!!!!!!!!READ BEFORE COMMENTING!!!!!!!!!!! This video is NOT a technical dissertation. This video is NOT claiming that one format is superior to the other. This video is ONLY HERE to do ONE THING: Explain to my long-time viewers why I do not stream (wirelessly) to my audio systems. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Ok but still you could tell the truth that CD sounds just better than streaming :) For me quality goes like this: CD PLAYER > FILES > AMAZON MUSIC/QOBUZ > APPLE MUSIC and other > SPOTIFY > MANY OTHERS > TIDAL. Yes... I thing Tidal sounds the worst = edgy, bright, lack of many details. I prefer even low bit Spotify than Tidal. I loose some detail but atleast tonal balance is OK! Thanks!
I don’t stream for 3 reasons. First, where I am (India) we don’t have access to Tidal or Qobuz. Second, we don’t even have access to reliable internet connections. Third, over the past 45 odd years that I have bought music I pretty much own all the music I care to listen to. That said, Steve, did you work at Innovative Audio (off Montague street in Brooklyn heights) in the 80s (82-85)? I seem to remember your face (it was younger then) or maybe did you work at Sound by Singer? Or maybe J&R (across from City Hall)?
I subscribe to both of you, (Audiophiliac and Zero Fidelity), and appreciate how clearly you both lay out your starting points for reviews. Doesn’t matter to me whether you listen the same way , (I prefer physical media but do some streaming) but it’s always useful information, it’s always useful Information. Now if I could just figure out how to get the right match of an integrated amplifier (or separates) to my 50 year old KLH model 30 speakers. All suggestions on what to try first are welcome.
@@douglasobey4307 we are showing our age 😇 my first speakers were AR2ax (1972) followed by KLH 3 ( that came with a external bass EQ box). After that most of my speakers were built at home so they don’t have model numbers but people may remember Volt 10” woofers, Jordan 50mm Watt fullrange drivers, and companies like Just Speakers (1983) and A&S speakers (one of them was in La Crosse WI) that supplied drivers and crossover parts from Audax, Focal, Vifa, etc. This was before Solen (Canada) and Madisound (1987-88) etc.
I'm with you. I own hundreds of CDs and Vinyl records, but I do stream from Tidal too. For me the streaming is the best and the easiest way to try out new music before buying the CD/Vinyl (or both).
Well I hope you enjoy those sub-MP3 quality intentionally-distorted MQA tracks labelled as "lossless" that you're paying all that money for every month.
@@ChrisStoneinator Read my comment again and again until you properly understand what I have said there. Also not all streamed music is sub-mp3 quality. Not all streamed music is stuck to a one single format. Lastly, to try out new music you do not need the best audio format in the world 😊 I see you got triggered because I said "Tidal" (that's the only place which uses MQA as far as I know), I believe there are other forums where you can go and fight with strangers over the audio encoding formats. This is not the place or I'm not the right person for it. Enjoy your day!!
@@astertm99 I’m telling you, you’re paying extra for a snake oil format which introduces more distortion than MP3 when you could just use Spotify. Tidal lossless files are for the most part just MQA files without the unfolding in a 16/44.1 container, which is even worse than unfolded MQA.
@@ChrisStoneinator Most music I like isn't even on MQA and I dont give a rats ass about what format the music is encoded in as long as they are mastered properly. If I don't use Tidal, the next option is Spotify, which does not sound as good as Tidal. As I said in my original comment I like physical media the best. I want to own my music and not renting them at the mercy of a streaming platform. Streaming is mostly done in my car and specially when I need to try out new music before I buy the CD/Vinyl/FLAC/DSD. I know some people have strong opinions about MQA - I don't really care. Did I hear a night and difference between FLAC and MQA in my system? not at all! If I need a higher fromat than redbook CD quality, then I would go for DSD. But again lots of music I listen is not in DSD.
Yes , just when we were all having a crisis of confidence in our selves and the dear leader , he came through for us all in the end and showed us ……….the way . I
You don't have to spend anything close to that on a CD player. The measurable differences between a good $500 player and a $5000 player are incredibly small and you'd have to have a insanely resolving system to hear that tiny difference. And don't discount used gear to save money. I use a Denon DVD-2900 that I got off of eBay for $150. This was a thousand dollar player when new. It not only plays DVD's but also CD, SACD and even plays compressed audio files right off the disc. So I can write a couple of hundred 320kbp/s .mp3 files to a CDR and it'll play them like any other disc.
@@cswann8 my rcd 975 sounds way worse than using the digital out on my cambridge streamer to my outlaw 990 from 2002. Midfi stuff for sure but that $250 i paid for the player used could of gone towards something better for my money in the system
I prefer physical media. If I spend money I want something tangible (yes I am old). However, I will stream from a hard drive to my system especially after a couple of whiskeys. No point in damaging good media because of good whiskey.
