Streaming Is To Audio What Red Plastic Cups Are To Wine

@newton_john

I never said anything bad about either , I was just responding to somebody looking down on streaming I guess was his point. You don't need to tell me about analog, if you read I have been there and done that, for quite awhile, with a pretty big investment. So now I don't and am very happy, and not missing anything. Yes it is still a dumb argument, as it always pops up somewhere. Who the h--- cares what somebody prefers, but dont cut peoples' choices down.

«We have a free brain with costly needs»-- Groucho Marx

«I paid a lot in time for my free brain training»-- Harpo Marx 

I have been a Vinyl fan for 40 years but in my experience, comparing streaming with Vinyl serves little purpose if you are expecting to establish which one is superior as they are for the most part very different experiences, although there are some circumstances where they produce the same outcomes, read on…..

My Linn LP 12 has been the constant in my system for a more than a quarter of a century. It has received so many amazing upgrades over the years from Linn and others, its performance is consistently brilliant and hugely enjoyable.

I listen to full albums on this format and still marvel at what this format, steeped in old tech, is capable of. I guess its in part helped by tech that is infinitely more capable than it was 25 -30 yeas ago. Better engineering precision, better phono stages, better electronic components, better Cartridges, in some circumstances better recording and mastering; pretty much better everything. My vinyl playing side has never sounded better.

I have a streaming system sitting alongside my vinyl system and straight away my experience and listening habits are completely different. My analogue side is so good, I was advised to invest as much as I could on a streamer/DAC or Streamer and DAC. Having accepted the logic and premise, I was determined to listen to quite a stretched shortlist, it took me months and I listened to not all but many in my own system.

I believe I made the right choice for me in the Lumin X1 which is connected to the “inter-web” via an EMI/RF isolating optical fiber pathway taking advantage of the SFP input on my Lumin, I use the Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL and a 20 metre Corning Clear Curve Single‑Mode LC‑LC Duplex, 9/125 μm (OS2) fiber cable.

My experience was not what I expected.

• I was amazed how resolving my system was and the Lumin was able to show the differences good, bad and yes plain ugly in the quality of a stream. I most often found the worst sounding ones were 16bit 44.1Khz CD streams and also some of the best ones used the same red book format. I found this perplexing and annoying but realised this quality difference is also the case for the actual CD’s as well as Vinyl recordings. I put this down to poorly recorded and mastered CD’s i.e. crushed dynamic range via compression is every bit as bad when streamed, as poorly recorded and mastered vinyl and actually presents similarly whether its actual CD, Vinyl or Stream. This wasn’t always the fault of the streaming platform but is often not helped by sloppy encoding and platform volume levelling algorithms struggling with these stupid wall of sound super compressed CD’s.  I think it important to note, such a trait would never be improved by complex ripping software to a hard drive. These shortcomings will and should be revealed easily within a reasobaly resolving HIFI system. The Linn does it and the Lumin does it equally well.
• I would say that there have been numerous times when I have come across artists and or tracks that have floored me in astonishment of just how good they sound from the Lumin X1.
• My early streamer user experience was often first comparing Vinyl records with the stream but I soon realized some were much better with Vinyl and some were superior when streamed, similar in fact to my CD player vs Turntable findings, although I wasn’t always really sure why I felt this was the case. I may revisit this aspect but I soon differentiated what my habits were when streaming or listening to vinyl. Almost always I started out listening to an Album but couldn’t resist the little Icon within the “Tidal connect” app curious to find out what the recommendations for similar content and excited to find new “to me” and often wonderful music which I would likely not have come across using my traditional listening habits.
• Music discovery has been the single most amazing revelation in respect of my streaming journey but it does mean I am often listening to playlists and single tracks so its questionable whether it prompts me to buy new vinyl.

In conclusion, I am geniunely happy for rbstehno that their very final destination works for them. Will I be as fundamental as the Poster I think not. I see a place for Vinyl and CD playback and I am not blinkered enough to think that even with a £12k Streamer that I am entitled to expect everything to sound "better". My listening sessions have clearly educated me to understand its not that simple and not a binary choice. I have found out that music recording and mastering has a profound and immutable influence on what you hear, even within a reasonably resolving and even mores so within a very resolving system. I will keep my streaming and Vinyl as they offer such differing and rewarding ways to listen to music. I am not a gear first member of this community, I am and always will be a music first enthusiast. I am just lucky that over the years my means have permitted me to take good advice, listen and make informed choices that have eventually brought me to a good place. I don’t rule out gear changes but I cannot see the need to change anything for the foreseeable future. (Except that I have my eye on an aesthetically stunningly beautiful, fully restored Sony TC766-2 half-track reel to reel machine. It’s just so damn seductive watching those 10.5 inch reels rotate as well as the warm glow of the VU meters) My badd…..

@waynefia 

I never said anything bad about either , I was just responding to somebody looking down on streaming I guess was his point. 

I am glad you’re not saying anything bad about either format. Nobody’s looking down on streaming either so there’s nothing for you to respond to. In that respect, I have always argued the benefits of having both formats.

Who the h--- cares what somebody prefers, but dont cut peoples’ choices down.

You’re quick to tell people about your preference. Aren’t other people allowed to do the same? Nobody’s cutting your choices down - you’ve done that all on your own. But as I said it’s entirely your privilege to do this. 

@nubiann 

Excellent post.

My experiences are along much the same lines.

Any differences are more than likely down to the mastering, but the OP was not concerned about sound quality per se.