Is anyone here unsatisfied with PC audio and streaming?

[SoundMann]

After searching posts on PC audio and streaming, I found a post that seems to resonate with my experiences so far. After reading the whole thread, do you tend to share the opinion of the OP, or those defending this relatively new, convenient way of listening.

My experience after lost of 20k$

 

[audiobomber]

After searching posts on PC audio and streaming, I found a post that seems to resonate with my experiences so far. After reading the whole thread, do you tend to share the opinion of the OP, or those defending this relatively new, convenient way of listening.

My experience after lost of 20k$

The post you linked is from 2018, and even more significantly it is an obvious troll job. AmirBS57's original post is highly inflammatory, which was his intent. Like any good troll, he sits back and laughs at the row he's caused, never returning to explain or defend his position.

He says he "lost" $20,000 on PC audio. Did he throw the gear in the trash after testing? If he sold it, he wouldn't have lost all his money.

"remember I have tested all pc , caps , reclockers all cables all thing in this market , do not pay for them."
AmirBS57

LOL, that is hard to believe! Note however, no streamers, no switches, no LAN filters, no upgraded power supplies, no optical fiber, and nothing that's come to market in the last six years.

My network audio system sounds better than my previous CD and turntable systems, but at a higher price point.

 

[ADGold]

I was initially very skeptical about streaming and proceeded very cautiously with the minimum investment possible: Tidal subscription and Meridian Explorer 2. For perspective, my source at the time was an Ayre Acoustics C-5 XE-mp CD player. I was surprised with how well it compared with physical discs that I eventually sold the CDP and all physical media, upgraded my network player a couple times (Lumin D2 and then Lumin T2), and now just stream exclusively with Qobuz.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Roon installed on a laptop, and Tidal subscription, a better router than my internet provider supplied me and Bingo, everything works just fine. With the old router Roon got hickups, and Jriver was a disaster. (Jriver failed to play hardisk files… and cannot use Tidal at all).


A USB hard drive with 60 000 tracks connected to the router gives my access to ripped CD and high res downloads. Cabled network from router to my digital preamp, I control all from iPad/iPhone on Wi-Fi. No need to hassle with PC …. I just start the laptop Roon app , that is it.

No need to spend money on fancy cables, switches , powersupplies and such.5 years ago I spent 600usd on a lifetime Roon, and 400usd on a ASUS Router that I needed anyway . And a chromecast here and there for the kitchen and headphone listening via Roon, ( bit perfect by the way)

Sometimes I like the CD version better than Tidal, the problem is that the mastering can be different and Tidal do not reveal that necessarily. I compared CD and ripped CD from the hard drive and cannot reliably tell a difference.
I have Roon legacy that stopped at revision 1.8 due to my PC status/age. Still happy with that. Not all updates are a progress…. If fact I stubbornly refuse to update something that works fine.

 

[Campo007]

I absolutely love streaming. I have the Auralic Aries S1 with PSU feeding a Holo May LVL 3 KTE DAC. I added a couple of switches, an external linear PSU to my router and upgraded my LAN cables and BOOM! My digital is singing.

I’ve come from 3500 records and a Kuzma turntable and never being satisfied with pressings and always thinking , “What if there is a better sounding pressing?” It was an endless money pit.
And don’t start me about non cantered pressings, warped records and the whole cleaning process.

 

[Balle Clorin]

And don’t start me about non cantered pressings, warped records and the whole cleaning process.

.. but that is where the fun starts….
Remember: the best way to be happy at work is to have a hobby that is worse…

 

[SoundMann]

I absolutely love streaming. I have the Auralic Aries S1 with PSU feeding a Holo May LVL 3 KTE DAC. I added a couple of switches, an external linear PSU to my router and upgraded my LAN cables and BOOM! My digital is singing.

I’ve come from 3500 records and a Kuzma turntable and never being satisfied with pressings and always thinking , “What if there is a better sounding pressing?” It was an endless money pit.
And don’t start me about non cantered pressings, warped records and the whole cleaning process.

And I have never been happy with digital, and have only heard a few megabuck systems where it began to sound good.

But I agree about the hassle and inconvenience of record playback.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

And I have never been happy with digital, and have only heard a few megabuck systems where it began to sound good.

But I agree about the hassle and inconvenience of record playback.

Let it go. It as if you live for audio pain.

 

[Tangram]

If I used my main system all day long for casual, critical, and background music, I’d definitely stream. But that’s not how I enjoy music. Listening (while doing nothing else) for a couple of hours after dinner each night is an “event” with all its attendant analog rituals. So to me it’s less about sound differences and more about how you use your system.

That said, some people are able to successfully have both analog and in their systems but around here, fractions of millimetres in speaker placement and other tiny tweaks seem to consistently make “not subtle” differences, so how could systems so dialled in sound equally good playing records and streaming?

 

[Balle Clorin]

I enjoy Vinyl just as much as Streaming/digital , I do not miss anything when I listen to one or the other.

Just get a the right cartridge and turntable. No need to change anything but select another input on the remote.
Here is Vinyl-Streaming-vinyl-streaming . No soundtrack from preamp regretfully , just simple IPhone mic-in-room ,so sound is not presented accurately, but at least you may judge the vinyl playback with regards to crackle and noise. ,not much of it to my ears…Recording and track choice was made to show that vinyl does not need to be noisy and full of crackle..

Vinyl source: AT-OC9MLii <100 hours , SME V, Michell Gyro SE, step-up Denon AU-320 ,Parks Audio Puffin RIAA 48khz Toslink to Trinnov Amethyst Preamp
Streaming: Roon on laptop - Tidal- Trinnov ( Ethernet Cat 5 or was it 6?) connection to Asus Router

The cartridge is not totally flat as digital , but still a nice cartridge, maybe some of you can notice the top end rise.? very common for MC cartridges

 

[SoundMann]

Let it go. It as if you live for audio pain.

No. I am very sensitive to high frequency distortion and nonlinearities, which is the primary reason that the sound of digital makes me not only fatigued, but also physically ill at times.

I also can't stand the sound of most modern "hifi" phono catridges and systems, and many cartridges that have over 300 hours on them.

 

[LeBlanc]

If I used my main system all day long for casual, critical, and background music, I’d definitely stream. But that’s not how I enjoy music. Listening (while doing nothing else) for a couple of hours after dinner each night is an “event” with all its attendant analog rituals. So to me it’s less about sound differences and more about how you use your system.

That said, some people are able to successfully have both analog and in their systems but around here, fractions of millimetres in speaker placement and other tiny tweaks seem to consistently make “not subtle” differences, so how could systems so dialled in sound equally good playing records and streaming?

I would be hesitant to place speaker placement in the same category as tweaks.

 

[Tangram]

I would be hesitant to place speaker placement in the same category as tweaks.

Sub millimetre adjustments to speaker position is a tweak in my books.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Remember to fasten your head in a vice before listening seriously ..