I don't like listening being dependent on a service. You really never know when some awesome thing you've fallen for will suddenly no longer be hosted. History has shown, awesome shit sometimes just goes away for awhile and you can't find it anywhere. I remember the agony of tracking down out-of-print records. You'd do this, because unless you had the physical thing, there was no other way you were going to hear it! (Try being a high school kid asking for Blue Cheer's second album at Sam Goody in Rockford Illinois in 1986, sad times, I will tel you). I'm in my late 40s so all formats are welcome and all have crossed my path (even 1/4 reels for awhile) but records have always been my first choice. Cassettes and CDs always felt like copies of records. That format preference is just generational bias, I know. But seriously: availability and permanence ought to be a concern for everyone.
@@StephaneVorstellung Right now I'm out of data bundles, and I can't listen to my favourite jazz tracks on Tidal. Consolation comes from CD collection. Just imagine if I were a 90's kid who depends on streaming?
It's OK. We are used to hearing from: The vinyl-only listeners, the class A only listeners, the vacuum tube only listeners, the ultra HD streaming listeners, the RU-vid audio 'is good enough' listeners, the bass-head listeners, the movie soundtracks are my reality listeners, the class A/B is always better than class D listeners, the sound-is-pretty-good in my Chevy with a subwoofer listeners, the "I've never heard live music without microphones, ever" users, the strings are better than horns listeners, and the objective, attempted-scientific listeners, and a hundred more. You can be whatever you want. It's good that you are self-calibrating. It would be good if we were all self-calibrating. Even if we paint our box smaller. Nobody can be all of the above. Nobody. [Although Floyd Toole comes close.] Calibration helps make sense of it.
@Sonach that's the same group that says RU-vid audio is good enough. They are also the "my free iPhone EarPods are good enough" listeners. I honestly don't grasp why anyone would voluntarily shove hard plastic into their ear canals, and then think that actually sounds good. I hate to sound snooty, but I guess ignorance is bliss. I guess if that's mostly all you've heard beyond phone, car, and flat panel tv speakers (barf), then your baseline is so low that any IEMs would be an improvement.
@@GBR9794 then what is? Is it just to "hear something"? I get that everyone has different priorities and interests. One of mine happens to be a certain level of quality for things I enjoy, such as music.
@@GBR9794 understood. I like to sit still and just listen every chance I get, but at home it's nearly always with full speaker systems unless my wife or son are in school or asleep. I'm looking forward to my first set of planardynamics at some point.
Not only do I respect your position I endorse it. I do stream in order to hear all the the latest classical recordings. I also am ripping all my jazz and classical CD s. However, I still buy physical media, vinyl as well as CDs, and when I am relaxing I play them, and my older CDs and records on my turntable or treasured SACD player. I hope you will continue to give us your reviews for many a year. Thank you Sean.
I am also an owner of that «wickedly awsome» AMR CD-777 SE, and I can just say the same. This CD player has a sound that I have not experienced with any other CD-player (a few over 10K$). It is a true masterpiece. Torsten Loesch at AMR really hit the nail with this player, and also the AMR DP-777 SE, if you want a DAC / pre, is at the same level IMHO. It is perfection of analogue sound with the benefits you mention of CD or digital media. - I own a CD collection of 9K pieces, and many of the musicians that play on those CDs are my friends. I don’t mind retelling what they say. At most streaming services they need at least 5000 streams of an album to equal the price of one CD sold directly from them or the record company. There are a few of us physical media guys out there, and we really do matter in the music industry, even in 2020. ;)
I guess I'm strange.. I use Amazon HD to peruse new and old music alike.. When I find a KEEPER album... not one with a few good tracks and a bunch of filler.. I BUY the album.. so 1) I can actually OWN it, and 2) I can actually support the artists that made it.. Redundant? possibly.. Also, sometimes I want to research who is doing remastering.. there are like 10 different versions of Dark Side of the Moon.. I wanted a specific remaster on CD so I bought it.. But I think supporting the artists that enrich your life by actually buying their physical album and throwing them a few bucks instead of compensating them with the streaming pittance they receive is a good thing...
@@jamiesmith6838 not sure what "recorded in HD " means. Hd streams/Flac simply means the stream is uncompressed CD quality bitrate or above. Obviously high quality streams are not going to make an old recording sound like it came out of a modern studio. But a FLAC file of old (possibly remastered) music should sound better than compressed MP3 or AAC file of the same music, as standard amazon or spotify provides.
@@DakTirCue Understood. Thanks. That makes sense. It also reaffirms my first inclination. I also have an HD Radio reciever. For all the same reason you listed and explained here. One slight difference. No monthly fees.
You know what? I just realized how awesome it is to be in this kind of a position. Why? Because it means that there are people out there who truly want to get my take on different Hi-Fi components. Even the stuff that's well outside of what I usually riff about. The truth is that when you're on the other side of the fence, the general sentiment is easy to miss or take for granted. Just know that in this moment, I appreciate all of it! I may not always be game to provide the kind of popular content that people want to see, but I'm thankful that you are nonetheless here to lay down your thoughts and feedback. Thanks for tuning in. Keep on listenin'!
