Have I gone over to the Dark Side?

[montesquieu]

I've trialled a few streaming services but most seem pretty thin in the Classical area if your tastes are focused as opposed to broad (I must have more than 30 recordings of Schubert's Winterreise for example, where your average streaming service might be happy with 3-4 max). I have no interest in big orchestral stuff which seems to be there in abundance, but the sort of rare renaissance and baroque stuff I like to track down on both vinyl and CD (specialist labels most of the time) was conspicuous by its absence.

Also, for me, digital just fails to satisfy the 'touch it/feel it/read it/listen to it/own it' need that I have. I do have a RPi (two actually one in the main system the other in the study) with the equivalent of maybe 500 CDs ripped on a NAS server tucked away in the study. But I find the experience of using streamed media deeply unsatisfying - not enough ceremony, mental preparation, physical engagement, whatever you want to call it - at least, for anything other than background music.

Indeed quite a few people I know who at the beginning loudly embraced streaming with words of wonder and astonishment have sheepishly gone back over the months and years to physical media, precisely because the human needs around interaction with physical objects involved are not met.

[Gazjam]

Tidal streams 16/44 Flac, cd quality.

[montesquieu]

Tidal streams 16/44 Flac, cd quality.

... and a quick poke around suggest MUCH better for classical than I've seen in my previous forways. Hmmm.

But the rest of what I said still stands.

[WAD62]

..........and you can't tell the difference between 320kb/s and a CD? (A serious inquiry, not 'having a go'). Whenever I've done any tests I don't like less than CD quality. Very flat, 1 dimensional sound, no depth to it. This has always put me off streaming.
Are there any of the main services which provide CD quality or above?

Jim.

Hi Jim, very much in agreement, I have a few 320kb/s and FLAC duplicates, mp3 is obviously flat in comparison...

So if one's taking the time to rip a CD, do it to FLAC

[User211]

Indeed quite a few people I know who at the beginning loudly embraced streaming with words of wonder and astonishment have sheepishly gone back over the months and years to physical media, precisely because the human needs around interaction with physical objects involved are not met.

This is a strange need. I think of it as a complete pain in the buttress.

When track/album selection by thought becomes a reality I will be first in the queue with a fistful of notes to pay for it.

[Clive]

If I were starting out now I'd go with streaming. I have a couple of thousand albums, a sort of medium sized collection compared to quite a number of people. I only buy about an album a month now, streaming isn't for me at this stage of my musical life.

[jandl100]

I've trialled a few streaming services but most seem pretty thin in the Classical area if your tastes are focused as opposed to broad (I must have more than 30 recordings of Schubert's Winterreise for example, where your average streaming service might be happy with 3-4 max)

I've just checked on my beloved Spotify - I got bored with counting Winterreise(s/n) when I got to 118 and stopped counting.
Sure, some of those are doubles of the same recording, but the vast majority aren't.

I've got a month's sub (again) with Tidal at the moment (I'll be letting it lapse at the end as I prefer Spotify Premium) - and that has about 70 Winterreisen.

Indeed quite a few people I know who at the beginning loudly embraced streaming with words of wonder and astonishment have sheepishly gone back over the months and years to physical media, precisely because the human needs around interaction with physical objects involved are not met.

Not me, guv.
If I felt secure in dumping all of my LPs and CDs I would do so! ... OK, I'll keep the few in my collection that aren't available on Spotify.
I just love the virtual feel of internet streaming, its easy accessibility and the ease with which the search facilities present new music to try.
It's like having CD shelves half a mile long. It has literally transformed my listening habits and pleasure (for the better!).
My hifi boxswapping has gradually declined to an all-time low since Justin nagged me into trying streaming - there's no time now for hifi shenanigans when there is so much new music to discover.

[JimC]

...........So if one's taking the time to rip a CD, do it to FLAC..............

Do you prefer FLAC over WAV?
There seems to be more DATA in a WAV File (comparing the two File sizes) so I am assuming more Music DATA? The difference cannot just be the Meta DATA?

Jim

[Ali Tait]

Both are lossless, FLAC takes up less space though.

[montesquieu]

Err guys .. large portion of humble pie coming up .. but I've been looking at Tidal since this discussion and it has to be worth a trial at least.

What would be the best device to stream Tidal from that would provide SPDIF to my DAC? Is there an option from RPi? (as I have one of those). I have a spare Macbook kicking around that could be pressed into service if necessary, but I'm probably happiest with a widget of some kind ... the ideal would be a device controlled by my iPhone/iPad as well as a web browser.