Qobuz vs.ripped cds, is it just me?

gbaby · « **Reply #80 on:** 6 Mar 2020, 04:02 pm »

Quote from: CanadianMaestro on 25 Feb 2020, 11:56 pm

Streaming is decent for exploring efficiently new musik that's unfamiliar to me.
Discs collection, download library, that's for stuff I know I like, keepers.
In the end, I go back to my owned libraries for listening at top SQ on my system. No Streaming.

I agree. Streaming is good for exploring new music. But, at the end of the day, if you like a composition you heard while streaming, its best to buy the CD and listen to it for the best sound.

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #81 on:** 6 Mar 2020, 05:17 pm »

Quote from: gbaby on 6 Mar 2020, 04:02 pm

I agree. Streaming is good for exploring new music. But, at the end of the day, if you like a composition you heard while streaming, its best to buy the CD and listen to it for the best sound.

I discovered a while back that the MP3-320 files that I often buy from Presto Classical and 7Digital are in fact, 44100Hz/24 bits. Using the Bryston app on my iPad, that's what it shows: 24 bits. And many of those -320 kbps files sound just as fine as my Flac CD rips, which show as 44/16 bits on the same app.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Further reading:

https://lifehacker.com/does-bitrate-really-make-a-difference-in-my-music-5810575
https://warmleftovers.com/2012/08/05/no-flac-does-not-sound-better-and-you-are-not-an-audiophile-because-you-use-it-heres-what-it-actually-is-and-why-its-important/

charmerci · « **Reply #82 on:** 6 Mar 2020, 05:51 pm »

Quote from: RandyH on 1 Mar 2020, 04:41 pm

Sometimes I wonder how many potential hours of musical enjoyment I have wasted making comparisons of one type or another. Cables, source components, digital file types, streaming vs CD, vinyl vs CD....etc. Yes I know the quest for the best is part of this hobby and we all delight whenever we hear a difference. As I have gotten older, the tedium of these comparisons are just not worth the effort. Maybe my hearing is not what it once was and I cannot detect the subtle differences in sound quality....or maybe these differences are just not that important anymore. As the quality of the hardware and software has improved there just seem to be fewer "night and day" differences. Even when I can detect a difference it is even more difficult to determine whether that difference is an improvement....or just a difference. Interestingly the less I worry about finding the absolute best nuanced sound improvement, the more I a enjoying the music. Sure, I am curious about new and potentially "better" sounding components but I am less driven to go down that rabbit hole.

For me, I'm very particular about my music. I listen so much that despite having over 10K songs - that's about 40 days of listening 8 hours/day without hearing the same song twice - I've heard every song probably about 100 times each. Some less, some many more times than that.

So, the sound quality IS important to me and a little improvement is noticed and much appreciated. Unfortunately, my budget will never meet my satisfaction in sound quality.

gbaby · « **Reply #83 on:** 6 Mar 2020, 09:11 pm »

Quote from: CanadianMaestro on 6 Mar 2020, 05:17 pm

I discovered a while back that the MP3-320 files that I often buy from Presto Classical and 7Digital are in fact, 44100Hz/24 bits. Using the Bryston app on my iPad, that's what it shows: 24 bits. And many of those -320 kbps files sound just as fine as my Flac CD rips, which show as 44/16 bits on the same app.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Further reading:

https://lifehacker.com/does-bitrate-really-make-a-difference-in-my-music-5810575
https://warmleftovers.com/2012/08/05/no-flac-does-not-sound-better-and-you-are-not-an-audiophile-because-you-use-it-heres-what-it-actually-is-and-why-its-important/

Great articles. As the first one stated, you may as well go for uncompressed files live wav of air as you can always compress. And, for the second article, I think having resolving equipment like the SP3 enables you and me to discern a difference in MP3 vs. compressed files.

I'm buying more CDs than ever even though I am a member of Amazon Prime. The sound is just not good enough for me.

gbaby · « **Reply #84 on:** 6 Mar 2020, 09:12 pm »

Quote from: charmerci on 6 Mar 2020, 05:51 pm

For me, I'm very particular about my music. I listen so much that despite having over 10K songs - that's about 40 days of listening 8 hours/day without hearing the same song twice - I've heard every song probably about 100 times each. Some less, some many more times than that.

So, the sound quality IS important to me and a little improvement is noticed and much appreciated. Unfortunately, my budget will never meet my satisfaction in sound quality.

I agree with you.

