Streaming Is To Audio What Red Plastic Cups Are To Wine

It is all about the music. 

I enjoy my LPs, but they are definitely a hassle relative to streaming. Same with CDs which I also utilize.

Most albums sound better with streaming, but not all. Vinyl is good, but after each listen the quality declines, however slightly, each time. There are a few vinyl albums I prefer, but for 98% of my listening streaming is the media for me.

Yeah I agree with Santa Barbara I gave up vinyl sold my Thorens turntable with Rabco arm after hearing the first C.D. My first player the disc was vertical. Have no interest in streaming either although do enjoy those red plastic cups for milk. The Cabernet Sauvignon goes in s proper glass. A high end SACD player wins hands down. Honestly do not see what the fuss with records is all about. I gave away about 150 of them in the 80's. Just my two cents.

@billstevenson +1 

"streaming is a search engine" 

Funny no one mentioned FM. Got a 200 wpc McIntosh and a tube Mac MR-71 FM tuner , some old restored JBL speakers. Visitors don't believe it's the radio. Live up in the mtns in the sticks one station 5,000W daytime and 500W at night.

I enjoy both vinyl and streaming. To my ears, a well mastered vinyl pressing sounds marginally better than streaming-but its close. I have 3 copies of Rumours, an original, a 45 high quality pressing, and a generic reissue. I've listened to these and tested against streaming from Qobuz and Tidal and only the generic loses to streaming-but its close enough it isn't a big issue.

I was listening earlier tonight to Hartman and Coltrane on vinyl-sublime, nothing beats that vinyl. And then there is the joy of the hunt. Not long ago, I was crate diving and found Ella in Berlin-1960 pressing. The cover was in tatters and the record was filthy and looked hopeless, but after a good cleaning session it turned out to be in great shape-a few pops but seems rarely played. Couldn't help but think for most of my life-through the Little League years, high school, college, raising kids, all of of it-that piece of vinyl has waited patiently in an old box somewhere, to bring Ella into my listening room-strange thoughts I suppose.

On the other hand, I was just now streaming Arooj Aftab's Night Reign. Its the perfect album for a dark listening room at night and about two fingers of single malt. This hauntingly beautiful music takes you to a peaceful place and rests your mind. Wonderful music. But for my Qobuz subscription, I would have never discovered this incredibly talented Pakistani artist, or dozens of others. I even find myself enjoying some classical, and I'm way too much of a hillbilly to invest much in classical vinyl.

If I could only keep one, it would be streaming for the gateway to a universe of new music. Since we are allowed to have both-that's what I choose.

Its all good music.