Streaming vs Physical Media

I have both an Audiolab 6000CDT and a Sonore ultraDigital/opticalRendu streaming stack connected to the same DAC.  The transport is coax connected and the streamer i2s

The transport was $500 and the streaming kit approx 2k

If the file formats are the same, the playback is very close in SQ

Most of my CDs are 16 bit/44.1kHz

Tidal and Qobuz offer many additional file formats with less compression and higher bit rates, up to  24-bit/192kHz

For example, when playing the same song at 16 bit/44.1kHz from the transport and streaming it at 24-bit/192kHz, it's not even close - I'll stream the high bit rate file every time

That tells me the question is less about CDs, transports and streaming and more about file formats

Thus IMO the beauty of the streaming services is all of their remastered material in file formats that exceed 16bit/44.1kHz

Secondarily I do not have to repurchase my favorite CDs at the higher bit rate, if they were available, it comes with the streaming service

If in the future an old CD is remastered, again you don't have to go buy it.  It's just added to the streaming library and you'll see it the next time you search for that song or album

If a new and improved format is adopted, you'll be able to stream it without any additional cost, where in the case of the transport you may need a new one that's capable of playback in the new format

What I do not see as a streaming option is SACD or DSD file formats

Which again takes be back to the differences in file formats, not the difference in transport vs streaming

Lastly the convenience of streaming better suits my lazy nature

The amount of music and the number of artists I can enjoy in an hour streaming, far exceeds what I can accomplish in an hour searching for and swapping out CDs  

Happy listening and enjoy the journey

Uneven playing field. Try a CDT(maybe borrow?) around the same price as your streamer that has i2s outputs, using the same brand and type cable, and then tell us what you hear.

That would be a more valid comparison.

All the best,
Nonoise

Uneven playing field. Try a CDT(maybe borrow?) around the same price as your streamer that has i2s outputs, using the same brand and type cable, and then tell us what you hear.

That would be a more valid comparison.

All the best,

Nonoise

My thoughts exactly. The Audiolab 6000 CDT is very nice for 500.00 USD. But to be perfectly candid,  you can go substantially above and beyond with upper tier CD transports. Far higher CD playback sound quality via transport is easily achievable.

Charles

"Mythology" ? There are always differing opinions and experiences especially with regard to High End audio. It appears to me reading comments from very credible and experienced members on this forum and say WBF that these additional  parts/accessories used in streaming are in fact beneficial and improve sound quality.

There are very credible minds on both sides of this debate.  

I don't want to turn this thread into that same old debate.  However, I do believe that mentioning "the inherent noise in streaming" as though that is an incontrovertible fact and that these devices are necessary to correct them does a disservice to the less experienced wanting to get into streaming/digital music.

So I just think it's fair to note that there are other credible, non-fringe viewpoints, especially given the prices of some of this gear relative to more fundamental items that could be addressed with that budget.

I don’t want to turn this thread into that same old debate. However, I do believe that mentioning "the inherent noise in streaming" as though that is an incontrovertible fact and that these devices are necessary to correct them does a disservice to the less experienced wanting to get into streaming/digital music.

Great point, and one that I’ve used a few time when people would denigrate CD playback due to all the "inherent" drawbacks that were stated as factually occurring all the time when, in fact, that was never true.

That was at or around the time when streaming first started taking off and everyone was rushing to it like moths to a flame. Factor in the numbers game (high rez sampling rates!) and it was practically a blood fest with CD users feeling like they were on someone else’s menu if they spoke up.

Now here we are with a mature technology that’s getting even better and one just past it’s nascent stage that has quite a journey ahead of itself.

All the best,
Nonoise