CD or High Res Streaming | Which Sounds Better?
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
- In this video, we'll explore the sonic differences between CDs and high-res streaming, touching on factors like audio resolution, compression, and personal preferences. We'll also discuss the benefits of higher bit depth and SNR in the recording process and how they can impact the final listening experience.
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#cd #highresolution #streaming
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I prefer CDs. I use streaming to FIND/TRY new music and artists, and if I like it, I usually purchase it on CD/SACD.
Hey Michael, totally agree, and I wish there were more SACD available!
@@audioarkitekts *Don't.* You guys may like jazz/classical music only to prefer CDs, otherwise, you may support the loudness war. Based on actual latest CDs album actual sales (reissues) in retail store (not counting pawn shops).
Since the loudness war will be a never-ending trend, and it won't, you have to live with that forever after; then THIS is WHY *high-resolution* audio exists
@@audioarkitekts Blame money, avarice, greed, and dirty games.
@@JnL_SSBMthe loudness war is a pretty annoying phenomenon. I must say though that I think the worst of it is behind us. At least I check out dynamic range before buying a CD and really bad ones are becoming rarer. Could be genre dependent, but as CDs aren't really a mass consumer product anymore, producers, and of course also the artists, realise that 'loud' CDs will actually do them more harm than good.
@@alphaniner3770 ☹️
BEST, honest, and practical explanation I’ve heard in my many years playing with audio. Thanks Mike, and keep up the great work!
Thank you for the support Andy!
My god I love your voice. I highly recommend selling your voice to marketing companies. Incredibly clear and smooth to listen to... Yes I am this impressed right now. Use your gift in more ways than "just" youtube.
Thank you so much. I would love to work with companies outside of RUclips. Enjoy the holiday!
Hi@@audioarkitekts did you record a separate take of your voice?
No easy answer indeed... bottom line is to just enjoy the music / performance. Streaming is so convenient especially for discovering new music.
I agree, having a healthy balance of both physical media and high res streaming is the most ideal.
Streaming music sounds muffled and flat sometimes
There is an easy answer. Hi res includes the ultrasonic frequencies emitted by the original musical instruments. CD doesn't include those frequencies. Ultrasonic frequencies have been shown to have a positive effect on the brain.
At the end of the day the CD gives you a competent physical copy of the music. It's quality while very good could still improve if only the industry would accept that a large portion of people still want that hard copy to have and hold.
I completely agree!
Unless the CD wasn't stored correctly, the distortion, freezing, and skipping will show up. It's happened to me 5 times from CDs I bought at thrift stores (online and physically). I've replaced 3 of them. While I may be waiting for the 3rd to get here, I'm waiting to replace the other two.
I listen to both, but there is something to be said about the experience of listening to a CD, reading the liner notes, lyrics and artwork in the CD case. When I want to do critical listening I use a CD because I don't have to worry about band width or possible drop outs. I have been a Metallica fan since the early 80s and I have a decent collection of their CDs. I don't have the last two though. Loved the subject of your video.
I completely agree Mike! Thank you for the support!
Funny, that's what I like about albums over CD's, the Artwork and extras.
Hard to access or see on a CD compared to an album, and I display a lot of albums as wall art. Can't do that with my CD's.
I own more CD'S than records, but trying to change that as I really enjoy the whole record experience (I actually like cleaning and curating albums along with an almost ceremonial process to play one).
You would be amazed at the info and art available through streaming services. Additionally, Tidal has a video feature where you can watch your favorite artist playing a session not available elsewhere.
CD is better than hi res streaming. I have tried streamers up to £15k and cd players up to £10k. It is not close. If you value 3d, CD should be your friend. We are being sold a lie....
I love CD as well Alex and appreciate your passion for the format!
@@audioarkitekts It would be so much easier if streaming sounded anywhere near as good as CD. Thanks for the thoughtful content. I feel sorry for anyone without a CD collection if they listen to digital and value sound-stage depth. This is where you feel the magic of the space it was recorded in, and the musicians within it.
@@audioarkitekts One last thing is CD is even better than HiRes downloads, not just streamed content.
Trust your ears people.....
It sounds better because CD is uncompressed.
@@alastorwyst9027 so are the better streaming services...
in my humble experience: CD, CD and CD. Hands down.
Love the passion for the CD!
Most of the ultrasonic frequencies are missing from CDs. Even vinyl has those frequencies and, of course, the original musical instruments have those frequencies as well. So I don't understand how anyone would prefer the CD. The ultrasonic frequencies have been shown to make a positive impact on the brain.
@@dtz1000 well I'm not a bat so ultrasonics don't make a difference to me
I brought a eversole master edition for $1100 returned it sounded terrible I was glad to start playing my CDs again Cds forever
Exactly. Just because you can't hear some things like you mentioned doesn't mean they don't ad to the recording.
