Comparing digital files/sources to each other and to vinyl...

[nicoff]

To rip or not to rip...
Long Long ago, it was not possible to get 16/44 quality from streaming services. Those days, MP3 quality was the most one could get from the internet. That is the reason why many of us opted to rip our entire cd collection at full resolution and put it in a NAS.

If you have ripped your entire collection, you can store it online and access it from ANY location in the world with internet access. (No need for a pick truck to carry your CDs around).

Also you can copy your ripped files to a portable hard drive and take it with you wherever you want (no internet needed).

If you decide not to rip and solely rely on your Tidal subscription, that’s fine. But keep in mind that if at any time you cancel your subscription or if Tidal goes away, your entire library of Tidal albums goes away too and you have to start from zero.

If I buy a new CD (I seldom do anymore), I rip it and copy to my NAS. That way my collection of ripped CDs is always up to date.

Roon can connect to the library in my NAS and also to my Tidal library simultaneously. I can tell Roon which version of an album I want displayed as “primary” and I can “hide” the other version if I wish to do so. Even if Tidal goes away, I still have my own library to play around using Roon.

Ripping my CD collection and using Roon keeps me from wasting time loading CDs, looking for a CD that for some odd reason is not where it should be, finding that the CD case is empty and wondering when I last played the disc, finding track no 10 of xyz CD, etc. To me, all of that adds up to wasted time that I rather use listening to music.

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by Dr Tone

It could, I have no crystal ball.

Just a couple comments why Qobuz has a better offering right now for me.

1) When you are a Sublime or Sublime+ subscriber you can purchase any content you want permanently for your collection at a very nice discounted price. I try and buy.
2) Metadata, Qobuz has much richer content for the music lover to peruse. Allot of albums have nice pamphlets similar to Vinyl.
3) Better apps. The Tidal app was brutal.
4) Real high res and no Bob fee involved.
5) Great Jazz selection.


They've almost failed twice now I believe, I hope they have finally learned from their mistakes. The company that owns them now is sound and the new CEO is top notch.

If you are in Germany and getting into digital streaming, you should give it a try.

.02

For me:
Point 1) That is good to be able to purchase if it really is a a discount to HD Tracks or Onkyo MQA.
Point 2) Meaningless
Point 3) Never use the tidal app on its own, only integrated with Roon.
Point 4) I have paid no fees for Bob "yet".
Point 5) Really meaningless for me.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by Still-One

Point 1) That is good to be able to purchase if it really is a a discount to HD Tracks or Onkyo MQA.

Just for fun, I did a price comparison of HDTracks, Onkyo and Qobuz of a few albums I bought from Qobuz in the last couple of months. These are fairly typical discounts for Qobuz if you're a Sublime subscriber. Qobuz prices are Euros converted to USD at current exchange rate. Onkyo was 20% cheaper than HDTracks, and Qobuz 38% cheaper.

[crwilli]

Only thing I would add is that with a little patience, there is never any reason to pay full price on HD Tracks. They often offer 15, 20 and sometimes 25% off their entire catalogue.

[bruno2009]

Buying HD Tracks is actually something I have not considered at all yet - and this might be an argument for a NAS. I won’t start ripping unless I really decide to give up my CdP... but I have never bought a Download.

What’s a good online address to search & shop?

[crwilli]

hddtracks.com. nativedsd.com

[bruno2009]

... how are these downloaded tracks in terms of SQ ?

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by bruno2009

... how are these downloaded tracks in terms of SQ ?

Just like everything else a mixed bag. I have a few that are better than CD quality while others aren't worth the additional cost. I have given up and would have to find something very special to buy more of them.

[bruno2009]

I‘ll stick with Vinyl and CDs for what’s already here and Tidal for future releases when there’s no decent Vinyl release... that gives me the best of three worlds I guess...

Don‘t think I‘ll have to go down the road with a NAS...

... glad I could be convinced into Tidal & Roon though [emoji106]

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by bruno2009

... how are these downloaded tracks in terms of SQ ?

You have to be careful in what you buy. There are examples of so-called hi Rez files (typically high Rez files made from old recordings) that have no additional musical data than a regular CD.

And by the same token you can also find hi-Rez versions of newly remastered old recordings that sound wonderful.

There are several websites where folks compare the hi Rez files with the regular CD and graphically show the Difference in the contents between the two. I always check those sites before I invest in a high resolution file.

Now, keep in mind that Tidal MQA offering include many of those high Rez mastered files so you may not have to purchase the hi Rez albums since they are included in your Tidal subscription. And if you are using Roon, those files will play at 96/24 resolution in your existing audio equipment (assuming that it can play that resolution).