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DAC for streaming, compared to CD quality?

Old Guy8

Old Guy8

Cliff & Cleo
Subscriber
Never streamed music from internet. I am wondering what the sound quality would be, compared to CD players, modern.
1) What should be my expectations?
2) With or without subscription services.
3) Where to find a primer on options and setups.
My best system, ignoring TT's:
NAD C546BEE CD player, new this spring $500
Rogue Sphinx hybrid tube SS amp. 100 to 200 wpc @8 or 4 ohm loads. (Analog)
stacked ADS L880 speakers 4 ohm load.
router to laptop by wifi.
Streaming from laptop by USB to dac. (Possibly other options for future)
Dac to amp by RCA input.
Lets start with under $300 budget. Not uber expensive level.
Don't think I would move this dac to other systems often. So portability is not critical.
Thank you.
 
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I stream Pandora thru OPPO 93 players with 3 different systems and the sound is OK.

I also use a small Foobar USB DAC and a Lepai 20/20 with my PC out to some Polk Monitor 30s for decent sound via J.River.
 
In my experience, with higher quality streaming services and a solid, uncompressed signal, you should get very near CD quality sound. I am currently using Tidal, but have used Deezer and Mog in the past. I stream via a Sonos Connect (uncompressed) to a Phillips DAC. As with everything else, your choice of equipment will affect the final sound - the quality of your laptop, how compressed the stream is, quality of your DAC, etc.
 
In general, the difference between a computer and a CD player would be in the DAC. So if you buy a DAC of similar characteristics as the one inside your CD player, the sound quality should be almost the same.

Now, using streaming services can affect the quality if those services use low bitrate lossy formats, but that depends on your ability to distinguish it. For example if you use Tidal (in its top tier) the sound quality should be the same as a CD. Spotify uses low bit rate on their free tier and high bit rate on their paid tier, and in both of them they use a lossy format, it just depends if you are able to distinguish it or not.

I would reconcomed you a Modi Multibit ($250) if you are looking for a good DAC under $300.
 
Hyfi, gguillot and elira,
Thanks for your opinions and experiences. Very valuable. I've been wondering what I have been missing, not having streaming ability. (Let the XM/Sirus subscription lapse in a car. Not to impressed with offerings there. Only liked three channels. That is another subject beyond this thread.)
Elira, I have read here, a lot of anticipation about that Modi multibit.
thanks, Old Guy
 
Best advice I could give is what I heard from Chris Connaker (Computer Audiophile) some years ago. Don't just set up your computer audio rig and say "hey it works ... I can play music". Continue to make it better and better. Keep setting the bar higher.

Computer Audio Demystified 2.0 << click link
 
I think your expectations should be equal to CD if not higher considering you have the ability to run higher resolution files. Depending on which model you go with you could have multiple inputs to upgrade other devices. You have quite a few options at that price point. I will list a few below. All 3 should be less that 300. Hope this helps. :)

Audioquest - Dragonfly RED - Very portable with a good headphone amp to boot. I owned this DAC in the 1.2 version and it sounded fantastic.
Meridian - Explorer 2 - Portable with headphone amp as well but also has line out for stereo use. Fantastic sound. I use the Director and love it. These might even give your NAD a serious run for it's money. It's 299 but well worth it.
Shiit Audio - Modi Multibit - Offers multiple inputs. I have not a heard a Schiit product but they have a stellar reputation.
 
Arclight,
Will check out all three. I rarely use headphones, but never know in future. Mainly listen in basement cave, where I don't usually irritate the wife, unless cranked.
Condorsat,
Printing that primer for study.
thanks
Old Guy
 
Subscription services (such as Pandora One and Spotify Connect) offer higher mp3 bit streaming rates over the "free" versions of their internet radio.

Pandora One's mp3 bit stream is 192 kbps and Spotify Connect's is 320 kbps (of course, assuming that the original mp3 files were of those or higher quality)... since you asked about with/without subscriptions.
 
I've had very good results with the Emotiva XDA-2, but they are only available used now and are probably not any better sound-wise than the Schiit Modi Multibit, which is available new. However, I highly recommend Radio Swiss Jazz for excellent streaming quality - check out their 96k 44.1 stream here. No cost, no commercials, only a station id in one of several European languages a few times an hour. Best of all, an excellent variety of old and new American jazz, with the occasional European artist. Radio Swiss Pop and Radio Swiss Classic are also great for pop and classical music. http://www.radioswissjazz.ch/live/aacp.m3u
 
I recently did a blind test with friends setting levels equally with my computer as a source. I played a tune from a well recorded song on Spotify 320kbps, and on a lossless file. The Spotify sounded good to all but there was unmistakable difference in quality compared to the lossless file. Interestingly, the most dramatic differences were in the lowest frequencies, below 80hz or so. Bass parts on the lossless file were more well defined and seemed faster.

However, the Spotify stream was adequate for a lot of listening. I still use it as often as I do my ripped CD files. It's super convenient, it sounds pretty good, it gives me a lot of exposure to artists of all kinds.
 
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