So sad about Netflix sound quality. No one can hear it

@emergingsoul , I have to wonder (afraid to, actually) whether the soon to be released upgrade Apple TV 4K will sufficiently bridge the gap between what's come before and my ATV-X as to make my purchase look silly.  The cost of the first Blu-Ray players was crazy, and after a few years they were under $100.  The engineer who makes the upgraded ATV-X naturally says that his product will still be better than the new product that Apple will come out with.  I'm not here to proselytize, only share my experience.  If it helps, great; we all benefit from shared experience.

I've spun my wheels and made some bonehead moves while upgrading my 2 channel audio system, and given that I spend 80% of my time watching stuff in my HT, the comparatively small expense of a better streamer for an activity where I spend the majority of my time was worth it.
 

@traubr I can relate on each point you mentioned, especially the 80/20 split and weird avenues I’ve explored with my 2-channel system. Nonetheless, greatly appreciate the effort made in your thorough response. And the 25% increase in SQ is hard to ignore, especially when you add the uptick in PQ that you experienced.

@emergingsoul I definitely see where you’re coming from. Speaking for myself, the way in which the ATV integrates into the Apple ecosystem on top of its friendly user interface creates the value that other streamers can’t match. In a sense, this somewhat locks me into this device, which always begs the question of whether I can optimize the device/experience.

@traubr 

Very nice reply.

@toro3 

Overall I will say I don’t care about video quality as that’s pretty darn good to begin with I’m more concerned about the quality of the audio.  I’ve done everything I can to improve sound quality by investing in a biampable amp, mc901 from McIntosh. Great power supply, and ethernet cable and switches, Great speakers and I feed the signal through a Conrad Johnsen pre-amplifier. 

Anything beyond this point would be like sucking rock from a stone. Unfortunately we struggle with compressed audio feeds.  Getting back to my very original point it’s absolutely tragic that a lot of good sound quality ultimately is trapped under the netflix and other streaming sources roofs, Will never be heard because the water supply is restricted.  

So what does Reid Hastings hear?, the genius from Netflix, I hope he has to suffer from his compressed audio nightmare. Is he able to do anything. Are there enough people out there to warrant a major streaming upgrade for his users. I’d pay a lot more to get a better streaming quality if that was available, it’s not that much more to get premium that is offered but it’s far short of what it could be.  Maybe there’s plenty they should do and don’t. 

Unfortunately we struggle with compressed audio feeds.  Getting back to my very original point it’s absolutely tragic that a lot of good sound quality ultimately is trapped under the netflix and other streaming sources roofs, Will never be heard because the water supply is restricted.  

Agree. And that’s the crux of it; it’s completely out of our control when it comes to services compressing their feeds. Frustrating, but hopeful streaming will evolve in the near future.

@traubr 

use amperex nos red tip tubes, on my cj gat2. I like these tubes.

My home theater sound is pretty darn good, but because of the compressed signal it could be a lot better.

I'll be interested if the Apple tvx was only the Apple TV box with all the Power box add on stuff.  Not sure if I could just get the Apple TV piece of it.