Let's open another can of worms — are music streaming services providing genuinely lossless audio?

[MarcelNL]

won't it be possible to determine if a FLAC album that you ripped yourself is identical to the streamed version, using something like paralell waveform analysis?

 

That said, I think we should set up a '100% genuine lossless file'certification system, for a fee per album and a general subscription fee per annum per provider once the initial audit is completed ;-)

[MarcelNL]

compression on lossless streaming? I'd be interested to hear how that would work and end up being lossy?

I mean Radio sound quality is usually screwed up, DAB is already better but I fear it's banged up before being broadcast digitally...but FLAC files from a serious content provider like f.e. Qobuz, if those are messed up I'm done with them.

 

Albums being available in multiple formats make me weary, as it;s easy to reformat a dataset, especially with older stuff, yet newer recordings can be mastered using DXD to various formats.

[MarcelNL]

26 minutes ago, botrytis said:

 

I trust the industry as far as I can throw it. I am not that strong.... 

 

If you get my meaning. 

trust me, I do! I'm wary of the marketing lingo that floats around....been part of the industry but never could pusk myself to the point where the messaging outperformed the gear.

[MarcelNL]

1 minute ago, danadam said:

I have an idea. We could come up with a scheme that allows labels to embed a cryptographic signature in the lowest bit of audio. Then a DAC could verify if the signature is correct. If it is, it could maybe light up a LED. I think blue would be nice. What do you think? And how would we call it?

 

😉😉😉

we'd call it an XYZ certified stream ;-)

[MarcelNL]

O you were quite clear, yet there is a major difference between radio (FM / AM) and data streaming.

for FM/AM radio all sorts of compression and sound manipulation is used to deal with a limited bandwidth, whereas DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) SHOULD be capable of transmitting higher quality osund than FM but in reality are not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Broadcasting#:~:text=The typical bitrate for DAB,-4 HE-AAC standard.

 

Digital streaming OUGHT to be capable of delivering FLAC, effectively using far more 'bandwidth' than any radio (digital or analog).

 

 

[MarcelNL]

I dunno, they could but that should not change anything beyond the CRC checksum or similar ...the waveforms should be identical. How IS DRM done these days?

[MarcelNL]

lossless does not mean that quality of sound cannot suffer...a better network, better streamer and the gap becomes smaller