This is exactly where I am coming from. I don't care what you review and I wouldn't suggest that you should review anything you don't want to. I, selfishly, would like you to review streamers but I'm not going to hold it against you if you don't. It's just that I DO trust your judgement. It's almost certain that you can hear nuances of components better than I can. It can take me weeks to hear differences in DAC's for instance. Your reviews, as long as they're honest, can help us make better decisions for our systems. Thanks for what you do!
Thank you for being so honest as always. I think reviewers should have things “they don’t do” or “don’t specialize in”. I think you would be really great at reviewing turntables, even if it’s not your source of choice. Just sayin’
Hi Sean, just want to let you know that ever since I saw your video on the Buchardt S400 and ordered them early this year, that reignited the audiophile flam within me that was there already when I was a kid and since than I also bought other great gear that stood out in your channel, such as the Iotavx amps and more recently also the Vista Audio Spark and Borea’s 02 for desktop use. I think a lot of people are rediscovering hifi in these Corona times and you make a very worthwhile contribution to that. Unlike other reviewers who tend to like and hype everything to keep there channel running, you stand out in staying honest and true to yourself. If every reviewer would do that, you would only have to find out as a viewer with whom you identify the most in terms of sound and preferences. Luckily more of those honest channels are appearing. Streamer or no streamer I frankly don’t care. So please keep on going with this great channel and content, but just do only the stuff you like and certainly don’t feel obligating to do so, you don’t owe anything to us. I am already very thankful for this channel and the content you made, it saved me (and I’m sure a lot of other people) a lot of time in choosing and pairing stuff.
As a recording artist myself, I would like to THANK YOU !!! Not to mention the fact that streaming pays artists roughly a third of a penny for every stream !
I use streaming services to try new stuff. I then buy CD/Vinyl. I do generally rip them to a NAS for convenience. I still enjoy playing from physical media.
Of course streaming robs the artist. That's reason number one for me. Having a "hard copy" is still interactive listening and participating. The musical experience next to concerts or studios? I refuse to even attempt to read a book online over a monitor. It's easier having the computer read it to me! But, I probably won't retain any of it and drift off in my own thoughts? Lol
Hmm, so I see this complaint from a lot of bands, that they don't get their fair share of royalties from streaming. How else would have released your music? CD, Vinyl, or Cassette? How do you get your exposure and marketing. It seems a lot of indie artists are short sighted when it comes to this. Without streaming I would have never heard half of the music through discovery. If I like it I buy it....It's simple.
I was all into physical but now that I gave streaming a chance(Spotify in my case), it's 90% of my listening. It's cheap enough for the ad free version and so worth it to discover new music or music you kind of want to try out but don't want to buy all that physical media(classical in my case). Streaming won't replace your collection of carefully curated master recordings but the variety sure complements it well.
I love to listen to my selfmade cassette tapes. And it's the perfect gift for every occasion. Love to explore new empty tape brands and record on it. I love to listen to the different sound signature between cassette tapes of different brands and to play the tapes on different cassette decks. Love to order new albums from my favorite bands on cassette tape. And i'm happy there is so much choice to it! So yes, it's an awesome kind of position!
I work for a high end dealer and can easily beat a $15k streamer (the best we can find for the money) with a $5k cd player. Depth and space especially are not rendered well via streaming. A CD is still read from physical pits on the cd, as opposed to magnetic information on a hard drive with streaming. I have access to both and always reach for a CD, as sound quality is my priority, or grab an LP. Thanks for keeping things real Sean over the years. Much love.
The signal is still digital. Whether the source is a cd, streaming or a file on your hard drive. Its still going to be exactly the same. That is like saying if I rip a movie from a dvd to my hard drive. Then play it from the hard drive instead of from the dvd it will degrade in quality.
@@gus6180 he presents quite the "Thirst Trap" 40 years in electronics even I can "reverse engineer " anything I've built multiple DACs, Amplifiers, Streamers, Power Suppression..... There is an advantage to a circuit board with the data USB or otherwise right there ( Time Domain) Records have had " Digitally Mastered" since the 60s . Basically (digital to vinyl) Today you can do better than vinyl , because you were always hearing the needle & cartridge.
I can understand your thought process Gus but most people do not realise that the zeros and ones are represented as voltage swings (unless over optical). Thus, there are no zero and ones as such and thus mistakes can be made. This is why digital timing errors (jitter) is so crucial to overcome.
@@alext2933Unfortunately we keep " Jitter" as a Boogeyman the all voice communications has been digital for decades in turn we have developed predictive algorithms for those 1s & 0s Jitter is a type of noise like others and really not the problem it once was because of the modern CPU & Memory cost being lowered , when a needle was dropped in the grooves the" time domain" is instant. Keep the data closer to the device intact & the software can fix most errors predictively... After that lower all the power noise and those micro-details will make it from the speakers to your ears... That's what I've been able to confirm in the Lab and apply in real world listening. With Tech currently available.
