[robjones67]

I'm returning to high-end audio and listening etc. after quite some time away. I have invested in the equipment, started ripping my CD collection to FLAC to use with Roon and been trialing Tidal and Qobuz. Auralic Aries G1 for streaming at home and Mac/external DAC/speakers or headphones at the office.

I realize there are different goals at play for each, but how are people accumulating their high-res music; streaming or purchasing/downloading? Still buying the disc and ripping it too? The streaming would be much more economical of course, but curious what methodology (and why) people are following. Since I don't travel/commute a lot I don't have much need for a DAP. When I do, my Macbook and portable DAC would let my streaming or library follow. Thanks for discussing.

 

[John2e]

Ripping SACD’s. To DSF files

 

[Allegro maestoso]

Not gonna stream, no way . Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like to collect something I can enjoy anywhere, anytime, without paying the dreaded monthly subscription fees. I do pay for SiriusXM in my car - this is where I hope to hear stuff I want to add to my collection. When I hear something I like, I try to find a FLAC version on 7digital. I like 7digital because unlike some hi-res sites that shall remain nameless, they offer most tracks on an individual basis, rather than forcing you to buy the whole album.

As convenient and modern as streaming and digital downloads are, there is still a VAST amount of music that is not available online, lossless OR lossy. Recently I have bought used CDs for tracks I heard on the radio and really wanted to own - Rory Gallagher's Cluney Blues and James Cotton's Muleskinner Blues, for example. Zeos recently played some of the Cowboy Bebop OST on his YouTube channel and I HAD to have that disc, so I bought a used copy from eBay. To my knowledge, none of this is available for legitimate download. An even larger amount of music is only available as (gag me with a spoon) mp3. I'll buy mp3 if I really want the music and don't want to buy the whole CD, but it's definitely not my first choice.

CD's? My collection is pretty huge, and ripping everything to FLAC is a big hassle. I have the means to play them - NAD and Onkyo CD players and a TEAC bookshelf system, so why not keep using the discs that way? I don't want them to be "dead weight" after ripping them. I also like having all the original album art, credits, notes, printed lyrics, and other printed material that RARELY accompanies downloads. I'll rip the occasional track or album that I really like and want to listen to often, sure, but not my whole colelction. CDs are kind of like books for me - 90% of my current purchases are downloads, but if there's something really special or I find a great price, I'll buy a physical copy. I buy all of Lee Child's books in hardcover. I recently bought a brand new CD of Billy Gibbons's The Big Bad Blues and haven't even bothered ripping it - I just listen to the disc.