Why the joy of physical media in today's streaming world

[Rajeshh]

@SachinChavan glad to have this perspective

without getting into the details (of gear etc.,), let’s just say that i’m betting on Streaming tech and gear getting better.

I feel that a well setup streaming chain is already at a good level.

 

[fLUX]

I find a significant gap between Tidal Hifi played natively (or via Roon) vs same track player on CD using the same DAC. (Streamer and transport being from the same series - Cambridge CXN and CXC - hence comparable). Dynamics and immediacy are substantially better through the CD. And since it’s consistent across albums, it’s unlikely to be due to difference in masters.

Most other listeners and members I’ve interacted with on this feel the same. I don’t want to force conclusions one way or the other. Just adding my two pennies to the discussion. The experience/joy of physical handling is over and above this.

I own hardly 3-4 Audio CDs and a very native bluray player. But even with such a native setup , it sounds much better than streaming the same content from any of the platforms. But the permanent cost of acquiring new discs makes me stay away from pursuing this further and also there are very few albums where i like the entire set of songs which again adds to the dilemma of CD purchases.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

@SachinChavan glad to have this perspective

without getting into the details (of gear etc.,), let’s just say that i’m betting on Streaming tech and gear getting better.

I feel that a well setup streaming chain is already at a good level.

If you mean ‘at a good level’ in standalone terms, of course with FLAC and Hi-res, streaming chains have already come up to a good level that can suffice a lot of discerning listeners. ‘Is it at CD’s (and SACD’s) performance level?’ - that’s where the difference in opinions lies.

Also, I mentioned the specific gear only to explain that except the transport every part of the downstream chain from DAC onwards is identical and the respective transports (streaming and CD) also are as equivalent as they can be being from the same series of the same brand.

 

[fLUX]

@SachinChavan glad to have this perspective

without getting into the details (of gear etc.,), let’s just say that i’m betting on Streaming tech and gear getting better.

I feel that a well setup streaming chain is already at a good level.

I personally feel streaming tech has reached its prowess, high bitrate wireless transmission via bluetooth LDAC/UAT and CD Quality streaming via Tidal/Qobuz. Would be interesting to see what further improvements come

 

[raghupb]

As much as I would like to spin CDs, it is damn near impossible to maintain them with two dogs at home.
They shed so much hair that it will inevitably get into the tray and mess with the spinner or lens.
I think this is what happened to my CD/DVD player; it does not pick up data properly.

My dream of hosting a TT is long dead. I have a tall dog who is very inquisitive. I can vividly imagine what he can do.
"Master has put a black thing that rotates; let me put a paw on it and become DJ ..."
The rascal is capable of doing it actually.

For those who can host such gear, enjoy!!

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[Kannan]

Streaming is like internet/long-distance love. Media is like the real thing, touch and feel

 

[arj]

I find a significant gap between Tidal Hifi played natively (or via Roon) vs same track player on CD using the same DAC. (Streamer and transport being from the same series - Cambridge CXN and CXC - hence comparable). Dynamics and immediacy are substantially better through the CD. And since it’s consistent across albums, it’s unlikely to be due to difference in masters.

Most other listeners and members I’ve interacted with on this feel the same. I don’t want to force conclusions one way or the other. Just adding my two pennies to the discussion. The experience/joy of physical handling is over and above this.

Same experience even if it is streaming from an HDD. I still find CD far more immediate and transparent even when the digital file is HiRez ..

 

[jigarpatel]

@newlash09 I totally agree with you, buying physical media and waiting for it to arrive and start playing bring out kid in you. Today only received some CDs from amazon

Which blank CD-R to use for burning our own CDs ?

As of now I am using Verbatim CD-R Blank Disc.

I burn my own CDs for two purpose.

• Album brought digitally and compile our own CDs.
• I RIP original CDs, in case of original CDs gets damaged, you can burn your own.

 

[skroderider]

As much as I would like to spin CDs, it is damn near impossible to maintain them with two dogs at home.
They shed so much hair that it will inevitably get into the tray and mess with the spinner or lens.
I think this is what happened to my CD/DVD player; it does not pick up data properly.

My dream of hosting a TT is long dead. I have a tall dog who is very inquisitive. I can vividly imagine what he can do.
"Master has put a black thing that rotates; let me put a paw on it and become DJ ..."
The rascal is capable of doing it actually.

For those who can host such gear, enjoy!!

Cheers,
Raghu

I have two dogs too, and I can empathize.
I've built a wooden "gate" between the listening/living room area and the rest of the house which they are not allowed through. That stops physical access, but does not solve the hair problem...

 

[venkatcr]

My dream of hosting a TT is long dead. I have a tall dog who is very inquisitive. I can vividly imagine what he can do.
"Master has put a black thing that rotates; let me put a paw on it and become DJ ..."
The rascal is capable of doing it actually.
Cheers,
Raghu

This is hilarious. I have three cats at home. The other day I found one sitting on top of my Rpi+Allo DAC and the amplifier that were playing a song. This is when I had gone out of the room for a few seconds. Another day, when I stopped watching a movie for a break, I saw long black cover on my center channel. Another cat was lounging on it. I keep all my speakers covered, otherwise these 'rascals' will leave their nail marks on the wood.

