The problem with streaming

@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.

I was into high end vinyl for many years. What I found and what I still believe to be true is that to get the best of what analog can give you it takes an incredible ongoing commitment of serious $$$ to set up and a lot of effort trying to keep every album in top condition. Along with that is the physical space it requires for not only the turntable setup, but a record cleaning machine (if you're really dedicated), storage for albums, consideration for temperature and humidity and on and on to some place in infinity.

I have taken the streaming plunge and am having more fun with the hobby than at any time in recent memory. Not only that, but with the amazing results I'm getting without having to 'sell the farm', causes me to start to question just what it is that's keeping audiophiles going on the analog front. I honestly don't think it's a quality difference anymore. It may be some perception that's mutually reinforced by others blindly following the same path.

I mean just check out what the album selection is versus what's at your fingertips on TIDAL or any of the other Hi-Rez services. 

But if you must keep the album around for that one or two songs that you have to go to great lengths to hear and degrades each time you play it...then Carry On my Wayward Son, but there may not be too much peace when you are done.

I could be sarcastic and say the problem with streaming is streaming.

But I won't.

 

Dear reubent,  I love that Rickie Lee Jones album. One of my favorites and the album does sound better and is more enjoyable than streaming.