Unlisted Local music sounds allways better

[Skull]

A strict requirement about LUFS, like atmos has, is missing. This would solve many DR problems.
I guess the 2023 remaster has in part to thank the atmos needs...
Anyway, I attended in a "selected theater" with "selected sources" to a Dolby atmos demo and this convinced me that is a huge improvement vs stereo. Unluckily, logistics requirement and proper editions availability stopped me for the moment to upgrade but meanvile I prefere there are atmos releases, since they sound anyway very well.

Personal choice I guess not a fan myself I remember the quadrophonic episode in the seventies
Prefer my music in front of me in stereo bullets and helicopters flying round my head in a movie no problem
But like I said it’s personal choice

 

[Deleted member 27881]

Like @merifon I have had the chance to listen to a professional Atmos setup. Nothing to do with this pseudo stuff over Bluetooth headphones. And yes, if there would be a realistic spatial possibility to install this it is my dream for music listening in the 21st century. But beside that I am still happy enough with my stereo gear.

 

[merifon]

Personal choice I guess not a fan myself I remember the quadrophonic episode in the seventies
Prefer my music in front of me in stereo bullets and helicopters flying round my head in a movie no problem
But like I said it’s personal choice

Yes and me too was on this idea but the demo was unbelievable, nothing to do with Dolby digital or any other 7.1 and other booming effects, also the embedded stereo down mix, even with loosing stage, is surprisingly good and dynamic.
Limits are in the need of a super accurate production and this reduce availability of good sources.

 

[Indydan]

I have done many comparisons of local files VS streaming on a few different systems. I hear absolutley no difference.
Hearing differences in local VS streaming is like "hearing" differences in power cords...

 

[TonyE]

Hmmm.... what is the chain of playback? Is it bit perfect down to the DAC?

One thing I noticed a while back, when playing back via Android and Chromebook with an OTG USB to the DACs is that the signal coming down from Tidal HiFI was being reclocked... Indeed, this is the reason why I got into the WiiM Ultras which do not reclock it ( audio over IP to USB bridge ).

It does affect the signal a little bit though as it can manipulate the content a little bit... as in room equalization and balance... done in the USB stream. Also, I disabled the WiiM volume and use the DAC or preamp to handle that.

If you can verify that the bit rate and width at the DAC is the same as the source, then the next thing would be to verify that there is no AC/DAC conversions before the DAC proper. Also, try other sources... run a PC, an Android phone, a Chromebook, etc... the PC is bit perfect off the gate...

My experience is that there are some super duper analog LPs that beat everything that I get over Tidal HiFi... however the cost ratio is something like 20 times more expensive for the analog chain. I have not heard differences listening to NAS files and Tidal streamed files. But again, I made sure to have very, little if any, processing of the signal before it gets to the DAC. And whatever processing happens, is the same for streamed and LAN stored (NAS) files.