Sound Quality of red book CDs vs.streaming

Using a DAC to measure jitter using J-test is insufficient and the wrong way to characterize digital sources. It’s okay for characterizing the jitter added by a DAC, but not for digital sources. Digital sources are accurately characterized only by DIRECT measurement, not with a AP system. It must include both the period distribution and the spectrum plots.

The better than -275dBFS is a direct measurement. However, the jitter out of a Topping D50 with the CCA as it’s source was what I was talking about as being better than -130dBFS. So while that latter test doesn’t detail the jitter exclusively from the CCA, it gives the total jitter of the system, which is better than human hearing in a residential room.

The music that I like that is missing from streaming is historic recordings (78s) and ethnic music.  If they are under copyright protection, one cannot hear back earlier that 1928 recordings without copyright infringement.  As to 78s in general, when Marston and Romophone recordings appear on streaming, that would be nice (highly unlikely).  The problem with streaming these labels would include the loss of the comprehensive booklets that give recording and historical details concerning the CDs.  Streaming is best for new music.

@audioengr  
 
I’d genuinely like to know why. ASR measured the jitter reduction inherent with his AP by doing a J-test with a Toslink loop, then measured the Toslink output of the CCA (using the same cable I would assume), so if the jitter reduction was any worse, it would should up, and the differences were near non-existent.

Analog is largely a medium problem--how good is the vinyl cutters, the vinyl stampers, the needles, tonearms, turntables and preamplification?

Digital is a data and compute problem, although the CD is a pretty flimsy piece of crap to put the data on.  If you eliminate the CD, then "data is data" and it's not that hard to get it to the DAC for computation.  Streaming eliminates the piece-of-crap CD from the equation.  So does playing the data out computer memory.  CD will be buried next to floppy disks, cassettes, and 8-track as necessary evils eclipsed by technological progress.