How many folk now use streaming and have sold all their other audio equipment?

[montesquieu]

I find Spotify Premium pretty good, though I have currently suspended my subscription in favour of a 3 month Deezer trial. I would say that when you play an album on Spotify it is not glaringly obvious that you are listening to compressed files. However, if you listen longer, you will be aware that it does not have the detail or the resolution of cd quality material. Some, files sound better than others, and I would guess that classical music with a wide dynamic range may fare worse than compressed rock or other popular music.

Geoff

I would agree with this assessment. It's decent enough for exploration though (then buy the stuff you like).

[Jimbo]

I started off with TIDAL Hi rez. I dismissed Spotify as not worthy of trying cos of 'the numbers'.
I was happy with Tidal for quite a few months.
Then a friend with similar musical tastes suggested I try Spotify Premium.
Free trial, so why not.

Parallel subs for 3 months to see which one I preferred.
Just in different windows on my PC so very rapid comparisons were possible on the same music.

I convinced myself that Tidal Hi was better.
I did a final comparison - yup, no way can Spotify get this level of rez.
Went back to Spotify just to double check --- and, yes, I was on Spotify already. I just got them mixed up.
Blind test!! (in effect, as I didn't know what I was listening to). I couldn't actually say one was better than the other.

So I settled with Spot Premium and have been happy ever since (well over a year now).
I had a trial on Deezer last year, but the classical catalogue is crap and I find the Spot interface better than any other.

Interesting Jerry. I posed the question because like you I have compared Hi Rez 24/192 (not sure what tidal is) and compared it to CD 16 bit and in many cases not found it to be any better and in some cases especially ripped CD I have preferred CD.

So I wondered if moving on down to an even lower quality from CD such as Spotify Premium whether a significant difference could be heard? I can only listen to Spotify via earbuds and not able to play back via my main system so it would be difficult to quantify any difference this way.

However it encourages me that your evaluation has found that swapping between Higher quality digital and streamed Spotify Premium the differences can be difficult to detect.

I must admit Spotify is a really great tool for finding new music and it would be good to have it streamed via my system but that would mean a DAC and then I would be on the slippery slope to becoming a digital convert.

[jandl100]

... and then I would be on the slippery slope to becoming a digital convert.

Absolutely, it's a slippery slope.

Be afraid.
Be very afraid.

[Mr. C]

Never been impressed with Tidal at all, simply compare a mqa crushed file to a high quality red book rip, or better still the original red book master file, you will never look back for quality.

However the streaming services win on sheer volume of music available to the masses.

Also for a quality streaming sound your home network must be good, so many issues relate to having poor bandwidth, Ethernet over mains, extenders that just amplifier the poor signal in the first place plus the delightful SMPS noise ingress.

Get the basic right and your streaming will be better for it.

On out and out performance, these days you need a TT set up that costs twice the price to compete with correctly set up digital imho.

Nothing wrong with vinyl and it can sound fabulous, just so many variables that need to be addressed before that wonderful 20 minutes can be enjoyed.

[Tim]

. . . and then I would be on the slippery slope to becoming a digital convert.

Haha, steady James, steady.

But in all seriousness and this confuses me somewhat, it doesn't have to be a conversion, but rather an addition. That way you can get so much more enjoyment from music, just for music's sake. Getting hung up on one format being better than the other, or not wanting to steep so low as going digital just doesn't make sense to me.

As a music lover first I am format agnostic, sticking rigidly to a single source severely limits your options on what you can listen too. Of course if you have no desire to expand your horizons and remain stuck in a time warp, just regurgitating the same stuff, it's a moot point - but I still enjoy discovering new music. Which does beg the question, are people like this really and truly a lover of music, or is the gear much more important than they are admitting too or are they in complete denial?

There have been some comments made in this thread which are frankly churlish - sadly nothing new, but if you love music for the sake of the music, who cares how someone enjoys it. We should all embrace that as opposed to turning it into a dick swinging fest at every opportunity.

I just love the music for what it is.

[Jimbo]

I assure you Tim I have no problem finding new music to listen too on vinyl, you may have noticed quite a lot more new stuff is now sold this way. Vinyl does not restrict my choice, I have only once found a piece of music I wanted was not available on vinyl. Don't forget the same goes for all digital music and streaming. Not everything is available on these formats. I have often gone to Spotify to listen to a piece of music and not found it there.

Being agnostic about the format you obtain it on does mean that although you may love music you may not be particularly bothered how it sounds? I am bothered how something sounds and if I am going to listen to it I want it to sound great, if doesn't I won't listen to it -simples.

If it was just about music we might just give up all our equipment and listen through a pair of ear buds via a phone at the lowest sound quality possible either MP3 or streaming free Spotify. I must be getting something wrong because most of the worlds population listen to music this way.

[struth]

i love the choice of formats. it all sounds good, but different too. Some things are better on different formats. Since my new cd player came i am really enjoying that again, and vinyl is the baby, but streaming has its placetoo, especially on headphones if you use them.

[Sherwood]

I assure you Tim I have no problem finding new music to listen too on vinyl, you may have noticed quite a lot more new stuff is now sold this way. Vinyl does not restrict my choice, I have only once found a piece of music I wanted was not available on vinyl. Don't forget the same goes for all digital music and streaming. Not everything is available on these formats. I have often gone to Spotify to listen to a piece of music and not found it there.

Being agnostic about the format you obtain it on does mean that although you may love music you may not be particularly bothered how it sounds? I am bothered how something sounds and if I am going to listen to it I want it to sound great, if doesn't I won't listen to it -simples.

If it was just about music we might just give up all our equipment and listen through a pair of ear buds via a phone at the lowest sound quality possible either MP3 or streaming free Spotify. I must be getting something wrong because most of the worlds population listen to music this way.

Seriously?

Geoff

[Jimbo]

i love the choice of formats. it all sounds good, but different too. Some things are better on different formats. Since my new cd player came i am really enjoying that again, and vinyl is the baby, but streaming has its placetoo, especially on headphones if you use them.

I use many formats too Grant but for different reasons. They are all useful. I use CD in the car and DAB radio and Bluetooth music. I stream Spotify to my iPad to search for new music and listen to Vinyl when I relax in the evening. Lots of formats there. I used to listen to CD in the home until I discovered what I was missing.

[Tim]

Vinyl does not restrict my choice

Well you're lucky then, but unfortunately I don't buy that statement at all unless you have a very narrow field of interest. For sure we must have different tastes, as a heck of a lot of the artists I follow often don't release music in any physical form, let alone vinyl, which really frustrates me, as at the very least I like to have the CD I can rip to FLAC. I don't like and will rarely settle for just a lossy download, as it has to sound good for me too, but that wouldn't stop me from having something I really wanted or liked. But I'm clearly talking to an audiophile and there is a gulf of misunderstanding here, which however I try to explain it is always interpreted the wrong way - or I'm not able to get my point across clearly?

My comments were general and I think you have taken them as directed at you, which they weren't - and yes I have noticed vinyl sales are up, I buy vinyl myself too

I'm not entirely sure why vinyl addicts get involved in these discussions to be honest, bit like going to a cheese and wine party when you only drink beer.