The problem with streaming

We have reached a really exciting time in audio history. At long last digital can equal analog. So, for the next ten years or so, if you want the very pinnacle of sound quality you can go analog… but the shift is slowly tipping to digital.
 

The digital and analog ends of my system are equal at this point (see my system under my ID). I am upgrading my turntable with a new arm and undercarriage , just for fun . But the two are completely in the same league… I suspect the upgrade will be a small improvement, fun. But in 10 years the least expensive way to sound quality will go to digital.

I have really enjoyed analog. It has been the empirical ruler against which to judge sound quality since I was 7. But it is about to fall into history… as am I. Technology moves on, we enjoy the best there is during our lifetimes. Once it was 78rpm records.

I’m a record guy for sure and will probably never stop buying physical media. i like to own things, it brings me pleasure and most of the time it sounds better. But from a convenience perspective I cannot imagine (willingly) giving up streaming at this point. I play qobuz in the mornings when I’m working and can’t easily pick out (and get up to flip) records, I stream it in the car, I trawl bandcamp for new stuff when I’m bored, I send songs to friends via text and they send songs back to me...streaming is a joy. I recommend anyone who’s still skeptical to consider the discovery aspect first and foremost - if you’re happy living with the same Beatles records you’ve been spinning for 50 years, more power to you, but if you’re tired of what’s on your shelves you can be listening to something brand new 2 minutes from now. It is so, so easy these days

The title of this thread is the problem, I'd never begin a thread with the "problem with vinyl." There is no problem with vinyl and there is no problem with streaming, I enjoy both for all the reasons given above. Why do we always have to battle between the two, what is the real problem people have with streaming? Always seems like a Luddite argument to me, some people don't like change.

I’ve found that with a dedicated music streaming system like mine, the sound quality exceeds that of any analog setup that I’ve used over the last 50yrs. As a result of slowly coming into the 21st century, I now have thousands of LP’s and CD’s languishing in storage bins in my basement. 

Vuch,

I enjoy streamed music immensely, but it took awhile and some experimenting to get there.

First, and most important; I have found that the best streaming service for quality is Qobuz. I’ve had Tidal and the latest Apple Music service. If you are looking for a sound to equal or in some cases better CD players, then I would suggest you try Qobuz for a month or two.

Second, I have experimented with different streaming connectivity options. I do not have a standalone streaming box, but we will use my son’s system as an example.

His Devialet Expert Pro 220 is a DAC, a preamp + phonostage, and an amp. It has streaming capability with all the major services. The source is either 1) an Apple Macbook Air, 2) Apple iPad Pro 12.9 or 3) Apple iphone. Connectivity from any of these can be either via wireless airplay, airplay-ethernet, usb from ios device, or usb from os device. Using Qobuz as a high resolution streamer up to 24 / 192 requires that an app to be loaded via the app store (Apple) on the source device. Its a decent full-featured app, although a bit kludgy in some ways. Newer laptops do not have an ethernet port, instead relying on wifi. This limitation is easily addressed with a usb / ethernet adapter dongle.

What I have found to sound best, by a very significant margin, is USB. Airplay is wonderful for it’s convenience and sounds decent, but will not sound as fully resolved as USB. I’ve also found, much to my surprise, that the qualities of theUSB cable influence the outcome. In particular, cable length. I’ve found 1mtr to sound best. The Kimber Kable silver USB we have is not a very expensive cable, but it bests the Beldin USB cables (2mtr and 15ft) we have.

The sound we get from the above should meet your standards, and I feel, will surprise you just how good it can sound. Expensive dedicated streamers I’m sure are the ultimate,  but great results can be had as I have described.

Try Qobuz.