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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
 

Dac Chips are a thing of the past. Not gonna find any High End Dac’s or CD players that use them anymore.


Too true, today’s best to me are better discrete R2R Multibit dacs that really show up if an album has been compressed or not, my MSB startles me when the big notes hit, yet it caresses me in the quieter passages.

Cheers George
4afsanakhan OP
134 posts
 
My son has the Denafrips Pontus, R2R Ladder DAC.
4afsanakhan OP
134 posts
 
George the MSB DACs do sound great.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


George the MSB DACs do sound great.


 Yes the R2R Multibit dacs do give you the full dynamic impact, but not just the MSB’s I’ve heard those same dynamics from the Holo and Denafrips dacs as well, which are also R2R multibit dacs.

Cheers George
limomangus's avatar
limomangus
1,485 posts
 
That's the one thing I like about cds.the amount of music that can be on it.I gave been going back to lps.The cost are crazy....I used to buy lps that , when on sale were under 3 dollars.The time yes In deed ,maybe 15 mins a side....You get up and change the album....I would clean the new lp to be played some times that's a lot of time  changing records.
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