The problem with streaming

For reference and perspective I am a trained musician who supposedly knows how  to listen for music as it happens in live settings all of which depends on electronic reproduction to be heard. Listening to music is a solely  singular experience of the mind. And mine just expanded. How? Well, friends, I just bumbled into the BIG change in the recordings of everything to which I listen, regardless of signal source origination, by the need for replacement of “failing” gain stage tubes. 

Four 6922 tube (variant) “rolled” into my pre-amp amp stages of “ how to copy a copy of a recorded performance of “best take” recordings “mastered” by a human listening to and live time self adjusting”  to the actual MUSIC often layered one performance at a time ( see Boston) and not (as it appears to have been) originally co-performed and co-recorded in “real time”. Music is now a process of limiting variability of quality best suited to the end of the chain reproduction equipment capacity to best replicate the original. A desired result with too many variables to contemplate while the recording is being performed. I just play the part. Written by the song writer. Or arranger. After that the performance is at the whim of industry, not me. Back to my point:

Those tubes (manufactured in one batch from 1976 ( hand made variances included at no extra cost) have opened and widened perceptive nuances of the sounds transferred to tiny electric codes magically appearing where they were not discernible by my ears prior to the new (old) better(?) tubes were installed. Or at least, so it appears to my ears! BTW I am all digital all the time. Conclusion: you are listening to a highly processed copy of actual music that is just that….a copy!  because I am also a pro musician and can report that from an actual on stage performance centered perspective, there is no “image” effect. If such is possible from the audience perspective it is probably due to the efforts of a good sound person. Just like the person at the helm of the replication being copied to recorded formats currently known to man. Recordings are replications of captured information. The after effect reproduction contraptions we utilize to create the reproduction of the performance of the original. Waiting for rediscovery hidden in the old stock original  6922. Who knew?  YMMV. 

@mijostyn you do make me chuckle 🤭. In ur own post you said you flick via ur computer library.

@sns ​​​​@worldwidewholesales i think ur points are very valid. If it’s about sound quality we often don’t hear digital at its best - likewise maybe streaming is for the true music lover who really cares only about the music and nothing about the format.

streaming - particularly during the pandemic - has allowed my ears to open to music and genres that one just can’t buy in record shops. Lp’s are appallingly overpriced now that they are ‘cool’ . I know people speak about 2-3000 record collections but it’s a bit like a ‘yard of books’ at a stately home. 2000 records at 45m length is 90,000 minutes 62.5 - 24 hour days - Hand 🤚 on your heart ❤️ who can genuinely claim they know their collection - assuming most of us work to indulge our hobby

Once streaming on my system equaled analog, CD, and stored files it became apparent the overwhelming cost and listening advantages of streaming and consequently it’s future. I have over 4,000 albums… typically I used to buy a few albums a month… that adds up over time.. so implementation a high quality streamer and for the cost of $15 / month my library almost became infinite.

You can justify a really good streamer and DAC as the least expensive solution over time… and unlimited access to music, no storage cost… and less getting up and down (I get lots of exercise). And honestly my discovering and enjoying soooo much new music has been incredible. I probably listen to one or two albums a week that I owned before streaming now. 

Digital and streaming are two separate issues. DIgital is fine. Streaming from your own computer library of hi res file is great, no networks involved. If you check out my system page I am as digital as you can get and I have full Roon capability, I just don't use it. Online streaming? You have to be out of your mind. Listening to that will powder coat your ear drums. Next thing you know you will be trying to eat online.

 Streaming is for lazy people.

This is a ridiculous comment to make, even more absurd to be repeated three times.  As though deliberately making something more difficult on one's self is a sign of being industrious.  And flipping a record isn't quite the same as an hour of Orange Theory.  Perhaps if you powered your TT with a pedal-cycle.  

That's not an attack on analog.  I have over 2000 records and an even larger CD/DVD-Audio/SACD/BD collection. There's nothing wrong with physical media.

Streaming can be frustrating in that typically very little provenance information is provided. But that is not true in all of digital - you can sort through all the masterings and pressings you want just like analog and get similar results. 

Digital requires skills that don't equate to analog.  So many audiophiles use analog logic that just doesn't apply, and then assume that digital isn't as good.  It takes a totally different skill set.  

Besides, the number of times I have to reboot Roon or my Auralic Aries to keep the music flowing can sometimes be similar to flipping vinyl.  Lazy indeed.