The difference between Qoboz stream vs purchased songs

All I can tell you is that it is truly rare that I'm not satisfied with a Qobuz stream (and yeah, I just checked the spelling and it is indeed Qobuz). In any case, I do wish I truly knew how much or how little an artist gets when it comes to streaming as compared to downloading or buying the artist's actual CD/slab of vinyl.  Do what your conscience tells you to do.

Bottom line, though, I love streaming with a passion. For a reasonable fee, the world of music is at my fingertips, in the main delivered with quality to die over.

I think I know what you're getting at. I'm a Qobuz subscriber at the highest level  (I think they call it "Sublime") which allows me to purchase hi-res recordings at a really low price. I have bought 15 or 20 just because there are some recordings that I consider to be staples and I like the idea of owning them. Plus, the cost is pretty minimal, certainly cheaper than a cd. I also was curious if there would be a SQ difference. In my experience, if a difference exists it's pretty subtle. I would not make plans to purchase a whole lot of music just for SQ reasons. However, there are some hi-res recordings that Qobuz makes available ONLY for purchase, not for streaming. I have noticed that sometimes when a track or an album says "not available" in my streaming setup that it is available to purchase. And sometimes there may only be a standard-res recording available to stream, but the same title my be available to purchase in high-res. This isn't a common scenario but it does exist. Qobuz streaming is honestly a pretty terrific way to enjoy music.

I think the short answer is that you are unlikely to discern a material difference in SQ between streams and purchased music on Qobuz and it's not the place to spend your money

streaming is a great way to enjoy music in a cost effective manner. I think SQ is better on my vinyl setup but not so much better to make up for the millions of songs streaming makes available at the touch of a button may a very low cost 

If you are on a fixed income and do not already have a collection of physical media, I would definitely stream only.  I personally prefer the sound quality of CDs or downloads, but it isn’t a night and day thing, as streaming gets very close

@blisshifi 

show ANY proof for the below….

With local file playback, you typically bypass any network processing, and even a lower resolution file can sound better due to less digital errors and lower noise.