Downloads Versus Streaming

@goofyfoot 

How is your NAS (local library) connected to your system? 

@goofyfoot, ADD POWR is run by Bill Steinout. He sold his previous company, QRT to Nordost who is now selling the QRT line he developed. I am using his QRT Octave power conditioner which has now been renamed and being sold by Nordost. That is why I recommend his current company instead of the Nordost version, he took the tech and has evolved it.

Streaming of red book CDs in my system sound exactly the same as CDs and streaming typically better because streaming has high Rez versions.. Actually streaming in my system sounds as good as my very high level vinyl playback analog leg.

It is like every other thing in high end audio… it depends on your components and interconnects. The streamer is every bit as important as the DAC… and the interconnect.

This has definitely not always been true and for a while only at a cost premium. But now it is relatively easy to achieve.

I highly recommend an Aurender streamer… I own two. Buy the best you can afford. In general, I recommend one at the price level or a bit higher than your average component cost. So, like amp, preamp, and DAC.

Alternatively, you can try to fiddle with your network to help make up for your streamer. I was in IT all of my life… I’m sick of it. You can use special routers, EtherRegerators. But a good streamer will negate the necessity.

My systems runs on a wall wart wifi extenders. I have a EtherRegen. I swapped it in and out over the last couple days. No difference. Many people experience differences. It has been my theory for a while that you have the choice of a good streamer or a less expensive one and fiddle with the network. I have tried and researched many streamers, my choice is Aurender (most common used at high end audio shows) and Linn (yeah, I know… who would have thought).

There is a huge payoff in getting streaming up to or exceeding stored files or CD… or vinyl for that matter. Your library goes from small to nearly infinite… instantly. Qobuz has over 1/2 million high resolution albums… plus likely virtually all the albums you own. Also, new music acquisition cost drops and your library only costs  $14.99 / month. So, if you acquire much music… you start saving money because of that streamer you bought.

So many variables with streaming, I agree streams can sound as good as downloads. My streams have taken recent uptick in that I can now use a variety of combinations of music players.  Both off the shelf and proprietary music players capable of very nice sound quality. If present stream quality not up to downloads experiment with various music players.

@lalitk my SSD is in a box and connected to the PI via USB cable. I was thinking about a better USB from the SSD to the Pi but in a way, that makes no sense.