@lalitk thank you! I am a bit worried it would be the end of my vinyl days. But I am probably overreacting.
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.
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Approach streaming as a platform for discovering, sampling and exploring endless music instantly. Vinyl, on the other hand is about immersion—slowing down and deepening your connection with the albums that truly matter. For me, streaming has actually enhanced my vinyl journey. I use it heavily to discover new artists, compare different masterings and decide which records are truly worth owning. I’m probably one of the few who doesn’t rush to buy every new release and streaming has helped me curb both the anxiety and the impulse to collect everything that comes out on vinyl and CD’s :-) |
@lalitk yes that makes sense. Now I do that mostly on the web, youtube. I also have Apple Music and I am not crazy about it. It is a watered up experience, it doesn't make me focus on an artist or track because there must always be someone better down the list, so I skip 90% of the time. |
“It is a watered up experience, it doesn’t make me focus on an artist or track because there must always be someone better down the list, so I skip 90% of the time. ” Couldn’t agree with you more. For any vinyl aficionado, truly enjoying streaming takes a good streamer/DAC and that usually means a meaningful investment. |
@russbutton Thank you for your broad, all encompassing statement, it must be correct because you're a retired network guy or whatever. FOS springs to mind because you've got your speakers smack dab in the middle of your room, never seen that....lol! Your bits maybe bits until they hit the router then it all goes pear shaped and continues on that downward spiral until the signal reaches your streamer or whatever. Optical isolation can help among other things. Anyway I don't stream anymore because I listen to mostly SACDs, SHM CDs, UHQCDs and bootlegs. Streaming doesn't have the same resolution for me, it's close but no cigar. |
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