Is using streaming services worthy of an audiophile?

Defiantboomerang > do people who use such services actually know what quality is streamed?
> Don’t you lose all control over your music when you surrender to streaming services?

As DS said, Yes, Yes, NO.

The only question I have is, ‘are Audiophiles music lovers or not?’ if yes, then they too are into music streaming as viable sources.

Here’s where I either turn in my audiophile credentials or I get to keep them and either way works for me.

I noticed lately, my collection of ripped tracks borders on about 24,000. Once I rip everything I own, well, then more. It did not take long for me to see pretty much any streaming service had a bigger library. MUCH BIGGER!

I could care less to spend any time at all trying to see what bits and words are sliding thru the software or DAC. Its just plain silly IMHO.

Ears are the testing devices. They tell me what is good or not so good. So far I’ve not found so so sounding cuts to sound better if they are artificially upsampled to greater numbers.

Neither am I so pedantic that ALL music MUST be HD quality for me to enjoy it. Streaming content is streaming content. The main thing about it is the exploration aspect. Having the ability to listen to something I don’t have, and I an enormity of less thean I have of more around here, subscribing gives me incredible opportunities to find new ‘pearls’ and then seek out their HD files or hard media copies, should I really enjoy them.

Listening to new tuens helps prevent blind purchases which simply do not pan out as worth the expense way better. Being exposed as well to artists I’ve never experienced is another positive for the various streaming services. Regardless the HD-nish of the cut.

As for losing control, I’m wondering if the OP means not being able to as easily point and click, or drop the needle on a cut quite so readily if the content is always on an exterior venue which is or are susceptible to abailability beyond our own control.

The sheer facts of Streaming outweigh its subjective shortcomings in mobility, alone. Given the vast number of selections, it seems streaming has it hands down as a very viable ‘input’ or source for music lovers.

The single issue I see is the learning curve with each streaming app. RWV.

although you can get into the old analog v. digital debate, it's very difficult to argue against the superior sound quality of hirez streaming. that said, i do feel that true audiophiles, which i define as reactionary old men like most of us, will always be biased towards physical media which, if nothing else, frees us from having a computer screen shoved in our faces all the time.

I am not going to reiterate everything that's already been said, other than I agree with all.  Tidal has transformed to the way I listen to music, all at a price of $20 per month, which is what, 1 or 2 CDs a month, for access to millions of titles.  

Audiophile quality - CHECK,
Music Lover quality - CHECK.

I have found TONS of new music and artists that I would not have access to without Tidal.  I just hope and pray they stay around a long time!!!

My setup: 2012 Macbook Pro (Tidal -> Roon -> HQPlayer's DSD256 up sampling) => Verastarr Nemesis USB cable => SLA battery powered ExaSound E32 DAC.  Stunning! 

I say this as a fan and exclusive user of Tidal/Roon.

One difference is immersion or lack thereof, and the rewards derived from a commitment to listen to an album in it's entirety.

Having physical media generally encourages one to take in the whole (even with a remote and a disk player).

Our new ways make it too easy to skim and skip and be frenetic vs exercising control and discipline of our attention and it's span.

This I lament, as I'm guilty of the former.

As a convert to Tidal I have to say that I do not even use a computer for it or even indeed a Tidal app.
I do it all from my LG smartphone through the Bluos app for my Bluesound Vault 2. I am logged into Tidal through that app and basically can listen to everything I own or desire to from Tidal,s vast ever increasing libary without having to do any more than push a few buttons on my phone, talk about convenience.
The masters can also be directly accessed from the phone now and is just so easy its silly.
As others have mentioned the available music on Tidal lets me listen to stuff I probably never would if I had to stump up 10 to 20 dollars on a cd on a "chance" I might like it.
So $20 a month on Tidal is peanuts in reality.
And there is no question in my mind on the SQ on the hirez recordings at all.