why does streaming from local storage sound better than the same album, at same resolution streamed from Qobuz?

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

4 hours ago, Blackmorec said:

That a part I really don't understand but I’m far from the only person to have found this, which makes me wonder if the network improvements have nothing to do with data per-se and are more to do with other co-generated, co-transmitted effects that ripple through the network to disturb some key audio processes. 

 

 It's easy to verify that what you call "network improvements" have nothing to do with the data by doing a bit perfect test. 

[davide256]

 

2 hours ago, plissken said:

 

Yep. This all goes back to statements I made about what constitutes best practice. Even in networking we have RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) where two NIC's can setup a channel and go from RAM block to RAM block.

 

iPerf does something like this where it sets up RAM buffer on Server and Client side so the disk subsystem isn't involved in seeing how much network throughput can be achieved.

 

With JRiver and their killer buffering options, their ability to abstract themselves from the lower layers literally means it is a play back system that is feasibly capable of taking advantage of full wire rate and even exceeding disk I/O limitations if you were somehow crazy enough to put together a battery backed up system with a few TB of RAM to store all your music (probably want the ECC buffered type for that 😉)

I got annoyed with the yearly Jriver updates charges, couldn't hurt to trial it again, will be interesting to see how it behaves with 768/24 files. Network  attached DAC setup

was a bit of a kludge at version 22.

 

[Blackmorec]

3 hours ago, plissken said:

 

I responded to the context of what you considered changing variables in your setup as far as hardware change up (that you would run a cable?) and that is what I meant by ZERO change to your variables in you physical layout.

 

I'm only saying we can introduce a VPN tunnel to the mix with the same copy of a song stored locally and one hosted.

 

Does that clear it up?

Ahhh yes, now I see what you meant. Sorry I got hold of the wrong end of the stick.     

[plissken]

3 hours ago, davide256 said:

 

I got annoyed with the yearly Jriver updates charges, couldn't hurt to trial it again, will be interesting to see how it behaves with 768/24 files. Network  attached DAC setup

was a bit of a kludge at version 22.

 

 

I'm still on 24. Does everything I need it to do. You aren't forced to upgrade.

[Mike K]

I’m far from an expert but I believe the locally stored music minimizes the latency resulting in a more live performance sensation.   Do others agree with this explanation?  

[Blackmorec]

On 9/26/2021 at 5:25 PM, hopkins said:

 

 It's easy to verify that what you call "network improvements" have nothing to do with the data by doing a bit perfect test. 

I would imagine that the bits themselves are identical. Its the analog ‘fabric’ that the bits are made of that changes. From example, produce a bit stream over a network based on cheap consumer switched mode power supplies then compare it with exactly the same bit perfect stream produced using high quality linear power supplies and if your system is any good, you should hear major changes in the presentation of the music.  

Bear in mind that in a bit stream, there’s no such thing as a ‘1’or a ‘0’. All there is is an analog representation; a time bound voltage that either changes polarity (1) or doesn’t (0)

[bodiebill]

17 hours ago, Mike K said:

I’m far from an expert but I believe the locally stored music minimizes the latency resulting in a more live performance sensation.   Do others agree with this explanation?  

 

Although latency is a nuisance when recording I do not see how it would hurt audio playback. But maybe I am wrong.

[bodiebill]

I was averse to streaming, i.e. sending audio data over the network, for many years. However recently that has changed as a result of using Diretta. I now prefer streaming -- from a control point to the Diretta host and then via Diretta ASIO to the Diretta target -- to playing local files. Apparently reading local files creates more nasties in my setup than Diretta streaming.

Another one of my prejudices tossed out of the window. (Not that I no longer have any.)

[MarcelNL]

I currently have a few files locally and streaming from Qobuz, and yes the nuances differ..yet when I play the local file from RAM it always sounds better, more involving, whole, snappyper etc than when over the internet.

[jabbr]

On 6/25/2022 at 7:56 PM, MarcelNL said:

I currently have a few files locally and streaming from Qobuz, and yes the nuances differ..yet when I play the local file from RAM it always sounds better, more involving, whole, snappyper etc than when over the internet.

All the files I play regardless of original format, are from RAM.

[bodiebill]

10 hours ago, jabbr said:

All the files I play regardless of original format, are from RAM.

 

Playing from RAM can also be done local, and in that case requires extra CPU activity. While with streaming the target gets the audio data presented without sweat. The question, I guess, is which process creates the most nasties, local playback or network streaming. There is not one answer to this as it depends on the setup. For me Diretta was a breakthrough that made me prefer streaming to local playback -- at least for now.

[Ulrich]

I listened to the kef LS50 wireless at my brother's place comparing CD to Qobuz and was shocked by the difference! Streaming sounded awful, thin, harsh, less depth. But no review about these speakers mention it. With my own, much more elaborate system, there is a difference between using ripped CD from a hd compared to Qobuz, but a very small one I can live with.

Best Ulrich

[Daccord]

21 hours ago, Ulrich said:

I listened to the kef LS50 wireless at my brother's place comparing CD to Qobuz and was shocked by the difference! Streaming sounded awful, thin, harsh, less depth. But no review about these speakers mention it. With my own, much more elaborate system, there is a difference between using ripped CD from a hd compared to Qobuz, but a very small one I can live with.

Best Ulrich

 

Qobuz isn't available in Canada so I don't know  what the default settings are, but every other streaming app I've used has volume leveling enabled by default. When it's implemented correctly it shouldn't make a difference, but in all streaming apps I've used it has a pretty big negative impact on the sound. I always keep it disabled, but then I seldom listen to playlists of single songs from different albums. Volume leveling shouldn't be applied when listening to an album, but the apps seem to do it anyway.