1. Home
  2. digital
  3. 168295-163583

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
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Worst ones I have heard are the scorpions releases from about maybe 6 years ago....,...I think...?..


Yes to me it seems that from early 2000 up to now, they were nutz on compressing (squashing) our music with most re-issues and re-masters, and new albums too.

Compression is the Covid 20 virus version of the music industry.

Remember: "WITHOUT QUITE PARTS THERE CAN BE NO LOUD PARTS"
It called "DYNAMIC RANGE", and it gives the ears/brain a chance to breath and relax!

Cheers George
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
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.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


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.


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

serblinfan
59 posts
 
This is quite simple, with the present development of technology, a traditional CD player setup will play as good as a streamer costing at least three times as much. 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. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

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
More to discover