It’s fascinating to see the evolution of streaming and equipment. Our expectations at every stage have stayed one step ahead of what is on offer.
Here’s where I am and where I see us going :
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I’m no longer happy to pay premium for lossless streaming. Tidal is on notice
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I expect access to the sound quality I have come to expect of RAT protocol feeding my setup regardless of wether I’m doing serious big rig listening (DCS/ Halcro/ ESL) , TV (thank you Lyngdorf —>ESL), AND also mobile from phone to streaming unit or even,
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To headphones
4 mentioning Lyngdorf brings the big bear into the arena - our rooms and room correction. Yes, always set up so minimal correction is needed but it does make a difference so …
- An easier way to load convolution files and room correction modules into Roon is still out there. I need to use a noisy PC or Mac and lose my silent dedicated music server to create work around. Yes there is REW and no, I don’t have the knowledge for it. This has to be easy to use like Dirac or Room Perfect - they are ones I have used most, not the only ones out there l.
I see REW as a power user program. Ideally the process should be : Run setup - load - listen, maybe refine - enjoy! REW does not meet that expectation - I can see it is powerful but lacks accessibility due to complexity
Running multiple config sequences to generate multiple files for each sampling rate, per speaker, and manually configuring parameters that seem better suited to space craft launch protocols, then refining them - is not consistent with what the average music lover has the time or intent on learning. Be more seamless like an Apple product - they didn’t invent anything new - they made it seamless.
End of the day we want to sit and just enjoy the music. Let it flow. Drift with it. Watch a movie and be unexpectedly swept by the soundtrack because the system is musical.
Roon has been fantastic for sound quality, and they get the occasional smack because they can’t be all things to all people immediately.
But it is fascinating to see them read our comments.
Where we are now is so far ahead of where we were or had access to a year or two ago for software and hardware and their accelerating integration.
One example - I change all my volume settings with my phone volume buttons. - sounds small but makes the interface disappear from my mind. It’s an important storm So here’s hoping they keep evolving. And one day maybe Apple Music will turn in in Roon. Or, Roon will be in Apple Music.
Behemoth or not - Apple needs to stay as engaged in this service industry as Roon. They are just as much on notice. If I can sign off Spotify and accept the absence of Tidal - there is nothing permanent about Apple Music. I could go back to HDTracks for lossless that I own outright. I could then use a cheap streaming service as a sampling market for music. Our phones and small and cards have enough memory to hold more than enough music for travel - I need the files not the streaming service with subscription fees.
That’s why these services have pushed streaming over DRM free purchase. But they didn’t expect the cumulative cost of multiple services to match purchase price of music outright. They are in danger of going full circle from purchasing music, to streaming access to music without permanence, to my current quandary of why am I tethered to this endless streaming cost for the relatively smaller number of songs on my playlists and in my library - let me just buy it.
HDTracks- come on you lot - you are selling music data free of any manufacturing, distribution, or storage costs. You can’t expect people to pay the same for a digital file as a CD of LP. Half price sales are just getting down to acceptable pricing. Think again about the product cost and make the streamers nervous.
Here’s hoping those reading my holiday ramble ( I think the third double espresso might have been a bit much ) enjoy your music and soundscapes as much as I do. I really hope you ignore the search for descriptive numbers and company labels for the joy of the sound you’re hearing. Big rig, small rig. I have heard terrible sound from Uber $$$ rigs. And been lost in the music with perfect company in a ‘ modest ‘ no name setup. There’s a reason my kids prefer their blue tooth speakers - it gives them joy and easy access - it’s that simple. It’s music. We have come a long way. And we keep diving deeper. One more step.
Hope the services can keep up