I think it comes down to mastering. Sometimes the CD is mastered better, sometimes the hires is mastered better.
Thank you Sir, you described both sides of the CD VS Streaming divide with aplomb, and I now feel much better about (what I'd previously imagined to be) being able to hear the difference. Thanks again.
Great video Mike, definitely one of your more informative and level approach ones. I learnt some new things watching this and being a CD fanatic with new found knowledge I guess if my streaming buddies want to debate they better be "sleeping with one eye open"
I am so glad it helped Paul! Happy I could give you some ammunition! ;)
Seems to me that the most important thing in audio quality with good equipment is how well the music is recorded and mastered. I’ve heard bad recordings in multiple formats. Resolution makes no difference. Likewise great recordings sound terrific in cd or high res.
I need to source out the best recordings!
@@audioarkitektsagreed. I did enjoy the new remasters from Beatles, Rush and Pink Floyd as well as 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul in Apple Lossless format via Hi-X15 headphones and a simple DAC (£30). The main problem with my headphones and DAC they can expose bad quality recordings and demos no matter the format.
This is probably one of your best video!!! It explains the CD vs Streaming controversy so so so well. Enough science and common-sense talk. 4 thumbs up (including my toes). Thank YOU. Oh if you choose Eagles or Michael Jackson the next time--I'll be first to comment!! Just subscribed.
Thank you so much for the kind words and support!
@@audioarkitekts hope you can make time to comment on my comments on your "I'm Done" video.
I struggle to comprehend this concept, which is why I prefer buying CDs instead of downloading 24-bit files for purchase. Streaming is mainly for discovering new music. In my setup, I have a Cambridge Audio transport (cx family variety) connected to my Cambridge Audio Azur streamer. Additionally, I use a hard drive to play ripped CDs and purchased 24-bit files through the streamer. Surprisingly, when I compare playing a CD with the same DAC to playing 24-bit files from the hard drive with the same DAC, the CD always sounds better. One might expect the mechanical nature of an optical reader to reduce sound quality compared to reading data directly from a solid-state hard drive, but it’s actually the opposite. I’m puzzled by this, even when comparing albums that have been mastered identically. The cd has a much wider sound stage with a lot more depth. X10. The only thing I can think of is that the cx cd transport separates the signal is a superior way before sending to the optical external cable. Maybe that’s the power of a decent cd transport. Very surprising.
That's surprising to me as well. Unfortunately I don't have a transport to try it out, but in my setup in which a PC is the source I found that (with the same DAC, amp, etc...) ripped CDs playing off of flash storage seemed to sound better than playing the CD from the disk drive of the PC. It took a lot of A/B for me to determine that, however. Somehow playing from the disk drive seemed to result in a sound stage that was more flat. I've heard some claims that the reduced quality in this case could be caused by the cheap cable the connects the optical drive, but I can't claim to know. In any case, it suits me just fine to rip my CDs.
What format did you rip the CD into. If it was FLAC and lossless, then it should sound identical to the CD. If lossy MP3/AAC then there will be subtle changes but again ripping in those formats at +256kb/s should also sound identical to the CD for all practical purposes.
@@pzboyz72 good question - and that’s the whole point - always converted into lossless flack and wav.
Well you either got crappy highres sources or equipment, as a superior bitrate and quality, it should sound better if you use the same system, you have to take into account your own bias favoring a CD and perhaps associating « streaming » with crappy mp3 quality
I found it is more important how recording is produced to high quality than so much the format. Of course I would not include a substandard format like mp3. If a recording is produced poorly or recorded poorly it won't matter if you put it on SACD or High Res it's still going to sound poor. For real high-resolution recording you need to capture it at the time of the original performance using high-resolution equipment. Many specialty audiophile labels actually produce and release hi-res music. But the major labels generally do not. They repackage, remaster, and rerelease analog albums in hi-res, digital bit buckets but the fidelity of their reissued catalog will never reach the potential of a bona fide HD recording. And new productions are rarely recorded at greater than 48 kHz/24-bits, mastered to within a bit of their “dynamic range”
I completely agree. The MOST important part of the process is the recording and mastering process.
I currently don’t have a CD player in my possession, but I was blown away by the level of detail I heard when I streamed Hi-Res music on Apple Music when hooked up to a Peachtree Nova 300 stereo integrated amp, and coming out of Aperion Audio Verus Concert towers. But at some point I’d love to get a CD player and compare it on the same system. 😁
If you all aren't following Ealan, YOU SHOULD!! Thanks for the comment Ealan!
