[bosiemoncrieff]

I have no prejudice against spinning discs, though if I'm going to get a disc player, I'd rather get one that can do DVDs and Blu-Rays. Mike, is there some reason to get a CD player for my Brahms and another disc player for my Wagner DVDs and Globe Theatre productions? (I'm really getting into the videographic history of Measure for Measure.) Can the OPPO players not cut it compared to the Emotiva with the AES/EBU out, or whatever wonderful treat you have in the pipeline?

 

[winders]

Wow, just wow. Thanks for the inform! This explains why even Tidal sounds like ass, and more so on some tracks than others. At least there is hope. I always knew that the best sound by far comes from spinning discs, which makes me really want to civilize and Schiitify the beautiful but plywood ugly CD spinning ugly box in my living room, which is closer to a product than it looks. And that is a promise.

I know, I know.. Streaming is so convenient. Then again, so is McDonald's.

Is this another product announcement?

 

[Baldr]

Is this another product announcement?

Nah,

Waaay too early - I have to get the SOL into production first. Only a medium to long term project.

 

[DeeKay10]

That'll teach us not to pirate music (instead of calling artists and their labels a bunch f**s, right?)!

 

[FLTWS]

Wow, just wow. Thanks for the inform! This explains why even Tidal sounds like ass, and more so on some tracks than others. At least there is hope. I always knew that the best sound by far comes from spinning discs, which makes me really want to civilize and Schiitify the beautiful but plywood ugly CD spinning ugly box in my living room, which is closer to a product than it looks. And that is a promise.

I know, I know.. Streaming is so convenient. Then again, so is McDonald's.

Please, a Mike anointed CD transport, I'm 70 and not getting any younger, physiologically. Mentally? My acquaintances have diverse opinions on that!!!

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Read this and weep!

https://www.mattmontag.com/music/universals-audible-watermark

Thank you kind sir. You opened my eyes and ears. I never could put a finger on the reason why Tidal and consorts made me itchy.
Now I know why I pulled it from my system. I was brainwashed by the iluminatie.
Wait until someone finds out MQA in a simmilar way puts murk in on the front and fiters it out at te back.
Time for revelution.
I'm going to sharpen my guillotine this weekend.
If the world still excists that is because it is scheduled to be destroyed on sunday.

 

[r0dd3r5]

Thank you kind sir. You opened my eyes and ears. I never could put a finger on the reason why Tidal and consorts made me itchy.
Now I know why I pulled it from my system. I was brainwashed by the iluminatie.
Wait until someone finds out MQA in a simmilar way puts murk in on the front and fiters it out at te back.
Time for revelution.
I'm going to sharpen my guillotine this weekend.
If the world still excists that is because it is scheduled to be destroyed on sunday.

You’re very welcome.

Yes it is such a shame that while we strive to achieve the best possible musical experience in our listening environments, the music industry seems determined to thwart our efforts at every turn.
I do wonder how streaming services can attempt on the one hand to extract more of our money to have ‘hires’ higher bit rate etc., and at the same time nobble the very same music with watermarking. There must surely be a better way to protect copyright!

Keep that blade nice and sharp

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Nah,

Waaay too early - I have to get the SOL into production first. Only a medium to long term project.

But a project nevertheless. Another patch of hope in these terrible audio times.

 

[Locutus73]

I know, I know.. Streaming is so convenient. Then again, so is McDonald's.

