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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
yoyoyaya's avatar
yoyoyaya
1,070 posts
 

Going back to the original question, I switched from Tidal to Qobuz because at the time Tidal was using MQA for a lot of its high rez files and I don't like the sound of MQA processing. I've never done an A/B between two non-MQA files from each service, but if they sound different then I'm going to assume that the actual recordings are different i.e. its the source and not the transmission system that is causing the difference - Occam's Razor etc.

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cleeds
6,596 posts
 
jeffbij

... just to add somethings that most don’t realize... First, the electrical signal in an Ethernet network is NOT AC, it is DC ... Thus the typical reasons why noise on a AC signal effects sound quality does not apply for digital communications. 

Huh? Ethernet is an AC signal.

jeffbij
272 posts
 

I stand corrected... I was always thinking that it was running DC.  I've deleted my post.

 

mswale
382 posts
 

You are both correct, it's both AC/DC

Ethernet uses both AC and DC voltages, but in different ways: data is transmitted using a form of AC (alternating current), while power over Ethernet (PoE) uses DC (direct current). Data signals are sent as voltage pulses that alternate in polarity, while PoE supplies consistent DC power, typically around \(48V\), to devices like IP cameras and phones

Data transmission
Ethernet data is a series of electrical signals representing binary 0s and 1s.
These signals are sent as voltage pulses that change direction, which is a form of alternating current (AC)

Power over Ethernet (PoE)    

PoE is a technology that delivers DC power over the same Ethernet cable used for data

It is a low-voltage DC system that avoids the need for separate power outlets near devices

The voltage is in the \(44V\) to \(57V\) DC range, with \(48V\) DC being the most common voltage

The power-sourcing equipment (PSE) sends this DC power to the powered devices (PD). 
 

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