Brutal honesty without being a jerk. How refreshing. I steam from Qobuz, but to each his own. Why would it impact me in any way how someone wants to play their own music?
who cares what medium you use, at the end of the day being an audiophile should be first and foremost about the music and the emotional connection and experience it can give you. Yes trying out different kit is awesome, but actually sitting down and listening to an artist and the amazing experience they have created is the best part for me, cant speak for others of course.
I'm totally with you here in every respect, and think of all the healthy exercise your getting that streamers don't get. 😎😂 I also love actually owning a collection.
Totally agreed, the whole "anti physical media" scene started way back in the early 00s, from what I remember of hifi forums I frequented back then. It wasn't streaming then, it was more media servers, digitising CDs. I had no interest then, and still don't. Physical media, and the whole ritual around it, is what floats my boat.
I remember listening to the AMR CD-77 and it was probably the most "analog" sounding cd player I've ever heard. Extremely musical, no fatigue, pure enjoyment.
This is what a Thrifty Richard says when he's, jealous. Yes, jealous. Feigning the old school morality of thrift. How important is music to you? Price is always a consideration, no doubt! But, this implied moral superiority is pretty disgusting. Are we adults, or childish bauble polishers? What does price have to do with your personal enjoyment of the MUSIC? If price influences your enjoying the music, either you're priorities are wrong, or you're in the wrong hobby. Either way, enjoy the music. That's what counts. Have a blessed day, and be grateful.
@N0.M4D As you had to ask, I hope it doesn't. I hope it truncates your love of bits and specs for their own sake to just slightly below Red Book standard. What does it matter if the user enjoys the music at a personally redeeming level? Whether its a SANYO jam-box, a top-teir MBL, or GRYPHON system, what matters is the musical enjoyment conveyed to the listener. Please do, go on, tell me about your "audiophile" recordings. That's all.
@N0.M4D it’s his money, his ears, his joy. You are welcome to participate constructively. Just don’t rain on someone else’s parade. FYI my (8 year old) Marantz KI Pearl CD player retailed for $2000 in the US though I paid more because of customs duties and taxes. My Yamaha A2000 amp cost just as much and my speakers probably cost me what my Amp and CD cost combined. Then again my Bluetooth speaker cost me an equivalent of $200. I enjoy both systems equally. It is NOT what you paid, but the enjoyment you get from it that sets the value.
You're honesty is awesome and it is why I love your channel. Keep up the good work you do! You ,Steve, Guttenberg and Andrew are the best audio reviewers !
@@offasonwhy does it have no place in hi-fi? The fact that you can stream at the same quality as the flac you stored on your hard drive, (with the right subscription of course) kind of renders the point moot surely? I get that you can't really replace the experience of physical media with a digital only copy (I collect vinyl myself) but I don't quite understand how streaming the same digital copy over an internet connection versus over a cable from a drive at the same quality is any different.
Good for you, Sean! It just makes sense to keep the source the same to better judge the other components. I respect you more for this position. I'm still using CDs/SACDs as well. I expect I will stream in the future, but the whole streamer/server/DAC scene seems to be moving quickly, so I'm waiting for the technology to mature a bit before I jump in. When I buy something I keep it for a long time.
I listen mostly to CDs in 2020 and I probably will in 2050. And... you don't need a $5000 player, my Marantz CD 6006 cost me €422 and it sounds wonderful.
One of the reasons I prefer CDs is that I simply enjoy handling physical media, leafing through the booklets etc. while listening. Also, I don't mind the manual CD changing a bit - in fact, it kinda serves as a means of attention span management for me as it provides a modicum of active involvement that keeps mind from straying away from the music.
Totally agree on the sound quality. I don’t use CDs, I stream. But when I really like something - I tend to buy a good flac. Preferably on the artist’s page. So that most of the money go to the artist.
With you a long way since streaming for years has been my method to find new music to buy in physical media - vinyl or cd whatever. A year ago I skipped using a laptop for streaming and started using an Auralic Aries G2. Expensive, yes, but really another level of wireless sound. Then I tried it out with the brands Vega G2 dac/preamp and used their proprietary hdmi based 'lightning link' and their 'ligting ds app'. After testing different hdmi cables and changing from Tidal to Qobuz as my streaming service I concluded that my beloved $15.000 Linn LP12 turntable was only better with top notch recordings. It is very often the case, that I can find a better version of a record on Qobuz, than the one I have in my vinyl collection. A few years ago I would say 'no way', but now I have 50.000.000 tracks to pick from and having a feast. My system: The Auralic combo is fed by Ansuz power cables/powerstrip and it sends it's signal to a pair of ATC scm50ASL active monitors. Very detailled, very authentic, very intoxicating😎
@@andrewwesley1946 We don't need 50 million choices, but it is nice to have. To me the big gain is, that I can hear a piece of music I like somewhere, then find it on Roon, read about the band/musician/composer etc. and find a record I really like and add it to my library. I learn a lot more about (new and old) music than ever before and add a couple of new records to my library every week. I really don't see a problem in this🤓
Way to go Bro... 👍👍👍💯💯💯👌👌👌. I feel ya. If my money tree ever grows enough leaves I'm eyeballing an Italian made tube CD player myself that when I last checked was in the 5k ballpark. Everything you've said spot on... which to me speaks volumes towards integrity of your reviews.