Let me disagree with this statement or, at least, with the analogy.
This sentence seems to imply that, in the audiophile world in particular and in real life in general, convenience always equates to low quality. This can be true in many occasions, but in this particular case I don’t agree. I’ll try to explain: in McDonald’s case, there are technical and economical restrictions that make it impossible to serve high quality meals; I mean you can’t possibly prepare gourmet meals in 5 minutes for 5 dollars, it’s simply impossible. In the case of online streaming, with the current technology (high speed connections that permits 4K video streaming at home) it’s perfectly possible to deliver to a DAC the same bitperfect binary stream contained in a redbook CD (or even better the original high quality master) with the convenience of an immense catalogue available at will; BUT (and this is a big bold but) a single (or more than one?) brand, the Universal Music Group, decides to purposely alter the binary content of its music for purposes that have nothing to do with technological or economical restraints. Going back to the food analogy, to me it’s like if we have a food chain (Tidal and other streaming companies) composed by high quality slow food restaurants, but a subset of these restaurants (Universal Music Groups) decides that its chefs have to pee on the perfectly crafted gourmet meals in order to track them in case the customers want to take them home. I mean: the quality is affected, but it has nothing to do with convenience.

Locutus73

 

[FLTWS]

Questions of convenience and ultimate SQ aside, I see lots of issues / complaints for non-disc users with regards to D/L speeds and reliability, issues with all the various USB/HDMI/wireless connection options, problematical driver software, PC related issues, etc. At most with CD's it seems to be about an occasional noisy motor, and even more rare, wondering about how bit perfect the unit may or may not be.

 

[Ableza]

Streaming is just like McDonalds. McDonalds food is bad for your body; streaming is bad for your ability to appreciate music. MP3 is in the same category. As is MQA. All are commercial schemes designed to cynically syphon money from your pocket with no real attention to quality. Like McDonalds.

I find the analogy apt.

 

[SeaWo|f]

Unless I am missing something here.. what is stopping them from water marking CDs as well?

 

[Locutus73]

Streaming is just like McDonalds.

Well, let’s see.

McDonalds food is bad for your body;

I agree, with their prices they cannot buy qualitative and healthy ingredients and they can’t process them in 5 minutes with good results.

streaming is bad for your ability to appreciate music.

Please elaborate: I don’t see any problem intrinsic in the streaming technology; we are discussing about audible watermark introduced by music labels in streamed content, but this has nothing to do with streaming per se; they could (and sometimes actually do) introduce watermarks in physical releases.

MP3 is in the same category.

Again I don’t agree: MP3 (and lossy compression in general) had a great historical relevance when hard disk space was limited and streaming was inconceivable; then it maintained relevance when lossless streaming was inconceivable; nowadays I agree it is anachronistic.

As is MQA.

Here we approach a minefield, may I go further in order to not digress?

All are commercial schemes designed to cynically syphon money from your pocket with no real attention to quality.

This seems to me a philosophical stance that, taken to the limit, can be applied to consumerism as a whole; but I think we should concentrate on the convenience vs quality, streaming vs watermarking topics.

Like McDonalds.

I find the analogy apt.

I don't agree; but if I take your original post and substitute the word “streaming” with “audible watermarking”, then I mostly agree with you.

Locutus73

 

[Brubacca]

Wow, just wow. Thanks for the inform! This explains why even Tidal sounds like ass, and more so on some tracks than others. At least there is hope. I always knew that the best sound by far comes from spinning discs, which makes me really want to civilize and Schiitify the beautiful but plywood ugly CD spinning ugly box in my living room, which is closer to a product than it looks. And that is a promise.



I know, I know.. Streaming is so convenient. Then again, so is McDonald's.

Streaming is ofter a collosal pain... even internal to the house. Sometimes you just want music with no IT work.

Please beautify and release an actual CD player. I would buy your CD player without hesitation. Really need one to complete my system. Not many affordable models available.

Is it multibit?

For all the Tidal, spotify crowd. Is this net neutralitt issue really going to allow isps to charge different rates depending on your available websites?

 

[Locutus73]

Unless I am missing something here.. what is stopping them from water marking CDs as well?

That’s the point my friend: if I’m not wrong, it seems to me that they apply watermarking to DVD Audio, to audio tracks of Blu-ray and to radio broadcasts. There’s no correlation between the transport technology and the (very bad) audible watermarking technology; they could apply it to CD audio, vinyl and audio tapes… but they’re following the money, and physical media is a dying market.

Locutus73