Computer Audio is Dead and Streaming has killed it

[Willco]

And beyond local files out performing top-end transports, they (Taiko) have the ear-bending goal of surpassing all of it with Streaming.

One idea floated on the Taiko WBF thread was to stream temporarily into the PCIe storage and then playback shortly after as local files. But this would have to have the legal/tech cooperation from Roon...

 

[BlueFox]

For what it's worth, on a What's Best thread, a user has reported that the PCie storage on the Taiko Audio Extreme server is "much better" than their Metronome T8 ($17k) transport.

The issue I have noticed with the What’s Best forum is that it is dominated by the What’s Most Expensive gang. Whether most expensive translates to best is subjective.

 

[Willco]

The issue I have noticed with the What’s Best forum is that it is dominated by the What’s Most Expensive gang. Whether most expensive translates to best is subjective.

Whether that has any truth to it or not, I'm not sure how that's a very useful comment...

And is there anything in Audio that's not subjective?

More to the topic of this thread, it's a lot more interesting to me to look into what innovative server builders are doing to possibly eclipse the best cd transports (which incidentally can be equal to or double the price of the Taiko server).

 

[BlueFox]

Whether that has any truth to it or not, I'm not sure how that's a very useful comment...

And is there anything in Audio that's not subjective?

More to the topic of this thread, it's a lot more interesting to me to look into what innovative server builders are doing to possibly eclipse the best cd transports (which incidentally can be equal to or double the price of the Taiko server).

Thanks for supporting my observation.

 

[Willco]

I'm actually not supporting or denying your observation. I just don't think it has any relevance to this thread.

 

[Mordante]

I cannot tell a difference between physical CDs, or playing the same ripped CDs from a computer, or Tidal.

But... I do prefer SACDs to all of those above.

Now... if I take my ripped CDs or Tidal streams and upsample and convert them to DSD512... Then I like those better than anything else (including SACD which is basically DSD64).

So I no longer care about buying physical CDs or SACDs (or MQA for that matter). The upsampled, converted DSD512 versions sound better to me.



In my opinion, CDs are already dead. Streaming won.

The problem is that many albums or artists are not available on streaming services. So I still buy CDs and especially LPs.

I love Tidal but it's a mess sometimes. Tidal goes sour when you have more then one artists with the same name.

 

[Mordante]

My main problem with streaming is the limited content.

There is no
Einsturzende Neubauten: Silence is Sexy
Godthrymm
Toner Low
Saint Vitus
Skepticism
etc etc

 

[still-one]

The problem is that many albums or artists are not available on streaming services. So I still buy CDs and especially LPs.

I love Tidal but it's a mess sometimes. Tidal goes sour when you have more then one artists with the same name.

I guess you haven't noticed that sites such as Amazon have intentionally stopped inventorying many older CD's and you can only order them now as downloads. In addition many other titles that are only available as ad-hoc CD-R copies.

No one is debating the fact that some older LP catalog titles were never transferred to CD but remember just as many releases over the past 30 years were never offered as vinyl.

 

[still-one]

My main problem with streaming is the limited content.

There is no
Einsturzende Neubauten: Silence is Sexy
Godthrymm
Toner Low
Saint Vitus
Skepticism
etc etc

I didn't check Apple Music or Spotify but over half of those are available on Tidal.

Where are you finding them to purchase? Amazon only offers some of them as MP3 downloads.

 

[Mordante]

I didn't check Apple Music or Spotify but over half of those are available on Tidal.

Where are you finding them to purchase? Amazon only offers some of them as MP3 downloads.

I only have Qobuz, no Tidal.

My local shop still sells a lot of CDs. The shop is about 50/50 CD/LP. I do buy download. Mostly from bandcamp. My main source is my turntable. But I do also like to stream music. I have a sneaky suspision that Tidal has a wider range in music compared to Qobuz

 

[Mordante]

I guess you haven't noticed that sites such as Amazon have intentionally stopped inventorying many older CD's and you can only order them now as downloads. In addition many other titles that are only available as ad-hoc CD-R copies.

No one is debating the fact that some older LP catalog titles were never transferred to CD but remember just as many releases over the past 30 years were never offered as vinyl.

I have never bought anything using Amazon. There is Amazon UK and Amazon Germany, but no Dutch Amazon.

Many CD/digital releases are not on Qobuz. I got Qobuz because it sounds better according to some. But it seem their offerings seems less diverse.