Ealan, go for a great TRANSPORT rather than a CD Player. You'll see a real difference between a CDT and a CDP. Plus, they usually cost less for better devices.
@@paulgreen2303 Awesome! Thanks for the tip!
Only because you wanted it to sound better.
I listened to the ceo from qobuz talk about this a little bit at axpona last weekend. He kept on saying just a little more emotion with the higher resolution. He’s a cool dude. Just like you Mikey!
Thanks buddy! I will make it to Axpona next year hopefully!
As an experienced techno-audiophile, I'm so happy to see a youtuber explaining everything accurately and truthfully to the masses. This is important because a war is going on where misinformation is being used to try to PREVENT the masses from getting hi-res music. This campaign is attacking TIDAL, claiming MP3 is equal to CD, that every DAC is equal, and so on.
I can vouch that everything this guy says is right.
Bottom line here is: improve your source quality, improve your audio components, and you WILL hear noticeable and quite enjoyable improvements in sound quality. The jump in quality can even be so addictive that you might become what's called an "audiophile", someone who is always chasing the dragon on getting better quality. ;)
Thanks for the great video Michael.
I listen to both. Have Qobuz and Tidal plus my Audiolab CDT 6000 cd transport.
I love that transport, great choices.
Good thing for me, I listen to both and I just enjoy the content, thank you for this type of content.
Thank you for watching!
personally i still love owning & holding a tangible medium, so for me, if i like the artist enough, ill buy the cd ...but now, if i only like, say one song on an album, ill usually just stick with a download... always enjoy ur videos, thank u sir
Thats a good way to look at it, thats why I am happy there are high res downloads available to us.
You're exactly right mastering and playback equipment (and ears) make the biggest difference. I always try to search for better masterings of my favourite albums. In Metallica's case there were some DCC compact classic mastering's from the early 90s that sound great (master of puppets and ride the lightening). For Death Magnetic there are the Guitar Hero rips. Great video, I love how you are covering different topics with a fresh take.
I appreciate that Neil thank you for the kind words!
I've simply just streamed music from youtube for years, and a couple weeks ago I put a cd into a dvd player and listened to it, and was taken back by how good it sounds. I purchased a song in .Flac and was even more impressed by it. I guess after about 15 years of just listening to music uploaded to youtube, I didn't realise how good cds and .flac and wave files are. Even Mp3s at 320 is better then what i was hearing on youtube. I like the idea of purchasing 320 mp3s and Flac files or cds because I can back it up in storage and support the artists.
Well said!! Enjoy what you enjoy and forget the rest!! Cheers. ❤🎉
Hey Mike, I would be interested to know what is your personal listening setup and which of the products you’ve reviewed have you held onto. Curious to know if you use room treatment. You have one of the top audio channels out there!
Thanks for the kind words and support Ray. I go over my system in the Hybrid HiFi video I recently did. Check it out! I will go more in depth with my living room setup here soon! I live in an apartment, so room treatments have to be strategic, as well as have that WAF lol. I can't wait, we will be buying a house soon and I have full creative control of my listening room. I am definitely going to be spending some money with Vicoustic treatments.
@@audioarkitekts Certainly will check it out, not sure how I missed it.
I like cd media personally but good to know that streaming can be as high or higher quality.
WOW! What an AMAZING explanation, very well done. Good job sir!
Thank you 🙏
Insightful and delightful! #EnjoyTheMusic
Thank you Tiaan!
You hit the audio nail on the head. The extra head room is great for recording mixing and mastering, not for listening…..mic drop !!!!
This is why I stream or play vinyl. Best of both worlds.
Cd's anytime!
Maybe the quality of the DAC is the crucial factor? Would you get a fairer comparison if you fed the signal from the transport stage of your CD player into the same DAC you use for streamed signal? That would surely then be a true comparison between signal sources.
But having said that, I’d bet that slight differences in mastering a CD version and a Hi-res version of the same music would swamp everything else. It’s all a bit like counting the number of angels dancing on a pin head, though. The real question always remains exactly the same: “do you enjoy listening to it?”
It really all comes down to mastering. If it's the same exact file on the CD and the hig res version then that would definitely be a good comparison, there's just no way to tell.
Like your channel, material that speaks to all CD collectors. I enjoy everything about CDs, the sound quality, the hunt, the convenience, and again, the sound quality. I use streaming mostly to preview music finds in my record stores. By the way I will love to have Metallica's 72 Seasons, I went with my sons to the live concert streamed to theaters
On Saturday I got 9 cds in a charity shop for 3 euro. You can’t beat that !! No streaming for me !!
You can't beat that, cheers!
I can. In my shop, They're 25p each!
