Do you stream hi-res music or download hi-res tracks? We want your opinions

[What Hi-Fi?]

Welcome to another instalment of our monthly Ask the Reader column, where we ask our readers for their input on a key topic of discussion.

In this month's discussion, we want to know how you listen to high-resolution music in your home hi-fi set-up. We're talking higher than CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) files, meaning digital files that are in 24-bit quality, going up to 192kHz, as well as DSD files.

It was the case only a few years ago that if you wanted to stream your favourite albums in hi-res quality, then you'd have to buy and download the album from sites such as HDTracks, 7Digital, Qobuz or NativeDSD, store them on a server, hard drive or on your laptop, and then use a hi-res streamer (or network audio player) that could stream those files over your home network and wi-fi.

Do you stream hi-res music or download hi-res tracks? We want your opinions : Read more

 

[michael hoy]

For me it is internal streaming, I download the album or track to my Server / NAS and stream to my Linn streamer.
I don't use any of the streaming sites to stream music.

 

[busb]

Until a couple of years ago, I'd say that streaming was my favourite option - renting rather than buying. Using iTunes has enabled me to locally cache a huge amount of music including classical & individual songs.
However, differences in SQ aside, dozens of tracks &/or whole albums suddenly become unavailable, despite d/ling them. "This song is no longer available in your region." Others maybe able to explain the why's but there's no technical reason music can't effectively be available for ever - you don't need to make another batch of CDs or LPs!
If I "buy" music, I don't own it but do have the right to listen to it - you don't get home to find some CDs or LPs are missing.
I do agree that equitable payment needs to be sorted out but politics seems to be intervening. I'd say to anyone thinking of streaming: be aware that your favourite music may suddenly be unavailable!

 

[michael hoy]

Until a couple of years ago, I'd say that streaming was my favourite option - renting rather than buying. Using iTunes has enabled me to locally cache a huge amount of music including classical & individual songs.
However, differences in SQ aside, dozens of tracks &/or whole albums suddenly become unavailable, despite d/ling them. "This song is no longer available in your region." Others maybe able to explain the why's but there's no technical reason music can't effectively be available for ever - you don't need to make another batch of CDs or LPs!
If I "buy" music, I don't own it but do have the right to listen to it - you don't get home to find some CDs or LPs are missing.
I do agree that equitable payment needs to be sorted out but politics seems to be intervening. I'd say to anyone thinking of streaming: be aware that your favourite music may suddenly be unavailable!

That is why i do what i do with my music. It won't disappear (unless i delete it of course 🙂

 

[mavplace64]

I grew up in the age of Vinyl, then converted to cd and have returned to vinyl about 15 years ago. So vinyl is my main source for music purchases and preferred way to listen to music. About 4 years ago I set up a streaming system with a streamer and dac using Tidal and Qobuz, this I use only really to discover new music but still stream at the highest quality I can. Storing and purchasing downloads has never interested me as there is no emotional involvement for me. Maybe being of a certain age and listening to an album rather than individual tracks means streaming and downloading will never be for me.