why expensive streamers


@soix and others

I am unclear about the effect on sound of streamers (prior to getting to the dac). Audio (even hi-res) has so little information content relative to the mega and giga bit communication and processing speeds (bandwidth, BW) and cheap buffering supported by modern electronics that it seems that any relatively cheap piece of electronics would never lose an audio bit. 

Here is why. Because of the huge amount of BW relative to the BW needs of audio, you can send the same audio chunk 100 times and use a bit checking algorithm (they call this "check sum") to make sure just one of these sets is correct. With this approach you would be assured that the correct bits would be transfered. This high accuracy rate would mean perfect audio bit transfer. 

What am I missing? Why are people spending 1000's on streamers?

thx

 

128x128delmatae

@mdalton I wasn't talking about losing or dropping packets and the tech used to ensure it all gets there. I was talking about noise creeping into the many places it can from sender to receiver and that it can corrupt what can be heard. The analogy of the CDP should have made that clear, having such short distances being all handled internally. Apologies if I wasn't clear on that.

On another note, please check for those errant flies before volunteering.

All the best,
Nonoise

 

@nonoise 

sorry, noise in the digital domain is not mystical, it’s easily measured. now in the analog realm, I sing a very different song.  Measurements are very limiting there.  

@nonoise 

noise creeping into the many places it can from sender to receiver 

what/who do you mean by sender and receiver?

@grislybutter What I meant was from the source (Spotify, Quoboz, Tidal, Apple, etc.) to the endpoint: you and your system. Those here who have/use local files on their own storage they stream from have commented on how much better it sounds compared to some online sources, going even further to say it sounds even better on their CDPs but it's getting really close to practically indistinguishable nowadays. 

All the best,
Nonoise

Those here who have/use local files on their own storage they stream from have commented on how much better it sounds compared to some online sources

that's because of the business rules. Playing via streaming (putting packages together as they come in vs having it all at the door) is different because of their algorithms for how to cut corners - to deal with missing/delayed packets. It's not because noise creeps in along the way. That's my understanding