@@ZeroFidelity You nailed it Bro!!! Currently 4100 Euros. I believe it's the CD-707... still being made. My dream is to have Lector CD-707 with that LTA pre you reviewed!
100% with you Sean! I do stream tidal regularly for casual listening however LPs are my bedrock for serious listening. Also, streaming is like everything else computer related......constant bugging.....too many other people on home WiFi so songs lag, phone or tablet freeze's, app crashes, album added to tidal library is there one day and removed the next, sound quality (particularly compression and dynamics) are all over the place. I have way more issues streaming with 2020 tech than I ever do with LP 1950s tech.
...and if you use the microwave oven, your music gets interrupted. And if the network is down, that's it! No music for you that day. CD's or LP's all the way.💿🙋
@@AlbertKel you've never had tidal crash? Never had them randomly remove albums from your library? Never had issues with internet/wifi connectivity? Common man, that's pretty common stuff for anything computer based.....streaming is better than it was but still way more glitches than vinyl playback.
Matthew Munro No, rock stable for me. Streaming mqa. I am both using a pc with usb to a dac and main speakers via aurialic Aires to a dac. I like LP’s for the experience and the ritual, but the sound and convenience of streaming is in my view superior. The sound of tidal mqa is also a big step up from cds.
@@AlbertKel you must have a great system to hear a difference!! I also play MQA from a Mac book pro/android phone/ipad as well as SACDs from a dedicated player over a high quality PS Audio DAC through a nice tube amp into a big pair of spatial audio open baffles.....can't hear even a slight difference between MQA, SACD, CD. Original pressing LPs from the 60s and 70s that are highly dynamic, recorded live in room to a single mic and engineered by guys who knew how to get out of the way are by far the best sound I ever get out of my system.
Hi Sean, I like your stance on this. I first encountered a streamer in my brother's house about 5 years ago. They were having a competition to see who chose the best songs on their multi-room set up. Trouble was they couldn't even get past the first verse and chorus of each song before diving on to the next one! As someone who appreciates that the artists created a complete body of work, selecting the tracks to include and the sequence they wanted them played, I enjoy putting on the CD and listening from end to end. I have to make a choice about every 45-60 minutes and then relax. If I had to choose every 5 minutes it would be a pain in the ....... Finally, if you want streaming reviews, Darko is you're man, but hang on, hasn't he just gone out and bought a shed load of CDs? I think he has.
I have in the past year with back to playing CDs, and I find my listening experience has significantly improved sound and I enjoy the physical media and a more likely to listen to an entire album
Neither here nor there, but I used to dabble in audiophile equipment, but then one day I realized I have no reference. As in, I have no idea what a guitar is supposed to sound like. Or any other instrument for that matter. I'm not a musician. Once I realized I was chasing nothing and spending thousands to make my system sound "different", I sold everything and went back to basics.
*Looks at his 1000 CD`s next to the computer monitor and smiles" You sir, have a new subscriber. (BTW, i also use Roon so i get the best of both worlds)
I’m with you on streaming. I’m sooooo old school. I’m 61 yrs old, grew up on vinyl and then to cd. Love stereo. If I want to hear new music I go to you tube.
LOL. We're the same age (well, I'm late 50s.) I started ripping CDs when Sonos first came out, then got back into vinyl. Now, I stream Tidal and play vinyl. Can't remember the last time I plugged a CD into my player, and the hard-drives with all the ripped CDs are long gone....
You know Sean I've always enjoyed watching your videos and I'll tell you what the one thing I've always got a sense of from you is you always seemed on some level to be holding back. One of the things I often tried to do with the budget audiophile is this sense of honesty, this sense of not only being honest about the product that I'm reviewing but also honest about who I am. To be honest with you this is the first time felt you've really been honest with who you are to your viewers and I just got to say I love that.
Long live to the CD! Many times per year my internet fails for few hours or even a day or two when they are installing new lines or who knows what. I don't remember when was the last time that didn't get electrical power in my apartment. So streaming is unreliable. It doesn't matter to me to get up, look for a CD and load it into the player. I have pretty much all the music that I like to listen in CDs and when I discover something new that I like, I'm glad to contribute to the artists for their work buying their music in a reliable and high quality format.
