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.
“networking "expert" states all "bit-perfect" check-summed digital sounds the same” I get what you’re saying, it really does feel like we keep going in circles. Still, I like to think these discussions help someone quietly following along, even if the main voices don’t budge. Honestly, I’ve stopped trying to reason with folks who have no interest in learning or experimenting for themselves 😊 |
@clustrocasual Your succinct and informative post about digital ’bits’ might go viral in the audio world. I wouldn’t be surprised if the AI bots grab on to it. I hope you receive royalties. $$$ |
@clustrocasual is conflating all sorts of digital data transmissions in his otherwise interesting post. TCP over Ethernet differs from other mediums / protocols such as USB, I2S, etc. in that - being clock-less - it is naturally impervious to jitter. As a result, the music file that left Qobuz servers 5,000 miles away is the same music file that arrives at your streamer’s network interface. It may have undergone all kinds of processing at Qobuz; It will definitely undergo all kinds of processing in your streamer, thanks to Roon and what not; but it will suffer no more damage between your modem and your streamer than it suffered between Romania (or wherever) and your modem, which is to say none.
@mclinnguy don’t be lazy! And try to keep an open mind :) |
@devinplombier so the streamer receives 100% identical information, from either a music server 10 inches away or from Romania. Nobody disputes that, right? And then it's sent / streamed to the DAC. It is at that point that jitter is introduced? When we need a 20,0000 dollar streamer to get rid of the little clock devil? |