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #85 on:** 6 Mar 2020, 09:15 pm »

Quote from: gbaby on 6 Mar 2020, 09:11 pm

Great articles. I'm buying more CDs than ever even though I am a member of Amazon Prime. The sound is just not good enough for me.

Fortunately, I have less than Golden Ears.

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #86 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 01:47 pm »

....some people, it seems, forego any streaming, and go to some extremes to get that "right" sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJy6VJvSCk

gberger · « **Reply #87 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 06:44 pm »

maestro,

And here is a senior editor for Stereophile. Migawd! The $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H07NpWk_Xf8

gberger · « **Reply #88 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 06:47 pm »

maestro,

additional info on the stereo-hole contributing editor

Michael Fremer, Editor of AnalogPlanet.com, and Contributing Editor to Stereophile, gives us a tour of his listening room and shares a few thoughts on the industry. Filmed September 2017 in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #89 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 10:16 pm »

george,

fremer's brain is made of vinyl.

(so if Editors of review mags make that much $$, it proves that mfrs pay for good revs, no?

)

gberger · « **Reply #90 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 10:26 pm »

maestro,

Yeah, and it would take five or six lifetimes to play all those records.
IMO, he's the "Midas" of vinyl.

George

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #91 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 10:27 pm »

Quote from: gberger on 8 Mar 2020, 10:26 pm

maestro,
IMO, he's the "Midas" of vinyl.

George

Midas.....is that a compliment, George?

James Tanner · « **Reply #92 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 10:32 pm »

Quote from: CanadianMaestro on 8 Mar 2020, 10:16 pm

george,

fremer's brain is made of vinyl.

(so if Editors of review mags make that much $$, it proves that mfrs pay for good revs, no? )

No - in all my years in this business I have never seen or heard of a reviewer being paid for a positive review. The best you can hope for is respect from the reviewer about your product and an honest opinion. The only crack in the mirror is sometimes relationships that developed over time can cloud judgement.

james

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #93 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 10:36 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 8 Mar 2020, 10:32 pm

No - in all my years in this business I have never seen or heard of a reviewer being paid for a positive review. The best you can hope for is respect from the reviewer about your product and an honest opinion. The only crack in the mirror is sometimes relationships that developed over time can cloud judgement.

james

So he inherited his $$$

Love that he organizes his LPs by RACE. 26:19 of video.
Michael G. Fremer. Goebbels?

been that kind of Sunday.....

gberger · « **Reply #94 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 11:34 pm »

maestro,

I've been in this Audio hobby since shortly after WWII. I 've never seen such a collection outside of the Library of Congress holdings. (I've been through their stacks.)

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #95 on:** 8 Mar 2020, 11:41 pm »

all good, george. I admire large collections.....

gbaby · « **Reply #96 on:** 9 Mar 2020, 07:55 pm »

Quote from: CanadianMaestro on 8 Mar 2020, 01:47 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJy6VJvSCk

What a small place. I would not spend that kind of money and live in such a small space with no cloths and speakers costing 100k.

You will never get accurate sound, but just some semblance of it and thats subjective. No live concert sounds like a studio recording.

Calypte · « **Reply #97 on:** 9 Mar 2020, 08:25 pm »

Quote from: gbaby on 9 Mar 2020, 07:55 pm

What a small place. I would not spend that kind of money and live in such a small space with no cloths and speakers costing 100k. You will never get accurate sound, but just some semblance of it and thats subjective. No live concert sounds like a studio recording.

Yeah, I agree. I'm not surprised that he has a colossal LP collection, and I pretty much expected that he'd have a system that costs more than my entire net worth. But that he has that system crammed into what looks like a tiny room in his basement is astonishing.

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #98 on:** 9 Mar 2020, 09:51 pm »

Quote from: gbaby on 9 Mar 2020, 07:55 pm

What a small place. No live concert sounds like a studio recording.

That's a very true statement in this case. Usually, it's the other way around -- no studio recording sounds like a live concert.

cheers

MttBsh · « **Reply #99 on:** 9 Mar 2020, 10:55 pm »

Quote from: CanadianMaestro on 9 Mar 2020, 09:51 pm

That's a very true statement in this case. Usually, it's the other way around -- no studio recording sounds like a live concert.

cheers

Agreed. I've seen many, many concerts where the songs performed live sounded better than the studio versions. Often bands are much more dynamic and improvisational on stage too, that's why I probably listen to more live recordings than studio work. Live music is best!
Now back to the subject of Qobuz vs. ripped cds