 

[Kannan]

The proof is in the pudding.....

 

[Deleted member 15865]

The proof is in the pudding.....

So what do they prefer - physical or streaming media?

 

[Kannan]

So what do they prefer - physical or streaming media?

the cats

 

[Miany]

Hi vivek

There certainly isn't any difference to my ears. But then they are not the best around. I do agree that I really struggle to hear differences that components or cables make, unlike a lot of friends I know endowed with superior hearing.

So Iam happy that I don't have to fret about the minor differences if there are any. But others might also be right, if they can hear a difference.

And when I did CD vs tidal comparison, via esoteric only. I was streaming tidal through a normal Yamaha wxc50 via coaxial. And we all know that the streamer can be improved upon. So I will leave it open at that

Yes. I too find that CD sound can be matched with a proper streaming setup. In my experience, streamer implementation plays a vital role here.. I have used Auralic Aries Mini and now using Auralic Aries Femto.. I found the mini to be seriously lacking when compared to CDs, both using the same DAC.... However, when i upgraded to the higher version from Auralic, i could not find any difference. I equally enjoy both streamer and cd player now and never feel like missing the CD sound.

BUT, the experience of opening up the CD case, reading about the album/artists/lyrics.. that is something that cannot be matched. It sets you to a totally different mindset before the listening session. To some extent, it can be managed by reading the album information in Tidal/Qobuz etc. But the feeling of holding the physical media in your hand and playing it is something else! Its like trying a new recipe at home and getting the same from a well-known restaurant. Both might taste the same, but the feeling when you taste it is different. Having said that, i prefer convenience these days and listen mostly to Tidal...

 

[ssf]

In my experience, a CD playing from my Marantz CD player does sound better than the sound from Tidal and roon. But necessity has forced me to adapt and be happy with streaming. Ya, as we speak, my Marantz does not read my disks. And the little love I had for removing the disks from the case and inserting it into the player is long lost since my player gave up on me.

 

[venkatcr]

the cats

Cat'o'philiac??

 

[KiranPS]

I am someone who always prefers to play Ripped FLACs from NAS because it offers me the convenience of streaming without the loss of quality that streaming services have. Recently I did not have the CD of a song my daughter wanted to listen on my HiFi, and she could not understand why I have all this gear and cannot play a song that she wants . She just pulled it up on her mobile and played it with a smile which insinuated that "what good is all your gear when you cannot play a song you want at will ?". That's when I realized the future is Streaming. HiRes streaming is just starting, It took a good 10 years from CDs being introduced to getting the electronics to fully take advantage of the medium. I guess we have to wait (may be not that long) before HiRes streaming matches and surpasses the CDs.

Apple needs new features to put on Iphone 20...30 Right ?

 

[venkatcr]

Cat'o'philiac??

My cats seriously listening to a veena recital. This is now becoming a daily affair with the 'rascals' enjoying music everyday with me. Good for them.

 

[Bloom@83]

I find a significant gap between Tidal Hifi played natively (or via Roon) vs same track player on CD using the same DAC. (Streamer and transport being from the same series - Cambridge CXN and CXC - hence comparable). Dynamics and immediacy are substantially better through the CD. And since it’s consistent across albums, it’s unlikely to be due to difference in masters.

Most other listeners and members I’ve interacted with on this feel the same. I don’t want to force conclusions one way or the other. Just adding my two pennies to the discussion. The experience/joy of physical handling is over and above this.

For me , nothing beats the pleasure out of the inconvenience of getting a vinyl out of its cover , cleaning the stylus with a brush, the record with another brush , setting the speed manually from the belt drive followed by dropping the needle oh so gently and then sitting down to actually listen to the music , with the cover in my hand with its (almost always ) gorgeous artwork. I understand this has more to do with individual lifestyle and I’m happy with mine , while being aware that the same ritual is a turn off for many audiophiles today.

Even in my modest setup , the sound I get out of a good condition vinyl (pressing is important) is better than the original CD coming out of my Marantz CD player by a substantial margin.

Whereas the difference between streaming and direct CD is not that wide purely when SQ is confirmed- and that too using a basic Yamaha BT streamer. Of course CDs play richer , have a higher gain too but I can live with the streaming counterpart if I lose these CDs. These of course applies for foreign music only.

For vintage Bollywood and bengali oldies - nothing comes close to vinyls.

 

[Bloom@83]

Most significantly , physical media especially vinyls occupy a space and is a great conversation starter , or for that matter , a portal into an era or genre of music which can influence young minds when confronted with it.

Digital copies - all those high res 24-192 files on NAS or Tidal MQA streaming from the latest and greatest streamers will never leave any thumbprint on anyone. My 5 year old is very curious about those big shiny covers and wants to listen to them - I can’t imagine him digging through my Apple playlist anytime in future.