 

[bart]

My main problem with streaming is the limited content.

There is no
Einsturzende Neubauten: Silence is Sexy
Godthrymm
Toner Low
Saint Vitus
Skepticism
etc etc

I found most of them on Qobuz...

Only Godthrymm and Toner Low aren't available there. Neither on Tidal.

 

[bart]

I have never bought anything using Amazon. There is Amazon UK and Amazon Germany, but no Dutch Amazon.

Many CD/digital releases are not on Qobuz. I got Qobuz because it sounds better according to some. But it seem their offerings seems less diverse.

There is an Amazon Netherlands:

https://www.amazon.nl

We stream Tidal and Qobuz, and from our total collection of sometimes rare 80s-90s CDs, circa 90% is available there.
Newer albums: 99%.

As Jim stated, the CD collection that Amazon offers is rapidly dimishing.
Let alone what music shops sell: there are virutally none left.

 

[still-one]

There is an Amazon Netherlands:

https://www.amazon.nl

We stream Tidal and Qobuz, and from our total collection of sometimes rare 80s-90s CDs, circa 90% is available there.
Newer albums: 99%.

As Jim stated, the CD collection that Amazon offers is rapidly dimishing.
Let alone what music shops sell: there are virutally none left.

Bart. Is FNAC still carrying a decent inventory of CD's in Belgium. I made a lot of purchases at the one in Wijnegem.

 

[bart]

Bart. Is FNAC still carrying a decent inventory of CD's in Belgium. I made a lot of purchases at the one in Wijnegem.

Jim, it used to be terrific indeed.
But it is following the market now: the CD department is fading away...

 

[UltraFast69]

I assume you can, however I do not really see this as an advantage. I make multiple copies as backups so the few extra minutes not having to copy it to my server makes no difference, and I would then have to copy it back off the server.

It is a fairly time consuming process. Each disk seems to take 10-15 minutes in my experience, so copying them to the location I want on my server is fairly irrelevant.

Oh, as far as I know this is a Windows program, unless other versions have come out.

Just installed the Sonore software on a MAC Mini, it opens up and I see all the fields.

I just bought a Sony player out of AR for $39.00 and plan on installing this in the on the network in the mechanical room - I’m wondering if I need a monitor for the Sony Blu Ray, if so would a screen splitter work?

From there my thought is to open the Sonore program that will control the Sony to start playing, and the Sonore will rip into the MAC mini or it’s attached external hard then copy and transfer over into the Aurender.

Do I need to find artwork to drop into the folder?




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[Mike]

Just installed the Sonore software on a MAC Mini, it opens up and I see all the fields.

I just bought a Sony player out of AR for $39.00 and plan on installing this in the on the network in the mechanical room - I’m wondering if I need a monitor for the Sony Blu Ray, if so would a screen splitter work?

From there my thought is to open the Sonore program that will control the Sony to start playing, and the Sonore will rip into the MAC mini or it’s attached external hard then copy and transfer over into the Aurender.

Do I need to find artwork to drop into the folder?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

You don’t need to monitor the Blu Ray Player. The Sonore software tells you the stages. What you have to watch for is auto play/auto start with the Blu Ray player. Make sure it’s disabled.

The software will grab the artwork too. Easy peasy.


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[UltraFast69]

You don’t need to monitor the Blu Ray Player. The Sonore software tells you the stages. What you have to watch for is auto play/auto start with the Blu Ray player. Make sure it’s disabled.

The software will grab the artwork too. Easy peasy.


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Thank you kind sir!


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[david1111]

@Mike
Yeah Mike, I completely agree.
I've done lots of careful tests, and I can't get streaming to sound even close to a CD played on a good reference CDP on my system.
I have a Linn Unidisk 1.1 with the optional upgraded Dynamik power supply, which the original ower would have paid around $16k cad for tho. (I, of course, paid 15% of that).

Actually, now that I think about it, I did hear a Linn Selekt DSM at a Linn dealer a while back, and Paul Desmond's, North by Northwest sounded very good. The soundstage, imaging, and dynamics were all there as I recall.
The Selekt is a $10k unit, so I guess if one drops enough coin, the two formats can get very close in sound quality.
They're not available on the used market yet tho.
Cheers.

Dave

 

[nicoff]

I can't tell a difference between a CD and Tidal. Actually, many of my CDs sound worse than Tidal. Go figure!