Unlisted Local music sounds allways better

[mikel]

... poor streamer implementation...

I hope not. It's my favorite toy. But. Yeah. I need to visit local store and get some other to compare.

 

[onlyoneme]

Why oh why local music sounds allways the best?

Simply speaking - I don't think so.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

A gentle reminder for forum members, a thread doesn’t belong to anyone, and the original thread poster is just that, and other members are free to post comments on that particular topic.

Please keep this discussion polite and friendly, we may not all agree about the same things, but please try to stay on topic.

 

[anonyless]

you didn't even mention HOW do you listen to "local music" ? is it going through the WiiM Pro Plus somehow?

 

[harkpabst]

And what's the definition of local in this comparison? Is a NAS connected through Wi-Fi still local? Even if it goes through a repeater? Is music copied from your personal computer to your personal portion of a public cloud still local? Where does the magic (?) depredation of sound quality happen, during digital transition or just upfront where streaming services store their losslessly compressed files prior to transmitting them losslessly?

OP say they are looking for advice.

The best possible advice has already been given: The data stream provided by multiple streaming services has been proven to be bit for but identical to local files.
If there is a difference to be recognised, the most likely reason is insufficient level matching.
Next, different masters might have have been used.
The next likely reason is that the quality setting for the streaming service at hand has not been configured to support the maximum available quality.
Finally - in particular with devices like the WiiM streamers - different tone/EQ settings might have been used accidentally.

Apart from that it's mostly miracles (I don't have any advice against that) or ... listener bias.

 

[HansD-NL]

A gentle reminder for forum members, a thread doesn’t belong to anyone, and the original thread poster is just that, and other members are free to post comments on that particular topic.

Please keep this discussion polite and friendly, we may not all agree about the same things, but please try to stay on topic.

I understand your general remarks and speaking to all of us but in this case the original thread poster clearly is the culprit and in my opinion needs speaking to directly as he is about the rudest as they come.

 

[harkpabst]

This isn't helpful either. A moderator is not a nursery school teacher, judging who's right and who's wrong, unless sound rules have been violated.

Up to that point, everyone is responsible for not letting discussions go off in any unpleasant direction.

 

[mikel]

This isn't helpful either. A moderator is not a nursery school teacher, judging who's right and who's wrong, unless sound rules have been violated.

Up to that point, everyone is responsible for not letting discussions go off in any unpleasant direction.

I wouldn't bother comments like this. Looks like HansD-NL and HighNRG are fake profiles joined about at the same time couple days ago just to poke oryginal profile owners back. For me it's very funny Childish comments about who is to blame. I just want anyone that what to post comments here to stay focus on the topic. Thank you

 

[hoohoohoo]

I wouldn't bother comments like this. Looks like HansD-NL and HighNRG are fake profiles joined about at the same time couple days ago just to poke oryginal profile owners back. For me it's very funny Childish comments about who is to blame. I just want anyone that what to post comments here to stay focus on the topic. Thank you

 

[Valentino]

So.. are we lost? Should we start hunting for rich full of details music files like vinyl guys hunts for unicorn vinyl records?

Your answer right there.
My pet example is the original CD release of Keith Richards’ Main Offender compared with what the streaming services offer. The original master is the best sounding rock album I know (maybe The Doors’ Morrison Hotel is on par). Streaming has the squashed remasters.
Classical music is a different story. Most cd quality and up sound just as good from a provider as it does from local files.

 

[mikel]

You’re answer right there.
My pet example is the original CD release of Keith Richards’ Main Offender compared with what the streaming services offer. The original master is the best sounding rock album I know (maybe The Doors’ Morrison Hotel is on par). Streaming has the squashed remasters.
Classical music is a different story. Most cd quality and up sound just as good from a provider as it does from local files.

This is very sad. The more I google it the more I see similar forum threads and even yt videos about it and voices like your saying that files are just different from the beggining (master for streaming services). Well. Collecting files is still easier than collecting vinyls.