I have actually enjoyed your outlook on streaming and class D amps. I know when you say a class D amp sounds good or hard to distinguish from class AB I know you mean it and it must sound great. I like that same high standard with streamers as well, it will push developers to improve and again we'll know when we have something good when you say it. I know your not going to be the go to steamer/dac reviewer but I appreciate what you have to say about them.
I only very recently started streaming, and even now only qobuz & tidal (ie cd quality or better). I also like owning physical media, but the appeal of having the entirety of music history available to me at any moment is a revelation too good to ignore. But I applaud your sticking to what works for you.
When I was your age I enjoyed the ritual of spinning one of my 500 cds. I used to spin my LPs and 45s. I'm done getting my music off a spinning object. You laid out the benefits of streaming quite well. Your reviews are very professional, thanks. I gave my adult children my LPs, CDs, and a very expensive turntable and CD player.
Kudos for using the AMR cd player. It's a unique product - and don't worry about what will happen in 20-30 years' time: chances are these capacitors will still be working (there are many audio components out there that are past 30 working on their original caps and doing a great job) and even if they won't, well, people with a good knowledge of electronics will come to the rescue. Besides, this thing will probably have tripled in value by then as it will be chased by collectors. Just stock up on a couple of pairs of good tubes, make sure they're matched pairs and you'll be set!
It is a good thing that some streaming services are offering better quality audio (Amazon Music HD comes to mind), I do figure at one point streaming will catch up with physical media
My main source is CD playback. Streaming is convenient way to discover new music then I go hunt for the album in CD format. With CD, I can find the best pressing that sounds the best but streaming cant.
I'll assume that you mean the best mastering. Now how do you go about finding the best? Also, I'll often find various versions of albums on Tidal having different sonic characteristics. 🙂
@@cablebrain9691 one way I have done it is to consult the loudness databases. You can then choose the most dynamic uncompressed version and search for it on the web to see if it is for sale any where.
Don't care if you deal with streaming or not. I very much appreciate your thoughtful approach on this channel, as well as your views on the audio industry. Even though my own listening is primarily through streaming these days I still enjoy the channel very much. Do it your way.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic! It took me a long time to get my streaming setup to sound “analog”. PC + Matrix XSPDIF 2 + i2s over HDMI to a PS Audio Directstream DAC+ Audirvana + Tidal. Changing even one of those elements including using the Tida app instead of Audirvana makes the “digitalness” of music reappear.
Kudos to you Sean. I'm basically on the same page. Streaming does allow for a search to see if you like any certain type of music instead of just reading a review and thinking you might like it, therefore it makes a wise decision on buying what a person likes instead of , that was a mistake . Keep up the good work.
I'm really interested in seeing other hifi set ups and finding out what makes it so special to their owners. Your setup looks so basic and yet judging by what you are saying about it, it sounds literally like a giant killer. The cd player alone sounds like the goldielox zone of cd players and those speakers look stunning in the wood finish. As for streaming, I have only just started down that road at 53, but cd and vinyl are my main media and streaming I use for finding new artists and playing in the car. What I really love about Spotify is the idea of creating my own playlists for different genres from rock and punk through to jazz and electronic and a bit of sca thrown in for nostalgia 😁 Thanks for showing us your system, really interesting 😊
Hey....I am 66, and my 17 year old daughter taught me how to stream spotify on my phone...and bluetooth to my amp.....and it turns out, my lo to mid fi system , ( or my hearing)can' t really distinguish any difference between my bt spotify, my CD, or Tidal hi rez.......so, until I get those $ 2000 speakers I am dreaming of, I am having a blast making playlists on Spotify...lots on new music!!-! The only problem is, none of my boomer friends are on spotify to Xchange playlists with.....
Streaming uses compression, lossy or lossless. Red book CDs use no compression, and technically are at the limit of human perception, look up the well documented blind tests of CDs and SACDs that made Sony wrap up the SACD production. I am not talking about the human factor of mixing and mastering, it's way easier to screw up a digital process vs the analog one, that is why there are great sounding CDs and poor sounding ones, but this a totally different huge topic.
I have a streamer that I love for convenience mainly but I think there’s a huge number of people who are collectors as much as they are audiophiles. For these people there is significant enjoyment in organizing and cataloguing as well as the tactile experience of physical media, be it vinyl albums or CD’s. You explained your own reasons perfectly Sean and I had no issue hanging in there for the whole 10 minutes! Great stuff once again, thank you
I use the Cobalt when listening on my iMac with my Sennheiser 800S and love it. Those DragonFlys are amazing given their size and price. But I wouldn't begin to compare them to the AMR CD-777 SE.
tbh I dont really believe that Tidal isnt good enough if your system is good. If you use an actual streamer TIdal is sufficient IMO even for high end systems.
I like the entire ritual of playing vinyl and CDs on my main system in my living room. I like flipping through my library to find what I want to play. I like reading the inserts or covers while listening. I do stream though, but only when I'm in my kitchen, cooking.
