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bits is bits

Being a retired IT tech, Iʻm a "bits is bits" guy. I keep seeing people rank different  streaming services against each other and I have to say, Iʻm mystified. Modern recordings are all digital masters and remastered. If two different hi-res streaming services, say Qobuz and Tidal, have the same track available, why would one sound different from the other, let alone better?

 

The stream is being fed over TCP/IP from the source, and I see no reason that it you were to do a cksum on the same file/track being delivered by either streaming service, that they would exactly match.  So why do people claim better sound from one streaming source over the other.  Iʻm assuming they are both full resolution sources, not mp3.

russbutton
parkergetdean
1,082 posts
 

thanks @jeffbij 

with a analogy, if it was an image, the output image to the DAC would have bad pixels?

jeffbij
272 posts
 

@parkergetdean 

Not necessarily bad pixels, more like having the image being drawn in a jerky and inconsistant speed.  

parkergetdean
1,082 posts
 

cool. So it can't be fixed with more buffering?

jeffbij
272 posts
 

While better buffering can help, better control on the stages after the initial connection to the streamer to reduce or filter out the jitter and superior timing/clocking circuitry has the biggest effect.  (at least in my opinion)

 

parkergetdean
1,082 posts
 

ok so a bad streamer would be bad at sending data consistently to the DAC?

I am starting to understand it. I can especially see it with video streaming. I am still puzzled that this should be a basic function of any streamer and not cost 20K to do it well. But again, I am learning....

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