Streaming CD Quality

[murrayp]

Hi,

 

there's a a topic in discussion that's a little hidden over on the Audiophile Downloads forum that I think deserves some wider exposure

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Qobuz-streaming-service#comment-108262

 

Qobuz have set up a streaming CD quality service. Saying you no longer need your cd library any more may over state this but I'll bet you can find lots of music here that you never got around to purchasing or even knew about. To me this is a "stunning bolt from the blue". It throws into question the whole collecting question.

 

I'll look forward to others' views - maybe I'm overstating the importance of this to us, but I can't see that I can be, to be honest.

 

Chris - it might be an interesting topic for you to produce an article on. Particularly since the guys are quite clearly audiophile oriented.

 

 

[darascal]

Hard for me to glean information from the site via Google translate, but just looking at one old and one new album, compared Qozuz vs Amazon (monetary conversion from EUR to USD via Google):

 

Qubuz

$13.50 Laura Marling, A Creature I Do Not Know

$13.50 Beck Sea Change

 

Amazon

$9.99 Laura Marling (w/ free super-saving shipping)

$2.99 Used copy of Beck Sea Change w/ $2.98 shipping

 

Plus (if I'm convert currencies accurately, it seems their streaming service is priced at $39.37/month ?!? Am I missing something here?)

 

Seems to me this kind of service could be great for downloading new releases, if they brought the prices down. And (for us Gringos), if they offered an English-language website.

 

Rascal

 

[murrayp]

Fair enough.

 

I guess for those of us outside the USA we maybe don't get such good rates and longer deliveries by the time we land cds from Amazon. What is missing from Amazon as far as I know (??) is the ability to download cds in 16/44 quality. Rather than wait a couple of weeks for a snail mail delivery with Qobuz I can download immediately. I'm not aware of any other site offering mainstream cds for download in cd quality? I'm happy enough to pay a little more for this on-demand service.

 

Streaming in theory annuls the need to do this and you can listen to whatever new releases turn up. But I guess it isn't cheap either.

 

 

 

 

 

[darascal]

Yes. I can see great benefits & wish iTunes had 16/44 downloads. Great for downloading individual songs & for buying new albums where the used CD price hasn't come way down yet. Nice to get that immediate gratification.

 

On the other hand, with used CD prices so low on so many albums, I feel more free to order lots of titles. And then I forget about my order & a few days (and sometimes longer) later a get a "surprise" gift in the mail!

 

Rascal