This comparison can be made even closer - use the same DAC for both the CD and the stream. The thing that is not understood is that even though we can't hear the "standalone" pitch of a >20kHz sound - we *do* have the ability to hear the overtone harmonics of a percussion instrument that *do* contain the higher harmonic frequencies. Any instrument that is *struck* which includes piano - has an "instant" attack, and this *by definition* has a near square wave and this contains much higher frequencies.
Higher sampling rates also allow for the required filters to be much higher and be less steep - and this is largely avoids the phase issues that a "brick wall" filter, or even a dithered digital source will inevitably have.
Thanks for the explanation Neil! Awesome information!
Neil B. I totally agree with your statement; hearing [or discerning] OVERTONE HARMONICS which most listeners are not aware of. But attentively listening in a profound mood, one will savor the transient attacks of something in collision with another thing - something music lovers call it "AudiophiLICA ?😝
OK what about your everyday phone streaming Spotify vs a 50 dollar or less cd player?
Enjoyed and slapped !
NICEEEEEE!
The deciding factor for me is the convenience of streaming literally anything on a whim from Tidal on my phone wherever I am using my Qudelix, Hidizs S3pro or Periodic Rhodium dongle DAC. In the car it's easier letting the CD player play on, but I have a BT receiver if I want to stream. Convenience aside, I do appreciate a physical CD case and booklet and having a collection I can see and feel which is intrinsically more valuable than an icon in an app.
Thank you. Actually, I have a project I'm recording, and we've discussed streaming vs. CD and the quality. Also discussed recording at 48k and final mix at 44.1k. Thanks for the info, appreciated.
I use an Audiolab 6000CDT for CDs via Toslink, and Cambridge Audio MXN10 for Qobuz via coax SPDIF, both to my miniDSP FLEX used as a DAC plus room correction. The Audiolab transport beats the streamer quite consistently for detail, air, and soundstage. I'm going to assume the Audiolab has a better crystal oscillator (it is oven controlled but my room stays pretty consistent), but it might also have better noise management. I think the cables are equivalent quality. I could try the same cables on both and see how it works out.
Well presented. Thank you.
Thank you for the support!
Some like nostalgia, be it vinyl or CD formats, the handling, the equipment, the novelty of going out and searching for music at shows, flea markets, garage sales, etc. These formats with suitable equipment can sound euphonious and one can experience alot of the audiophile attributes such as separation, depth, etc. These people even like looking at their collection arranged on shelves for a variety of reasons including that it shows the time and effort someone puts into this hobby.
With streaming, having well matched equipment and streaming services can do much of the same but without the visual effect of the hobby. Provided your favorite recordings are available and in a well recorded/processed file for streaming, it can be just as illuminating into the music and perhaps more from what I have read others' reporting in their experience.
While I haven't streamed yet through my equipment, I can see doing so down the road for less clutter, etc., as I move to a smaller space (I'm older) and want less clutter in my life. Would I want to just stream? Don't know as I do like the novelty of searching for really great music I can enjoy and flipping formats to fund the equipment I want to buy. Can't do that with streaming.
So I could see myself blending both physical formats and streaming together, having the physical media for music (and movies) for content I experience regularly and streaming for something I would choose once or every so often. I think this is a good blend of consuming media for myself and many others. However, I would like to see a hi resolution physical media format to make media a more lifelike, realistic experience. Something like music on a Bluray format that exceeds the information even on an SACD and would be more durable as well. That would be a commitment by industry to design, produce, and manufacture equipment to make use of this method. It can be done and done profitably.
I also like the idea of a print on demand physical form where one can choose their favorite songs and artists and put it all on one of two, or more discs, design your own artwork, etc. One could probably have their own library of their favorite music by genre, period, type, etc. That really appeals to me.
So in my case it comes down to whatever song has the better mastering and dynamic range. Both my streaming transport using Amazon music HD and disc transport using cd/sacd/dvd-a go directly into a Topping D90SE DAC. One in the IIS input and the other USB input port.
Sounds like you're all set!
Great video and thank you for your insight. You are absolutely right that there are just too many variables to say one is definitively better than the other and in the end all that really matters is enjoying the music. Personally I like both - can't beat the convenience of streaming, especially for listening to new artists but I really enjoy owning my music and having that physical medium. And I do like Metallica.
I love both mediums as well and hope we can all continue enjoying both! Thanks for entering the Metallica raffle!
My cd's sound better.
Hi great video, if you pay for the upgrade Spotify is cd still better than Spotify. What do you think . Regards mark
I wish SACD went mainstream. We may never get a new physical high-res format since it costs money to make the medium. I love CDs, but might be USB thumb drives from here on out
I’m not sure how this translates to home audio but I know my experience with car audio listening to CD sounds significantly better than streaming through my phone with “lossless” Apple Music.
