Downloads Versus Streaming

I agree with @ghdprentice on zero compression from Qobuz or Tidal. The differences one hears between recordings stored on hard drive and the one being streamed is possibly from having a different analog master. There are plenty of recordings that sounds stupendously sublime on Qobuz. Just like Vinyl, there is some care involved in setting up a digital streaming system. Once you do, you’re in for a treat! 

Is it worth it though to spend say, $3,600 on a streamer rather than buying CD’s and downloads? The thing about digital components is that we are in a digital renaissance and the streamer of today, will be half the cost ten years from now while newer technologies become the new standard. I bought my first DAC in 2011 when DAC’s were hardly heard of, now it seems like every company makes a DAC or streamer. And, Qobuz doesn’t offer DSD or boutique remasters like Analogue Productions, MOFI, etc... A lot of approaches going in different directions, if that makes sense.

@goofyfoot , I think you can get a very good streamer for less than $2K. Some vendors sell streamers that you can upgrade with cards you can swap out like PC board if you are worried about future proofing:

https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-658-bluos-streaming-dac/

@kota1 I was thinking about the NAIM.

OP,

You are correct. But technologies reach tipping points a point where the financial and sound quality proposition is overwhelming, in my opinion that has happened with streaming. Yes, I think the better investment is streaming.

So, you have to look at the gains versus loses… there are normally compromises.

So, you gain access to 1/2 million high resolution recordings in various formates and millions of CD resolution recordings recordings where the mastering varies widely. You loose a few hundred specialty records and a can stream at a number of standard formats with millions and millions of recordings but not use one particular format. If it becomes popular, the streaming companies will start streaming in it. So what? Your universe expands a 100,000 times and you loose a tiny percentage of the possibilities.

Finally, streaming is paradigm shifting. We are trained to make careful choices and finding the very best recordings because once we make a purchase it is permanent. Streaming is different, and it takes a while for you to realize you can behave differently and increase your range of music.. It allows the great freedom to try some thing and if you don’t like it just move on to create a library that has no additional cost. It just creates a completely different way of looking at music but it takes a little while of living in that world to adapt to the new freedom.

In general, I find most any high end audio component gets significantly improved in ten years. Either making a case to upgrade or not. If you wait technology to stop improving then you will never change. Nothing wrong with that.