This is a great take. I totally agree. Much prefer CDs off a high quality player vs streaming for all the reasons you mentioned. Even though using streaming quite a bit which is nice to expand exposure to more music, when I find something new that I like, I then try to find it on CD. I just don't care for payments for services and rather have something tangible. It's just nice not having to screw with computers and memberships when all you want to do is kick back, relax and enjoy your music. I also like the CD cases, the cover art and information on the insert. Good job man!
I don't see what the fuss is about. Surely the CD playback is very similar to the network playback on the Model 30. We're still getting plenty of relevant information regarding tonality and synergy, regardless of whether we would use that unit as a CD player, USB DAC, or network streamer. I think this whole thing has been blown way out of proportion.
Although I have not always seen eye to eye with you on your videos. I 100% have your back on this one. Shared philosophy's here for sure. Well done Sir👌🎼✨
Watched the whole video Sean and have same preferences of owning the media and can still get up and load the CD discs. I totally understood your recent review of the marzantz with steaming capabilities where you didn’t address that part of the device. You directed viewers who were interested in the streaming feature to a reviewer who did cover streaming so any push back by viewers wasn’t warranted.
I found your channel on this video. I stream my music through a fancy DAC and believe that I have narrowed the gap to the narrowest point between hardware and software music listening. I LOVE this honest video of yours, even though it differs from my own practice. You have a new sub...
I hope you keep doing this channel. It seems that you have access to some gear that not everyone else has access to (that i've seen). Keep your chin up.
Cd quality and streaming quality is very much DAC / system dependent so not with you there. You can’t separate them. Also the majority of audio listeners whether audiophiles or not, listen to single tracks and chop and change with playlists. This is the modern way of consuming music and so why streaming is the way.
I love physical media the most, but I also like to stream music. I'm still hoovering up as many good CDs as I can at thrift stores and yard sales. CDs will come back just like vinyl did.
Exactly my idea and plan of action. CD's are really cheap at thrift shops. I think prices will go up substantial wthin the next 5-10 years. Like with vinyl.
My biggest beef with streaming is all the abysmal 'Remastered' versions that are made of 70's, 80's 90's etc music, for me personally it completely has ruined the experience of music from these eras and lot of it now I cannot listen to. Also when your subscriptions stop, you have nothing tangible, from all those months/years of streaming.
Totally respect your opinion and listening to you speak about your preference just made me think your 100% right it's about the music. I stream everything but I love hearing other people's view on how they listen and how they enjoy there music. Thanks so much for this and I'm now subscribed
So based on your biases and passion for music, it begs the question: why not a good (not entry level) analog setup?!!! Maybe I’m older than most of your audience, so I have my biases also. But man...there is so much beauty in those grooves! I love my VPI HW-19. Really appreciate what you do! I’ve been on this boat for a long time, and you get it. BTW I mainly also use RU-vid and streaming (blue tooth) to discover music or fill gaps..
is it fetichism? i don't think so... like a good book... where i want to even smell the pages... with vinyls and CDs i want to see the pics of the sessions. read the liner notes. how the musicians looked for one or another recording; know exactly the year it was recorded, the musicians who played... hundreds of times you get to find out about session musicians... that particular bass player that only played on 2 tracks of an album, the trumpet player who was there for just one song, you find out who mixed the album, who mastered it, who recorded it, where it was recorded... that's ALSO the beauty of NOT streaming music! you don't get that feel and kind of information with the anonymous streaming.. besides, i can "travel back" and remember what was going on in my life when i bought such or such record.. why it was meaningful in that particular moment of my life... music has history; is palpable and is not just anonymous entertainment! it becomes as beautiful (even more) than my library... amen...
You GOTTA have the liner notes, man. I fucking love liner notes. Just went through the Star Time (James Brown) and King of Rock 'n' Roll (Elvis) box sets recently, and that process would SUCK without the actual box sets being present. It just ain't the same without the actual album present.
I recently bought a CD player for the first time in years (a C.E.C model), and very pleased with the results. If I have the cd at hand, I chose that over the laptop file - DAC. I live in South Korea so streaming services aren't as widespread as in the UK or the US.
I'm glad you stick with what you like and want to use. I feel like it helps with your credibility as a reviewer. You're much less likely to be swayed by companies or be swept up in the hype of the "newest" tech. I would love to be able to use records or CD's but my problem is I'm handicapped. I don't have the capability to use any physical media. So streaming allows me to listen to music at all in any respect. I'm glad people have the choice to use what is right for them.
In 2019, Mytek Brooklyn DAC and Tidal music "ROCKED" my audio life. The Mytek Brooklyn DAC and Tidal streaming service were game-changers for me and they made all my speakers sound incredibly rich, beautiful and full. CDs were cold and harsh, LPs were cumbersome to use, but the use of Tidal streaming service provided the justification for going to a fully digital and I'm extremely satisfied with the sound quality. In 2022, I discovered a beautiful CD player, Naim CDX, and I've stopped streaming and started listening to CDs again. I found Tidal music sound cold and harsh, and CDs sound rich, beautiful and full. I think it's really important to find a good CD player to enjoy the music.