I don’t know the nuts and bolts as to why but I do know that the difference is not negligible as stated in this video. Obviously I am not running a stock system and have high quality speakers and LOC and amplifier upgraded components in my car. So maybe if it was a stock audio system the difference wouldn’t be much?
Yes, in the car it’s super noticeable! Mainly because of the digital to analog conversion going on from source to speaker. If you’re running off Bluetooth that would be enough to tell you a CD will sound better all day!
Nice piece definitely agree that 16/44 is good enough but 24/96 or 24/192 is better but you do need a system worthy of it to notice the differences.
You said you wished they'd create a 24/192 CD erm well they did it's called DVD Audio
I have a few recordings & they're great, definitely my preference over SACD's as I'm not a fan of DSD.
I wish DVD Audio had caught on.
I stream for the convenience. I listen to CD’s when time allows. When I really have down time I listen to vinyl.
The bottom line for me is does it sound good to the listener?
DAC DAC DAC ….it’s alway comes down to Turing 1010110…into an analog signal to be used by the rest of the amplification chain.
Great video ☕️🍕
Thanks Carmine! I agree the DAC is super important!
@@audioarkitekts DAC’s are the brains 🧠 and can add flavor to the signal ,I mean some have TUBES in the output stages …
@@audioarkitekts What do you think about the Schiit Modi 3 ?
I SO agree with your comment on hi-res recording, mixing and mastering. This has a HUGE effect on the quality, irrespective of the support. However, as for the perceived experience, I much prefer vinyl! CD is neither the "endless discovery ... and convenience" of streaming, nor the "high quality and tactile experience" of vinyl with a good deck and cart! But then, to conclude, I also agree that we should embrace not both, but all three formats, especially if you have a good collection of CDs and vinyl. Great educational video too!
I am probably biased on this issue. Being that I have way too much physical media, I choose CD's - as I rarely stream music.
CDs are king!
Great video - everything sounds better than Spotify, lol!
Yes it most certainly does lol
The thing that concerns me the most is that streaming services can pull the plug and any time or raise the price of your rental music whenever they want.
Correct. That does worry me too
That’s why I’m collecting cds
Me too!
That's why I opt with free route such as Spotify & RUclips Music instead (but I have to bear with lower audio quality & ads though).
I stream and always choose the highest quality available on Apple Music but I would be lying if I said I could hear the different between CD 16/44 vs Hi Res
It’s tough to hear the difference between hi res and CD, however I can hear the difference between Spotify and CD all day long
@@audioarkitekts true, especially if you have good equipment to play CD
is it just me or if you listen to Big love by Fleetwood Mac right at the start. The cymbal splash as the sound starts distorts on Spotify? Instead of a clean fade out it warbles as it hits the top end of the "Tish" . Apart from isolated instances like this I really do not notice too much difference in songs.
I love that track! Huge fan of the Elizabethtown soundtracks!
Hey Mike, good video. I have a reasonable streaming set up using ifi Signature products and for searching for new music or parties it’s the go to source. For listening to my own digital music I use my CD player as the quality is better and I prefer the curated set of songs selected by the artist/producer.
Friends who have streamers generally also have hard disk storage too and this is the repository for all their CDs. The interesting comparison for them is to play the CDs directly on a transport via an external DAC to the amp. They then switch in the hard drive stored version through the same DAC and lo and behold they say the sound is identical!
So for me, it’s more about whether you like handling the physical media or want the convenience of a single solution to pick from stored CDs or off air using a single interface. In the end what ruined so many CDs was the loudness wars. It’s the reason I have thrown myself so far back down the vinyl route.
And before everyone piles on about dynamic range etc, perhaps it’s worth remembering the actual dynamic range of a brick wall mastered CD or stream is about 8db. That’s not a typo, it really is that low. My records may only have a theoretical maximum db range of 60, but much of that is used on most records so they sound better. Not saying it’s cheap, ‘cause it’s anything but, however, it is the best source I now possess, although I still love my CDs.
I will never let go of my CDs. Thanks for the support Mark! I am glad you share my enthusiasm for CDs.
Great video Mike! I am really loving your videos and also your podcasts very informative and helpful especially for those new to the hobby like myself, I am debating whether to get a CD player (probably the Rotel CD11 as everyone inc. you raving about that one for the price) to match my entry level system (Triangle Borea BR03's, NAD C316V2BEE Amp, Pro-Ject Carbon Debut Evo Turntable with a IFI ZEN DAC V2 plugged into the Amp for streaming via Spotify) I think I would get a bump in sound quality vs my current streaming sound (?) happy streaming day to day for casual listening but want to build a CD collection for those albums and artists I love, and whilst I certainly don't regret buying a turntable has made me realize a few things.
