I'll stick my neck (or ears) out and put Streaming as best, followed by SACD, CD,and then by stuff on my computer and various storage devices...most of which unfortunately are mp3. It's not that the mp3's sound out-and-out bad, however. They're just not as good.
Vote Your Ranking -If you have an opinion on this digital subject
There have been many statements made about this question here and on other forums stating differing opinions as which SQ is better :
1.-Red book CD
2.-Streamed High resolution files- i.e. Tidal/Qobuz
3.-Downloaded files purchased in Super Hi Res-Acoustic Sounds
4.-Red Book CDs ripped and stored for playback as files
Everyone may have an opinion on their preference
but is there any actual evidence of this? I suppose the only
way to produce evidence would be via blind testing and
survey results.
So please list in your preferred order the numbers
1,2,3,4 with the 1st being the best/ 4 the worst SQ
Audiophiles may have an idea of their preference
but is there any actual evidence? I suppose the only
way to produce evidence would be via blind testing and
survey results.
Does anyone have some hard facts as it relates to this query?
Thank You.
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- 45 posts total
Too many variables to make this an apples-to-apples comparison. Any weak link in any of those chains could negate their inherent advantages. As with anything in high-end audio, EVERYTHING matters, so if something is off it takes your sound — whatever the source — to a lower and possibly substandard level. So, as much as I’d like an answer to this as much as anyone else, it’s impossible due to the myriad od variables that could significantly impact the results. Just my $0.02 FWIW. |
The point here is that we are talking about computer files. Are those files located on a silver disk, a bunch of disk drives, a USB thumb drive, or streamer from a central server through a service like Qobuz it is all the same… but every part has to be done well. A good streamer (there is on in each of these scenarios… as well as a DAC) will buffer the incoming file, provide absolutely quiet power to the circuitry that streams it to the DAC. So, given the current state of technology it only makes sense to put your efforts into choosing a streaming solution… unless you get a real kick out of fiddling with a disk. My streamer sounds as good as my vinyl… my vinyl rig is very good (see my user ID for my systems). There are many price points that streaming can equal other methods. |
@ghdprentice, I definitely have to agree with your assessment sir. Having bought and used every high end music reproduction format in the last fifty years plus, streaming is absolutely the way to go now in 2022. |
- 45 posts total