The problem with streaming

I know what you're saying.  It's so much easier to paw through used records at the record store and try to read the matrix and look it up on Discogs on your phone and then read all the comments and ratings about that release to make sure you know what pressing you have and how good it is before you listen to it.

I know I have a a decent stream set up in my Bel Canto DAV 2,7 and BC e Stream as well as Simaudio and DCS gear in my house but I prefer vinyl for serious meditative listening.

Just my preference and It sounds way better through my system as do CD’s

Digging through used records and searching dis cogs is part of the fun, the hunt, looking for that rare find and the personal satisfaction of owning that piece of music. Something you will never get with streaming.

Your choice do not tell me that there is something wrong with my system. Works great! Listening to WFMT, Chicago on Roon right now, quite lovely and Radio Paradise is nice too.

Bottom line is enjoy the music.

@big_greg, I didn't say that it is easy. Obviously, you know quite the contrary! But as @jerryg123 said, good vinyl, given everything else set up well, "sounds way better through my system as do CDs." 

I did a shoot-out last night between a German pressing of CSNY Deja vu and a 1970 US Presswell pressing. A buddy dropped off the German pressing, they have a reputation of being very good. The German pressing sounded compressed compared to my US copy. Then I looked at the dead wax. There was almost twice as much dead wax in the German press than the US pressing. Had I not played them I wouldn't have needed to consult the matrix numbers to predict which one would sound better.

@dadork said he's getting great hi res. I don't doubt that. However, you're still at the mercy of whatever source they used to record it to digital. You just can't be sure and that's the point I was making. 

Music sounds great when you're listening to it but, when you have something to compare it to you can really determine which sounds better or worse.

Perhaps someday I'll decide to pursue a dedicated streaming setup? Currently, If it isn't vinyl, I'm warming up the vintage tube tuner and letting the NPR classical station play.

The fantastic fidelity you are experiencing with streaming is mine as well. At times the streaming version exceeds the sound quality I get from my excellent analog rig. But you are correct about the version being offered. Since streaming is in its infancy I am sure over time catalogs within services will become more robust with various versions and extended information available. Right now services are trying to build the biggest… some the most high Rez (Qobuz) best sounding libraries. It will come.

,On the other hand once I got used to streaming my world of music expanded so far beyond my 2,000 vinyl and 2,000 CDs that honestly if one album doesn’t have the very best ever mastering… I’ll just go on to ten other albums. Once in a while I’ll find some album and buy a heavy vinyl recording of it… although the last time I did this the streamed version sounded better… actually the last two.