1. You need to spend more money both on vinyl and the actual set up - think I need to get pre-Phono amp now to improve sound to make difference between streaming vs turntable better - with CD player you just buy good one with good DAC and hopefully done no changing stylus upgrading tonearms, platter, cartridge etc etc
2. Ease of use with CD's you still have the commitment of listening to one album getting up and putting CD on but that is it then you can just concentrate on listening pleasure without worrying about dusting the record, changing sides etc etc not to mention easier to store, less fragile as well!
Vinyl still has a romanticism to it and glad I bought it (should have bought second hand!) especially for old 70's albums but buying an expensive streamer to stream Hi Res seems little crazy to me vs just buying a good quality CD player which I think would still get you great quality sound but maybe that is just me 😁
I am glad you are enjoying the content A P, I am definitely taking things into a different direction.
I have a huge vinyl collection. A substantial CD collection. Vut, these days, I stream most of my music. It’s just so damned convenient! The thing that above all determines the quality of musical reproduction, is the recording, in my humble experience and opinion.
Does ‘high res’ playback sound better than ‘standard CD quality’? Well I throw open this challenge to anyone. Compile 2 versions of your favourite playlist. One in high res, the other standard CD quality. Try and compile a lengthy playlist, 4 plus hours long. Then sit down in your favourite listening chair, armed with a glass of your favourite aged single malt, sit back and listen, attentively. Even if you are unable to hear a difference between the 2 formats, I bet you will suffer from listener fatigue much sooner with the CD quality.
Try it.
I agree. Streaming is sometimes cold and clinical without the right DAC.
@@audioarkitekts yes, as with any music format, the right component makes a hell of a difference. I used to stream via a premium Delta Sigma DAC and I was happy with the musical reproduction. I’ve recently upgraded to a R to R DAC. The upgrade was worth every penny!
I prefer downloading FLAC files to streaming. There is no technical basis for saying that 24/96 FLAC in the home sounds better than CD, or vice versa.
I love Metallica! I love vinyl and Cd’s. The selection of used CD’s in Saskatoon is much better than Vinyl. I have Parkinson’s so CD’s are easier to handle. Great channel Mike!!
I love Metallica too as well as Night wish, Meatloaf, GnR, Black Sabbath and more. CDs are great and vinyl has come back in a big way...
Beyond the CD/Streaming 'quality' debate is the bigger issue (for me anyway) of listening to entire albums in sequence. The musician agonises massively about the final content and order of the pieces. Streaming totally ignores that. I'm a photographer, and if I exhibited my work in a gallery the TOTAL content and the SEQUENCE of work is integral to my work as an artist. If someone only viewed a few photos out of order I'd be p*ssed.... same goes for music artists.
Thanks for a great video! I stream, listen to cd’s and vinyl. I have high end equipment, and consider myself a budding audiophile. I have come to the conclusion that the best equipment in the world will not be of use if the recording is horrible, no matter which media you choose to listen with! I recently ordered from MOFI, a remastered The Cars cd and it’s sounds better!
Ohoo, so much truth in the words above...
MOFI, huh?
Thank you very much!
I completely agree, recording, mixing and mastering is #1
CD's were great until the Loudness Wars. I have cd's I bought in the late 80's - early 90's, they sound fantastic but some later cd's I purchased in the 2000's sound really compressed and are just awful sounding. I have run into the same problem with streaming.
I'm glad the Loudness wars are over. I did a whole video about the Loudness Wars, you should check it out!
What about ripping CD to FLAC file and running through a Dac from PC? Is this still maintaining the audio quality?
That’s perfectly fine!
Call me a Boomer, but CD is far better. I hate the fact that cities are considered vintage. Now up-and-down for like ever and they've never been vintage to me. I do buy records. I don't listen to records commonly because it's ridiculous. Digital sounds way better, but I do have records.
I like the tech explanations! Cd, vinyl, or streaming, just the fact we have the discussion points to the fact we are all listening. We are all the same kind of animals! We love audio. Incidentally, Cds and a hard drive and seperate dac for me these days. 😊
Hi. Which one would be better digital music apps like Spotify, Apple Music like that or DVD/ CD?
Good explantion. The other element to consider is age and hearing of the listener. I'm 63 and have attended many very loud concerts over my life along with working in some very noisy situations. This translates to somewhat less than perfect hearing now. I have tried to hear the difference between many formats and resolutions of the same track to try hear the differences for myself. Given that the equipment used is of a decent quality and the recording is also good, I can't say that higher resolution files are better than CD recordings. I can hear differences in the mix but that is nothing to do with the resolution of the file. I never listen to Spotify, it just hurts.
P.S, I'm not a Metallica fan by the way. Thanks.
