The problem with streaming

61 yrs old. Audiophile for 40yrs. Went from turntables - last was HK/RABCO ST-8 with mid range Grado cartridges. Then switched to Philips CD player then a series of NAD players and never used the LPs and Ebayed them - then the turntable was Ebayed (before I knew about Audiogon). Loved CDs until I witched to Bluesound Node 2i and love it. I do miss "owning" music (still have 600-odd CDs) but the Node sounds at least as good as my Yamaha Aventage CD player (which I hardly ever use - thank goodness it plays DVD's/BluRays) and the convenience more than compensates. Long live streaming. 

@clearthinker I have 28,500 LPs (7,000 78s/7,000 CDs and RR&Cassettes). I agree with every comment you made. Friends and relatives cannot tell whether I am playing an LP or a CD 75% of the time. I have many 1,000s of less perfect LPs in mastering, quality and condition. Most would not make Tom Port’s list (he said so).

I like digital as well for convenience, playing time and just as my other formats, for which an abundance of music us NOT AVAILABLE and NEVER WILL BE AVAILABLE for streaming. About 40% of my collection falls into these parameters. Now include the lack of detailed booklets and easily accessible librettos on most streamed music. Next, one day the streamed music is there, the next it maybe removed or altered (different mastering).

I stream music which I don’t have and want to hear on occasion, generally jazz, often from lower quality YouTubes. My 3,500 ethnic music recordings are 95% unavailable on streaming. About 85% of 78 rpm recordings are unavailable on streaming. I would like to stream my 78s if they were properly remastered (especially if they have adequate notes).

@mijostyn Absolutely! Recording & Mastering of a recording is the first step in achieving an accurate copy of a performance. I hate saying that I’m an audiophile because I am most interested in the music first and foremost. @sgreg1 I even listen to cassettes and R2R on occasion to rehear a great performance.

Unless one is listening to music being reproduced at a similar level as the original recorded sound, there is a loss of musical information. I say this because listening to modern pop on inexpensive earbuds or cheap computer speakers does not compute as great musical experiences for me. Unfortunately, most youth (up to Millennials) do not know music’s history, it’s variety of conception (types of music) or much concerning what music can do. Streaming is not teaching music if the listener only chooses similar style of music (and if it is usually modern pop). I know some of the posters here experiment if various musical genres-good for them, that’s the positive aspect of streaming. But note my prior problems with modern streaming.

The problem with streaming:

I had a hankering the other day to listen to some Beethoven, so I search Qobuz
and find a likely candidate (a German recording).  So I start it playing and I'm hearing this very low level rhythmic noise.  At first I thought it was something outside and far away.  I pause the music and it stops.  WTH is this I say out loud,
But let it play as it was very very low level.  

Well it comes to the final notes and what do I hear...the stylus in the run-out groove.  Really couldn't believe it.  Just goes to show ya never know.

Regards,

barts 

@barts 

Well that is hysterical. I think I have eventually gotten something like that on all formates I gave collected. 

I have both cd's and streams recorded from lp's, all are  from obscure artists from 60's and 70's.

I get it that one would want to keep vinyl setup to play releases not available in any other format or rare pressing. I have both in my now over 3k collection of vinyl.

On the other hand, vast majority of streams not available on newly released vinyl or any vinyl for that matter.

If one judges streaming solely on these commercial, popular artists recordings your  missing what streaming is all about. I'm into new discoveries, all genres, the obscure, I'm constantly finding incredible recordings and artists previously unknown to me. I'd never find, or be able to purchase much of this music without the streaming.

And the streaming not merely for the discovery aspect, fully satisfying for this extremely hard to please audiophile. Just last night streamed  Ultra Lounge 'Space Capades' (from the larger set of Ultra Lounge releases), this would be considered bachelor pad music from early 60's, perhaps exotica as well. All releases in this set are well recorded as this music partially existed as demonstration music for bachelors with high end stereo systems in their bachelor pads. So, segueing this 20th century space trip into a rather new contemporary discovery, Brazilian  Girls, 'New York City,' 21st century space trip.

Both these recordings top flight, wide open, transparent, highly resolving, far better than most vinyl recordings. I could add more recordings from last night's listening session, and every listening session, with same high level of sq. Any talk about streaming being inherently inferior sq comes from ignorance. Playback is the greatest variable in streaming, setting up high end streaming is both complex and subject to constant innovations. I've been experimenting with different setups for past six or seven years, constant and consistent  evolution over those years to get to present totally satisfying setup.