this is not my type of music after sampling it through.  I don't believe any vinyl or CD iteration would make any difference.  Enjoy.