What a fantastic video explaining the difference i listen to both my cd sounds better mainly because my cd player is a high end cd transport and dac my streamer is a budget one how about SACD's hi-res which didn't take off i wonder if it was out now if it would take off ?
I listen to both, but prefer CD, maybe it's my gear but CD's just sound better. I stream Tidal from my PC and from my Cambridge EVO 150, sounds better on the EVO, but then that's a better set up. I will be getting a better DAC at some point, but right now i'm happy with streaming & CD playback, but CD wins for me. I still play vinyl too, but CD is always 1st. I just love physical media, and being able to own it and helping the bands, where as streaming only really benefits the shareholders. I love having a collection too, it's why I could never part with my CD's/Vinyl, it's a huge part of my life, my history is tied to that collection...I love Metallica, been a fan since Master of Puppets, they aren't the band they once was, but aren't most bands like that? lol
When CD is done right, it's extremely hard to beat. I definitely share your opinion!
I use both but I enjoy cd’s mostly and use streaming to find new music
Same here!
'Onya Mike! Now this is good content. I really appreciate your loyalty to the good ol' CD especially in these days of constant CD bashing from the general music (particularly the Vinyl) community. People must realise that with a good DAC, the CD can sound absolutely superb- exactly why some of us LOVE them. My music passion is now ranging into quality jazz sooooo, definitely no Metallica for me, thanks!
Thanks for the support Bruce. And I completely agree with you! We have to stand our ground for the CD.
I'm an old school guy with over 2000 CDs and a vinyl record collection. I have a good stereo system. I will never be a streamer regardless of the quality. I like owning the physical media. My CDs and vinyl records both sound great. Sure, they take up space but I don't mind. That's how I grew up. Having said that I have absolutely nothing against streaming and those that enjoy it. If that works for you then so be it. It's just not for me.
I do love how we are still passionate about physical media. It keeps the traditions alive and benefits the artists as well! Thank you for being an awesome part of this hobby Nelson!
Whether cd or hi res, I like music mastered in old style. Dynamic range from 12 to 14.
I listen to vinyl, CDs, and stream (qobuz). I tend to stream if I'm doing other things, like working, and use vinyl or cd if I'm critically listening.
Thats where I am at as well.
Everyone should do their thing. I have to say with a caveat I do use entry-level audiophile equipment, but I can't hear the difference. If there is, it's small. And I want there to be. I want it to sound like im in the room of the Jazz Masters of Old, and it just doesn't. It's disappointing. I'm willing to pay top dollar for the experience. But Im unsure if it's out there. Maybe its just not out there for me.
Really outstanding reviews!
Thank you so much!
It comes down to the master recording. If that's bad then any format sounds crap. Next it's down to equipment, DAC, amp and speakers or headphones. Also if streaming using bluetooth or wired.
This is exactly what led me to my conclusion of there being too many variables to discern between the two.
Cd is first, along with vinyl record... Then one can stream 🫡😁
And i love 'Tallica 🫶🤘
You are entered in the raffle! Thanks for the comment!
Hi Mike, nice one. We talked on this specific topic a week ago, so I'll continue it here. Both my streamer (I use Internet Radio only) and my audiolab cd-transport run thru the same internal DAC in my Amp: often Internet Radio does sound better, more spacious, more lively etc. I am not sure if it's the higher streaming resolution that makes the difference, or whether the radio stations use some magical EQ filter. Or maybe my present digital coax cable running from my transport is not up to the job? So I invested in a cable upgrade, it will arrive soon, I am very curious to hear if this new cable levels the difference in sound impression. All the best, Gerlach Sven
Let me know if you hear a difference, I am intrigued!
I DON'T LISTEN TO METALICA. I KNOW PAT BOONE LIKES IT. ...BUT I JUST LOVE THE WAY YOU EXPLAIN HOW TECHNOLOGY WORKS ! AUDIOPHILIK IN EVERY WAY. LOOKING FAST FWD TO YOUR NEXT EDUCATIONAL VIDEO, . . GREETINGS from CHICAGO.🤩
In the 80's and 90's they made real quality hifi cd players I'm pretty sure that Sony cdp x55es I had at the time out performs all modern streaming equipement it was build up on a composite tile with three power supplies one for each audio channel and one for the logic components the stereo signals were completely sepperated in their own copper chassis it was amazing no streamer is build like that
Though I know this to be true, I am always jarred when I hear ‘ the nostalgia of listening to cds’ I vividly remember buying my first cd, it was from my local record store Musique in Bangor NI. It was A Secret Wish from Propaganda, fun note, the store had a small stack of cds on the counter and the cd was recommended by Gerry Lang who is now a radio presenter here. He saw my preferences were synth based, Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Yazoo etc and his pick was great.
