Is there a difference in sound quality when streaming TIDAL Vs CD player

I didn't realize a DAC can make such a SIGNIFICANT improvement in sound quality.  Can you really hear this difference with a blind test?

I have a difficult time believing you can hear a significant difference in speaker cable and interconnects.  

I think if I had a choice between spending $5,000 on expensive wire, I would benefit a great deal more if I purchased a new pair of speakers that cost $5,000 more than the ones I purchased.

Larry
You should hear a difference between DACs in a blind test. Interconnect cables usually can make a describable difference, however, I don't think spending $5K on speaker wire will be worth it. I use $100 worth of 10 gage stranded and twisted pair by a company called KnuKoncepts (available on amazon)  on my Maggies with great success. I've compared it to cables costing 10 times as much with no apparent difference. The 10 g prevents any voltage drop from the amp to the speakers so there is no loss of power. 10g is about as big as one can have and still make a direct connection to an amp or speaker. I've seen some very high end wire by various companies that look like fire hoses, but I think that's mostly a feel good experience as the connectors become the limitation. The stranded and twisted aspect is most important. Electrons don't travel down the center of a wire, however they travel down the surface. The stranded wire increases the surface area for the electrons to travel making a stranded wire a clearer "highway" for the electrons to travel. This assures that the impedance of the wire does not vary much thru the frequency spectrum. Twisting the wire cancels noise effects caused by nearby radio frequency devices. 

Well, I’ve taken the road in between. I purchase ICs, A/C and speaker cables that sell for $300 to $900 from the manufacturer GroverHuffman.com (as a beta tester, I auditioned 100s of cables from his and other companies).

I would rather $5,000 on speakers too. However. for about $500, one can purchase excellent high end speaker cables and pay $4,500 for the speakers. Also, one can purchase really high end speakers used for $5,000. For only $2,500 or less, a pair of Legacy Focus or even less for Legacy Signature IIIs, easily driven by low watt, high current receivers and get high quality sound.

I hate the term blind listening test for audio.  Some other nomenclature should be available for an audio test of equipment, cables and tweaks.

Larry, welcome to modern hifi.  You have touched in some manner here on several hot topics.

1. I hear a difference between Tidal and CDs, and the same digital files saved to my computer server on both my systems. Generally, Server > CDs > Tidal.  This is with the upgraded subscription. I don’t notice that much difference with Tidal served on my computer via ethernet (I.E. “hard wired”) or wifi, or via my iphone, with all feeding DAC via USB cable.

2. Your Arcam does likely have a better DAC with better jitter control than the internal DAC of the Oppo 203, which is optimized for video.  So it is not surprising you find better sound playing CDs through the Arcam’s DAC via HDMI versus RCA cables from your Oppo, regardless the quality of the RCA cable.  The RCA cable can’t fix mistakes upstream.  You might try running a (single) coaxial digital RCA cable from your Oppo’s coaxial out to the Arcam’s coaxial in to see if that sounds better than the HDMI cable.  Simpler cable with only function to deliver digital sound.

That said (number one), I have an older Arcam receiver than yours, and I find that I like the internal DACs better for Bluerays and DVDs than for CDs spun from my consumer grade Samsung Bluray player - all via a decent HDMI cable.  CDs played through my external Arcam irDAC via optical cable from my modest Blueray player, and decent quality RCA cables out of the DAC to my Arcam receiver, sound better than straight from the Blueray player to the receiver via HDMI cable.  The difference is not subtle.  

All this makes me think the internal DACs in the Arcam are optimized for multichannel and higher resolution recordings on DVDs and especially Blurays.  Get one of the Guitar Festival Bluerays and you will see what I mean.  It also makes me think you might get better two channel sound by adding an external DAC between your Oppo AND your Apple TV (Via different digital cables running to the same DAC) and your Arcam receiver.  The Arcam is a fantastic amp and home theater reciever, but for two channel you can do better with an external DAC.  Instead of spending $5000 on a set of cables, spend under $2,000 on a Benchmark or Chord or some other well-regarded DAC, and your system (including whatever speakers you currently have) will sing like you’ve never heard it.

3. That said (number two), I hear a noticeable difference between different digital, RCA, speaker or AC cables.  Even inexpensive systems benefit from upgraded cables.  Be smart, set a reasonable budget, and try some different wires.  The Cable Company will lend them to you for a fee if you want to rent and try before you buy.

good luck,

kn

@fleschler,

Thank you for your recommendation on GroverHuffman cables. They are reasonably priced and appears to be a well thought out design. With 60 days return policy I will try them in very near future.