@@ZeroFidelity DLNA you old codger ...DLNA....My NAS drive holds all my CD rips, SACD rips & official studio master flacs. I can access em in my main setup, music room setup, bedroom setup, etc (while you're spinnin round and round). I sure as heck love my SACD player. But, you old codger, you....bwaaaaahahaha...the NAS master race looks down upon your sheer lack of technological knowhow...you inferion! Bwaahaha
I agree with you , I have over 1500 LP and 1200 CD . I am at this point in life I don,t if I could listen to it all . There are certain disc of music that I always gravitate back to and they put a smile on my face. Thanks
Indeed. Also 'owning' a music collection that is so large that you cannot actually listen to all of it in a lifetime is somewhat unsettling... Also with this increasingly complex entwined system of copyrights, licences, legal issues etc. etc. Some music can become unavailable or very expensive to stream.
Well yeah obviously, but I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on vinyls. I pay for Qobuz steaming monthly and I stream 24 bit files to my Bluesound Node 2i. It sounds great and I have access to thousands of albums. Gaming is also going digital.
@@Turtleback8024 Huh? Where did you hear that? It's 24bit audio, studio premiere is $15 USD monthly. $150 a year. I would have to pay thousands for vinyls to own all the album's I listen to.
I'm with you Sean. I do have a streamer for convenience when I'm having a party (not during Covid though or when cleaning) but my primary means of listening is thru Vinyl and the experience involved in collecting, the sound quality of vinyl/CDs, and the listening experience with vinyl just brings me more peace and joy. Its hard to get away from our phones, tablets, texting, Instagram, Facebook, or whatever in our hectic world, but the hifi listening experience with CDs and vinyl brings me back to a period in time when life was simple and easy and relaxing. Plus I actually think you discover more music and artists thru vinyl and CDs, because when your purchase an album you'll listen to the whole album and all the songs, where as with streaming you usually search for what you like and what you know and don't necessarily discover new music or listen to the whole album. I've found so many new songs from artists that I hadn't really heard before because of my vinyl love which otherwise thru streaming and radio would be never discovered. I think it'll be hard for you to avoid hifi audio gear that doesn't have DACs/streamers because many of them have it, and I don't mind if you skip talking about DACs/streamers etc because I don't have much interest in them but still would love you to review audio gear that includes them because I still want to hear your review and thoughts on the other aspects of that gear. You do your thing, and do what works for you, I continue to enjoy your commentary and all you have to offer to us and will continue listen. Peace!!
Plus one. I have no interest in streaming. I like owning my LPs and CDs and I don't mind the space my collection takes up. Streaming may sound good but it doesn't sound great, imo.
Don’t change what you are doing! You are always reminding us that no one hifi component is the best for all people. Please remember that not all hifi reviews are for all people. Keep up the great work
Thank you Sean. You know, I love opening that little book/sleeve and carefully taking out that precious shiny silver disk and then sliding it into the player, and I so enjoy handling that cassette tape along with the nice click that's made when pushed into the player, and you know, I also love to open up the Spotify home page and then open up the Liked Songs list and pick a song, but the thing that I love the most though, is listening to the music through my headphones or speakers and forgetting where its coming from or what technique is producing the sound or which is the best format, because it's the music that I lke and love, it's what moves me, sometime to tears, sometimes to great inspiration and sometimes to happiness, I love modern technology but it cannot trigger these profound emotions (apart from the appreciation of the industrial design and engineering, which is often quite beautiful), these come from the artist and their voice and music, no matter how good or poor the recording, it's me and my reception, my experience, my acceptance that make me appreciate the wonderful emotional thing that is music. Best thing though, is not to worry, and you know, like you said, have fun and be at peace : )
Yeah streaming is good for music discovery Also like physical media, and both vinil & CDs sound better IMO than my streamer (would make sense as the streamer is cheaper too)
Well, that's the thing. Do vinyl and CDs necessarily sound better? How will we know if reviews are not done. Keep in mind that streaming is still maturing as a technology. Although it's not Sean's responsibility to necessarily perform those reviews, even if I'd enjoy that.
@@cablebrain9691 well with vinyl at least you get almost always a new master of the album. A master which has better dynamic range in the great majority of cases ( according to the dynamic range database) . So because the source is different, it isn't as easy to compare and say one is better than the other. I'd say this should be beyond the scope of a review
Good for you...as there is no right or wrong way to listen and enjoy music,- whether vinyl, reel to reel, CDs, computers, streaming or radio it shouldn't be a war or polarised, as these are just the mediums open to us to access music . It's the exploration and enjoyment of music that's the real deal. So we are all lucky in that respect.
