2. digital
  3. 182109-179465

Using streaming as a main source ---DSD, FLAC, MQA Streamers and DACS

As I read these forums, and watch copious amounts of Youtube, I'm struck by what a bad idea some of the streaming / digital formats are doing. I'm trying to build a system where I have a streamer, dad, and amplifier (with pre-amp) as separate components but what I keep finding is that the streaming/digital world is totally confused.

--MQA--

MQA seems to be both advancing with new MQair support and dying (few audiophiles seem to like it).

-- DSD -- 

Seems to be favored by High-end audiophiles but not streaming services. 

-- FLAC --

FLAC seems to be pushed by Qobuz which seems to be the preferred service for high quality audio (but not for music recommendations). 

 

Choosing a Streamer / DAC is a nightmare -- given the industry going back and forth on quality, formats, special licensing. Does one choose the formats they want to use and then find appropriate DAC etc or does one choose a DAC that sounds great and then accept its limitations.

I don't understand why streamers don't commit to upscaling to 24/192 or DSD256 for any format so the DAC peeps can focus on a single format. 

So how does one decide where to start? 

 

 

 

 

kiwiscott
motown-l
181 posts
 

I was a fairly early adopter of streaming. My mistake was buying a low-ish end Denon streamer around 2012. Denon no longer provides support for various streaming platforms on that old unit, so it became an iPhone playback unit via a Firewire cable (no Bluetooth). The unit is now collecting dust in a closet.

I recently purchased a Cambridge Audio CX 81 which has an okay onboard DAC with an USB B input. I'm just streaming from a PC using an upgraded USB cable. I have an Amazon HD account which includes a very small library of 24/96 and an even smaller library of 24/192 files. The general playback is 24/48 which does sound at least comparable to CD's (on my system).

As I am just a Stereo Enthusiast (Audiophiles have much larger budgets than I do). I find the PC makes a decent streaming source. And after my experience with a Gen 1 streamer, I am reluctant to buy a dedicated streamer. Besides, with my entry-level system and 67 year old ears, I don't think spending many thousands on an Aurender would benefit my system, that much. Maybe a used Bluesound.

mlsstl
1,435 posts
 

@motown-l -- a couple of thoughts...

-  Getting about a decade's worth of use out of a digital technology product is actually very good. Nothing to complain about there!

- There are a number of people that make a good argument that having 24 bit music files (compared to CD's 16 bit depth) is more important to good sound than whether they have 96K or 192K sampling rates. Personally, I find the care and attention to the recording by the engineers and producers way more important than the specific file format used.

- And though heresy to some, I find my Raspberry Pi makes for an excellent streamer for both my local collection and Qobuz subscription. It feeds a Schiit multibit DAC. I'm in the camp that finding a DAC you like is way more important than which computer picks up the signal and sends it to your DAC (and ALL streamers are computers, whether dedicated to just one function or not.)

motown-l
181 posts
 
mlsstl - Thanks for the informative reply. I agree that a well engineered recording, whether analog or digital, does make the biggest difference. I also appreciate the discussion of bit rate vs sample rate. 

 

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