CD vs Streaming.

[Jimbo]

I have noticed in the last year or so that there have been a number of articles stating that there has been a slow but steady CD revival after a dramatic decline up to 2021. Where as billions of CDs used to get sold they were reduced to a trickle obviously knocked on the head by the next latest and greatest technology - streaming.

My thoughts were that the main reason streaming took off was music could be so much more widely obtained and in infinite amount but foremost it was free and did not require the need for physical media. Every man and his dog took to streaming proclaiming it was the answer to all our need for music and the quality was as good as anything on any digital format as long as you subscribed to one of the better streaming companies.

CDs were abandoned in the same way vinyl was and it seemed folk just streamed. There were many arguments for it and it was generally accepted to be the future for digital music along with FBA which was quite often a ripped CD collection.

However Hifi journalists have been steadily started to review CD players again and from some mainstream companies with a view that we had abandoned CD too early and there maybe something still to be had from CD. Now I know many folk and indeed many on here never abandoned CD and used it regularly and have been happy with older players so I wonder if the latest "revival" is just the industry trying to move new boxes again proclaiming sonic benefits from "New Technological" improvements!

Today I read my first article by a journalist I respect and he thought that the CD player he reviewed sounded better with digital material than any streaming service or quality he had heard. Now that maybe hype (moving boxes) or a genuine reaffirmation that hard digital media simply sounded better than streamed music or local files.

I cannot really comment myself one way or the other although I have ripped most of my CD collection to file and believed it better than CD but maybe I need to reevaluate CD again. I have access to a number of CDP but my last foray into this game ended in tears.

Has anyone compared the two formats (CD vs Streaming) and come to any conclusions themselves as to which sounds best not withstanding cost and convenience?

[CageyH]

CD sounds better than using internet streaming in my opinion.
However, I cannot honestly say there is a difference between a CD and local file streaming to my ears, using my equipment.

[Lawrence001]

I've been wondering whether my now vintage Meridian 508 can match or beat my recently acquired Innuos Zen Mini with Zen Mini PSU but they're not in the same location to compare.

If the advances in CD replay are due to recent developments in DAC chip technology then I fear not, but if it's inherent in the medium it could stand up to comparison.

[walpurgis]

Not felt the need to move on from CD. I have all the music I want anyway and the discs don't take up a huge amount of room (unlike my vinyl LPs )

[struth]

probably not a lot in it tbh. there are a number of things that could swing it... like cd equipment, streaming gear, programs u use etc. as for cd v ripped cd... pretty much same applies

[Jimbo]

One of the advantages of CD is that many of us who have been knocking around a bit have plenty of these shiny discs knocking around and probably have much of the music we enjoy on this medium.

Going back to another post it maybe that the mastering on these could be advantagous too.

The only way to compare your CD vs a streamed file would be to ensure exact same master used and they were also played through the same DAC at the same levels. All a bit of a faff and probably difficult to do unless you managed to get all your ducks in a row with the right gear?

[Macca]

Is there a link to this review where he does the comparison?

As it happens last week I did a comparison between TEAC VRDS 701T transport and Novafidelity X50D streamer. same DAC (AQVOX).

DAC and streamer had been modified with SMPS power supplies in both replaced with linear.

CD was Joni Mitchell 'Blue' - local streaming vs transport. Comparison was done single blind. I couldn't tell them apart, I was just guessing.

I suspect it would be the same comparing with Tidal or another streaming service assuming the streaming service was providing the exact same mastering as the CD. Which they probably won't be (my CD of 'Blue' is the original release but there are multiple remasters, as with most famous albums from that era).

So if the reviewer didn't compare blind and didn't compare the same master, it's not a reliable comparison.

Just one more thing - in my comparison, using a CD transport meant the DAC was the same for both. If using a CD player it would need to be used as a transport only, or if it has a digital input the streamer would need to use that so the DAC and the output level remain the same for the comparison.

Okay, the differences between DACs can only ever be very slight due to how they work, but still a potential source of a difference that has nothing to do with format.

[Jimbo]

Is there a link to this review where he does the comparison?

As it happens last week I did a comparison between TEAC VRDS 701T transport and Novafidelity X50D streamer. same DAC (AQVOX).

DAC and streamer had been modified with SMPS power supplies in both replaced with linear.

CD was Joni Mitchell 'Blue' - local streaming vs transport. Comparison was done single blind. I couldn't tell them apart, I was just guessing.

I suspect it would be the same comparing with Tidal or another streaming service assuming the streaming service was providing the exact same mastering as the CD. Which they probably won't be (my CD of 'Blue' is the original release but there are multiple remasters, as with most famous albums from that era).

So if the reviewer didn't compare blind and didn't compare the same master, it's not a reliable comparison.

Just one more thing - in my comparison, using a CD transport meant the DAC was the same for both. If using a CD player it would need to be used as a transport only, or if it has a digital input the streamer would need to use that so the DAC and the output level remain the same for the comparison.

Okay, the differences between DACs can only ever be very slight due to how they work, but still a potential source of a difference that has nothing to do with format.

The reviewers thoughts were a general subjective perception and not a measured technical evaluation.

Apart from the equipment used to do any evaluation, I would say the mastering has to be the exact same before any objective conclusions can be made.

[Macca]

The reviewers thoughts were a general subjective perception and not a measured technical evaluation.

Apart from the equipment used to do any evaluation, I would say the mastering has to be the exact same before any objective conclusions can be made.

Thought so, still it would be good to have a link to the review. Did he use the same master or even check to see if it was the same? If not I'd cross him off your list.

[Jimbo]

Thought so, still it would be good to have a link to the review. Did he use the same master or even check to see if it was the same? If not I'd cross him off your list.

No it was a general thought about CD compared to steaming.