Is it fair to compare this audio subject vs the video streaming? Let's say an episode of game of thrones through streaming is gonna be as satisfactory -in terms of good picture and audio- as the same episode played in dvd -or bluray.?
Tell me our opinions please.
The 4k version of Game of Thrones is far superior in both video quality and audio quality than the streamed version on HBO. The reason for this is heavy compression by the streaming services due to many factors one being bandwidth and many people don't have high speed internet. Also many people have limits on the amount of data on their plans so streaming services cannot stream a lossless version.
For the most listeners by far, their ears or speakers are the factor limiting the quality, not the digital audio format.
I love CD and cassettes but in the current world its hard to listen to music in a quiet place, and with how quick life is nowadays i prefer streaming and its hard tell the difference. When i got kids around the house and noisy coworkers
Mike what everybody does is confuse the frequency of the audio and the frequency of time. When frequency is mentioned with a DAC it's the amount of samples in a second not the pitch of the frequency. I thought of a good way to explain it. If you are watching a movie and close your eyes half a second and open them half a second then you are getting .5 frequency. If you blink FASTER or more times a second you get more data. Everybody always confuses this. what do you think? Think of frequency as time (how frequent something happens). EDIT : By the way I do love Metallica and I have a disk changer in my Blazer with nothing in it, also known as YOUR HELL!!! hahaha
I can't wait to see what you got going on next brother.
I prefer DSD, as used with SACD. Somehow the lack of a sharp ‘low pass filter’. I suggest a set of cotton buds to clean your ears if you can’t hear the difference! My turntable sounds supremely better.
Great question and great video! I generally prefer a cd over a remastered (aka very very very loud and eq'ed) version of the same album in Tidal. But the other day I was listening to Whitney Houston's first cd (sorry, I'm not into Metallica) and I noticed it was full of "original master tape problems". I don't know if it's only my copy, but I realized that the Tidal version (remastered) sounded much cleaner. Same issue with "the turn of a friendly card" by Alan Parsons Project. So, I agree you have to take advantage of the best of both worlds and always look for the best recording possible. And gapless playback is much better in the cd for me.
As well as DSD or SACD wins over too
Agreed
Is there not a standard measurable value that can be used to judge reproduction of a signal?
It sounds like the higher bit depths can only potentially resolve signals more precisely but has nothing to do with how accurately this is done.
It's like saying I have a scale that can measure my weight to the nearest 10th of a LB but is 3 LB off.
It's much better to then have a scale that only measure my weight to the nearest LB while being maybe less than 1 lb inaccurate.
The answer then would be to use a known weight to compare the two.
Great video there’s something about only paying 12 bucks for a cd like Eagles greatest hits. Some day those prices will double it’s inevitable . I have Apple Music Spotify and You tube music. If I just dropped one of those services and bought one brand new cd a month I’d have a growing collection . 🤔
This is what I want to convey to the world I am so glad you get it!
Something I thought, which another youtuber pointed out.
They were listening to streamed music on a high end streamer....but the cd player was from the 80s.
So what happens if the CD player was swapped out for a high end one 🤷♂️
Same comparing vinyl!
There are just so many variables!
At any rate, my ears ring constantly and I can't pick up anything over 11,000hz so it really makes very little difference to me😔
Luckily I can ignore it pretty well ! 😉🙏
Hi Mike, I like your enthusiasm about the whole CD and Hi-Res concept. But its important that you are accurate about the frequency response of the human hearing and hi resolution files. This is two different things. The hi res files for example are 24bit by 96khz. This is the DATA format and not actual frequency of human hearing. This data is recognized by a DAC and then translated to analog that you can hear. The higher in data resolution, means more detail of music it contains. Basically DSD64 music file is 64 x the quality of a CD. And of course your system has to be up to the task of handling this massive data file. But the result is incredible with hi res material.
Most music you can't hear on streaming at all. Compact disc wins.The benefits of 24 bit Audio are at the studio. You can get the same results with a 24 bit mastered with a 16 bit CD.
i am an avid collector of physical discs (SACDs) and a qobuz subscriber. Any titles I like on Qobuz I get to purchase at less than what that CD would have been, so the $15/month sublime subscription pays for itself.
Basically, you're a renter. Not a home owner.
@@380stroker with a library of 246,555 tracks and 8.7TB of music, i can assure you i own my home.
@@markdecker2112 That went right over your head.
That''s a lot of music holy cow!
Thanks
Thank you so much!
I prefer high quality streaming services. I have CDs still so I like to play them from time to time but the convenience and ability to sample almost everything is unbeatable. Using a good streamer with a good dac and fiber internet (literally no drop outs) results in a marvelous experience.