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CD Quality Versus Streaming Quality

I realize this will be a contentious subject, and far be it from me to challenge any of the many expert opinions on this forum, but if I may offer my feedback vis-a-vis what I am hearing, and gain some knowledge in the process.

i will begin saying that my digital front end setup is not state of the art, but i have had the good fortune to listen to a number of really high-end systems. I guess the number one deficit in my digital front end is a streamer server, and no question about it that will improve the sound.

My CD player is a universal player; Pioneer BDP-09fd. It uses Wolfson DACs. It has been modified to a degree. I have bought and sold other players, but kept this one, because it has a beautiful sound that serves the music well.

Recently, i ventured over to my son’s place and we hooked up my player (he doesn’t have one and rely’s on streaming only) We compared tracks / albums of CD quality and master quality streamed on Tidal with ‘redbook’ CDs I have. For example, some Lee Ritenaur CDs and some Indian classical and the wonderful Mozart and Chopin.
His system is highly resolving.

we were both very surprised to find the CDs played on the player to be the better sound. And not just by a little. The sound was clearly superior, with higher resolution and definition, spatial ques, much better and clearer imaging. Very surprising indeed. Shouldn’t there be no difference? This would suggest the streaming service is throttling the bandwidth or compressing the signal?

i am most interested to hear others’ observations, and suggestions as to why this might be? I do love the convenience aspect of streaming, but it IS expensive for a chap like me of fairly modest means. The Tidal HiFi topline service is $30 per month I believe, something the good lady is not too thrilled about. God forbid I should suggest Roon on top of that I may likely get my walking papers. I jest, but only partially LoL. My point is, if I pay this sort of money, isn’t it fair to expect sound to equal the digital stream from the CD player and silver disc?
Thoughts?

AK





4afsanakhan
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


George's point, and others', there is now the business opp for someone to go root out the various DR ranges among versions, and offer that to us. I'd pay a serious premium for uncompressed, or less mixes that exist


Our hi-end needs more statements like this if it is to survive, otherwise we'll all end up downgrading to compressed streaming, listening on low/midfi systems, (because it suits this compressed stuff better), along with sadly the majority that don't give a **** about listening to compression. 

Make this site https://dr.loudness-war.info/ massively popular by visiting it at every opportunity posting results of what you find here, like I have been doing https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-s-in-your-cdp-tonight-the-minority-report  
And getting the best issue/version of what you want, and tell others about it.

Cheers George
sd40
40 posts
 
I already had mass quantities of each and wasn't going to obsess over replacing or analyzing each. good enough would have to be good enough. same with systems...

I either have to replace CDs as you suggest, search databases, or forgot i ever joined this thread, and chalk up to an anxiety dream.

I became motivated to tackle the project of overhauling my CD collection when I realized that I wasn't listening to a lot of it anymore.  As I dived into it, I realized that this was due to fatigue caused by overly-compressed releases. 

A good example: I bought all the 1994 Genesis remasters but never warmed to them because they had been dumbed-down with too much compression.  I eventually replaced them all with mid-1980s releases.  Genesis has shown bad judgment with their remasters--chasing modern consumer expectations, perhaps, but sucking the dynamic range out of their music.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


And there it is, I wish more would discover what you found about later releases being compressed and just sounding "loud" as there are no quite parts anymore.

Cheers George 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


This is very rare, all should be like this.
This is how all re-issues should look, all green no compression, no mater what what year they re-issue that same album, even the stream/downloads are untouched.
https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=Miles+Davis&album=Kind+of+Blue

Cheers George

  
4afsanakhan OP
136 posts
 
Quote RIAA_award..

“OP,

If you think an OPPO 205 has a good dac (I have one) your mind would be blown by a Really good dac (Esoteric/MSB/Luxman/DCS/Mola Mola). An Oppo should only be used as a Transport.”


Yes I do realize there are better. I would have to contest your statement that the 205 should just be used as a transport. Please do keep in mind that the DACs you list are very expensive, and out of the reach of perhaps 90 percent of folks out there. The DAC in my son’s Devialet Expert Pro 220 is right up there with the best. I’ve heard a number of very high priced DACs. I would say the MSB is the best I’ve heard. I still maintain that the Oppo UDP-205 has a good dac (two actually). Yes other DACs such as the Expert are more capable but the UDP-205 does not embarrass itself by any means and serves the music well. I would suggest you give it a listen if you have a chance. Running the CD player in the 205 via its balanced outputs straight into an amp, will surprise you just how good the DACs are. How? 1. The (mid-large) room is filled with sound - Less capable DACs I have heard struggle with this to some degree. 2. Resolution of detail through the frequency range is incredible especially high frequency detail retrieval 3. Sound is balanced and natural, although not quite on the same level as the Expert. 4. Sound has dynamic vitality and musical energy 5. Sound is very clean and pure - not that far behind the Expert. 5. Imaging is decent although the Expert is in a different class here.


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