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Fear of Streaming

So I was sitting around the other day and I had a yearning to hear Harry Chapin sing "Cats in the Cradle". Go to my vinyl collection and don't have it. Thought I did, but I was wrong. So I start thinking, maybe I can get a blue tooth device to hook to my integrated tube amp and then I can pair my phone with it and listen when I want. I find that it exists and purchase this Harmon Kardon BTA 10 device. It arrives, easy to use, and now I can listen to anything that comes through my phone onto my system. It is pretty cool to listen to the random song I haven't thought of in a while but sounds nothing like my vinyl. It does have some cool applications. For instance, I can't get any Buffalo Bills games down here in Savannah, GA. I downloaded an upstate NY radio station that airs the games and now I can listen to it live through my system which I find a very cool quality of life issue. However, it left me thinking that if I were to buy a dedicated streaming component then I would have all the world's music at my fingertips and it would sound so much better than going through that little HK BTA 10. However, here is my dilemma that I am really torn about. I love listening to my vinyl. I love the ritual of it. I love picking out the LP, queing it up, sitting down and reading the cover and sleeve. Getting up and flipping sides. Then repeat. I'm terrified that I will get lazy and stop doing this out of the convenience of tapping a button on a device. Sure, you can probably read all of the guts and inserts of an LP on an app but just isn't the same tactile pleasure nor rekindle those same feelings I remember when first discovering the wondorous beauty of sound. I realize this is my problem but was just wondering if any one else has ever felt the same struggle and how you rectified it. Did you make the leap and was happy you did so or did you look back in regret?
ricmci
rbstehno
1,444 posts
 
I’ve always had a turntable for 45 years. I sold my latest $14k turntable setup a couple months ago and now I’m in the process of selling hundreds of albums. With the current dacs and hires music both purchased and streamed, I thought it was time to sell my vinyl setup that didn’t get much use. 
Most of my music isn’t produced on vinyl and in my listening, I was liking dsd and MQA better than vinyl.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,222 posts
 
I added Spotify and radio paradise plugins to my Squeezeserver.  Now I can stream from my library and then link to Spotify and listen to most anything related to what I am listening to.  Also displays lyrics, related artwork, artist bios and info, links to related artists, you name it.  All at your fingertips and very good sound quality.  Also does Tidal.   I digitize my records to my library when I play one and that opens up a lot of things relating to that record that would be hard to find otherwise.  Streaming is the best thing to happen ever to music lovers.   You can always still play records if you want. 
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,153 posts
 
It. Takes a few bucks to make really good streaming  a great dac like the NewVacuum tube Lampizator Amber 3  with the great Callisto usb cable 
that is superb, then a quality streamer or a dedicated computer server 
I use a Jrivers 25-26 with their Remote app very respectable , and with tubes can fine tune its sonic taste , for under $4 k for  Lampizator dac Final touch  usb cable , excellent sounding setup beating setups much more  monies.
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
Thanks to a record collector/audiophile father, a life-long penchant for hanging out at record stores and several years of actually working at them, I have lots of music on vinyl that I truly doubt will ever find itself to the streaming universe. I gotta say, though, that the streaming universe is a great place to cruise. There’s always something out there that beckons me. And the quality...at least on Qobuz via my Mytek Brooklyn Bridge...is high enough to seriously challenge my vinyl set-up. In other words, go for it.
geof3
1,129 posts
 
I love my vinyl, but there is simply no comparison to variety when it comes to streaming music. Pretty much everything from Spotify, Pandora to international internet radio. Really cool exploration for sure. Spotify “daily mixes” are really cool and brainless. What’s nice is, you can take all of your music on the road with you. Being a music guy doesn’t end because I walk out of my house. I think with a quality streamer overall “quality” is arguable. Digital vs vinyl, it never ends... the “ritual” of vinyl is great, but really impractical when trying to get things done around the house... 
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