Streaming Is To Audio What Red Plastic Cups Are To Wine

@newton_john - could it be that the phono stage is bringing something to the party that the pure streaming system does not? 

@larsman  Could be. Although, I’ve been told that it’s far from being the best available. 

It also might be the Lyra made cartridge that I like. Again, people on the HiFi Kabin say the Linn Exstatik is much better.

@mahgister wrote: 

I concur with this opinion about the OP ..

Vous êtes trop aimable, cher ami! 

This analogy may not work outside the UK, but is streaming not like the dependable but boring brands of beer produced by huge national or multi-national drinks companies? These are available everywhere including supermarkets and always of a good standard. 

On the other hand, vinyl is like the craft and specialist beers produced by micro breweries. These are generally available in pubs which have facilities to ensure they can reach the high standards required by discerning drinkers. They can excel in these circumstances but may fall flat if not looked after properly.

@newton_john 

Your beer analogy translates to the US, with the difference that our mass-market beers are cheap swill that certainly would not meet any kind of good standard, therefore comparing music streaming to Miller, Coors and Bud wouldn’t be entirely fair.

In the northwestern US we have myriad craft brewers, but the alternative low-brow brew is Rainier. It is unapologetically cheap, yet manages to taste quite a bit better than the industrial swill it completes against. Plus, it’s actually kind of cool. Dollar pints of Rainier used to be a happy hour staple at everyone’s neighborhood tavern.

Sadly, Pabst bought Rainier back around 2000 and moved production to California. To their credit, they haven’t messed much with it otherwise.

I find that audio stubbornly defies analogy though. Doesn’t it? Not sure why.