 

[ChrisByrd]

I tend to agree with the OP. On my system (WiiM Pro digital out into Naim SuperUniti), with my ears, music stored locally - a mix of high res music downloads and CD rips - is mostly more enjoyable to listen to. I can listen to local music via the WiiM streamer or the built in streamer on the SU and hear very little difference between the two, so am happy with the WiiM.

 

[slartibartfast]

You’re answer right there.
My pet example is the original CD release of Keith Richards’ Main Offender compared with what the streaming services offer. The original master is the best sounding rock album I know (maybe The Doors’ Morrison Hotel is on par). Streaming has the squashed remasters.
Classical music is a different story. Most cd quality and up sound just as good from a provider as it does from local files.

The streaming services have the remixed Genesis albums so if you want to hear them as the band intended you are out of luck.

 

[merifon]

Another exemple, search on Tidal "A space in time" by Ten years after. You'll get four albums: remaster 2004, remaster 2017 and two remastered 2023 in Dolby atmos, one of these contains also the original 1971 master.
Loudness of 2017 is definitely too high, triggering possible limiter eventually present on services.
2004 is lower and just a little above the 2023 atmos version that has to accomplish strict level requirements to be atmos certified.
The 1971 version has the lowest loudness and maybe is the only one on theoretical LUFS specs required by services.

 

[Skull]

Another exemple, search on Tidal "A space in time" by Ten years after. You'll get four albums: remaster 2004, remaster 2017 and two remastered 2023 in Dolby atmos, one of these contains also the original 1971 master.
Loudness of 2017 is definitely too high, triggering possible limiter eventually present on services.
2004 is lower and just a little above the 2023 atmos version that has to accomplish strict level requirements to be atmos certified.
The 1971 version has the lowest loudness and maybe is the only one on theoretical LUFS specs required by services.

Just tried that album on Qobuz and the 23 anniversary release sounds the closest to my cd rip no Dolby atmos versions on Qobuz thankfully
They do have a quadrophonic mix on the 71 deluxe version

 

[EddNog]

Surely this is very album-/mastering-specific. A have a particular Qobuz playlist that's full of recordings from Silk Road Ensemble from across a large number of different albums and they sound absolutely stunning over Qobuz. Meanwhile a different Qobuz playlist I have with a large mix of modern rock/pop will literally sound wonderful one minute and then the next song comes and it is absolutely jarring in contract because of the terrible quality--most of the songs that sound great on Qobuz sounded just the same from the CD (those which I own on CD) and the recordings that sound like on Qobuz? Yeah...they sound like on the CD that I possess as well.

-Ed

 

[Skull]

Surely this is very album-/mastering-specific. A have a particular Qobuz playlist that's full of recordings from Silk Road Ensemble from across a large number of different albums and they sound absolutely stunning over Qobuz. Meanwhile a different Qobuz playlist I have with a large mix of modern rock/pop will literally sound wonderful one minute and then the next song comes and it is absolutely jarring in contract because of the terrible quality--most of the songs that sound great on Qobuz sounded just the same from the CD (those which I own on CD) and the recordings that sound like on Qobuz? Yeah...they sound like on the CD that I possess as well.

-Ed

As I have always said mastering is the key on all formats

 

[AlanB]

As I have always said mastering is the key on all formats

Indeed, a well mastered CD will always sound better than a poorly mastered HD file.

 

[slartibartfast]

The Underfill Yard by Big Big Train was remixed and remastered in 2021 resulting in a much better sounding recording compared to the 2009 original. What were they thinking in 2009?

 

[EddNog]

The Underfill Yard by Big Big Train was remixed and remastered in 2021 resulting in a much better sounding recording compared to the 2009 original. What were they thinking in 2009?
View attachment 28176

Precisely what I mean...it's not automatically the case that streaming is either same or worse. It can also be better.

Like saying all wet wings are better than dry rub. Really depends on the seasoning and how they're fried.

-Ed