When will we see streaming services better than CD quality?

Posted by: Goon525 on 18 August 2014

Qobuz (and perhaps others?) are offering streaming services at CD quality now. But does anyone have any knowledge (or just a hunch) as to when we might see 96/24 or similar quality available for streaming? I must find some use for the 152 meg broadband I'm now getting! (And a reason not to buy high res downloads!)

Posted on: 18 August 2014 by Shanks
Qubuz already offers some 96/24 quality albums. I suspect the index will only increase over time.
 
I am impressed with Qubuz quality, and streamed through my trusty ZP 90, it really makes me question the (frankly speaking) ridiculous costs of HD downloads referred to in this forum. 
 
Originally Posted by Goon525:

Qobuz (and perhaps others?) are offering streaming services at CD quality now. But does anyone have any knowledge (or just a hunch) as to when we might see 96/24 or similar quality available for streaming? I must find some use for the 152 meg broadband I'm now getting! (And a reason not to buy high res downloads!)

 

Posted on: 18 August 2014 by Aleg

Qobuz doesn't stream highres but only 44.1 flac.

highres is only available for download.

so Shanks if you are impressed by Qobuz streaming, you are impressed by CD quality streaming.

Posted on: 19 August 2014 by Goon525

So it seems no one has an answer to my question?

Posted on: 19 August 2014 by Kevin Richardson
Originally Posted by Goon525:

So it seems no one has an answer to my question?

My guess is it will not happen until 100,000's - 1,000,000's of albums are readily available in 96/24 format.

Posted on: 19 August 2014 by Ebor
Originally Posted by Goon525:

So it seems no one has an answer to my question?

 

My personal answer would be 'shortly before I buy a streamer to replace my CD player', though I suspect that wasn't the sort of answer you were hoping for. How about '12.38pm on 14th January 2018' instead?

 

I suspect the actual answer will turn out to be 'about six months after public dissatisfaction gets too loud for the streaming companies to ignore'. In other words, no time soon.

 

Mark

Posted on: 19 August 2014 by Bert Schurink

No one might provide you with an accurate answer as it is not planned / announced. As dealing with the future we have to assume that it will have to do some with the interjection point of general bandwidth availability to the public and availability / perceived value of the general public to high res. I would shoot for a prediction of 3 to 5 years before you will see some concrete pilots.

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by Shanks
No crystal ball predictions, unless we have willing contributors in this forum who are working for Qubuz etc.
However the future seems headed in the right direction. 
 
Originally Posted by Goon525:

So it seems no one has an answer to my question?

 

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by Goon525:

So it seems no one has an answer to my question?

With so much of the population satisfied with what provided with the various lossy formats,  you have to ask where the incentive is to drive the streamer providers into something better.

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by Huge
Originally Posted by Shanks:
No crystal ball predictions

...

I could try using mine for you.

 

It doesn't work very well and, being labradorite, unless the sun's out and at exactly the right angle, it tends to give gloomy predictions (look-up labradorite and you'll see why!).

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by GregW
Originally Posted by Mike-B:

With so much of the population satisfied with what provided with the various lossy formats,  you have to ask where the incentive is to drive the streamer providers into something better.

 

I tend to agree. It would also appear that the majority of the populous can't tell the difference. That doesn't make for a compelling marketing argument for the businesses that would need to get behind it.

 

Consumers were convinced about the benefits of flat screen HD TV's so they bought them. Despite companies spending a fortune on 3D technology, manufacturing and marketing, customers felt their existing TVs were good enough. The benefits of 3D were perceived as marginal or even novelty with little added value. Fighting "good enough" in the mass market is neither easy or cheap.

 

Perhaps if the world biggest music retailer; Apple, got in on the act things might change more quickly, but I'm not convinced.

 

Anyway short answer to the OP is not for a while.

 

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by Fredrik A

I read somewhere that Wimp (Norwegian streaming service, available in Scandinavia) is working on a better than CD-quality service. Currently they have Wimp Hi-Fi which is CD-quality in FLAC or ALAC depending on plattform. If Naim would offer built in support for Wimp for my Uniti2 & UnitiQute 2 I would probably leave Spotify or use both. I also hope for Spotify Connect for the Unities.

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by hideaway_houston

AFAIK we don't even have a CD-quality service officially available here in the US. I would gladly take that...

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by Martin_C

At the risk of going off topic....how big is your Labradorite sphere Hugo? I find flat faces work much better ...my lump is about 40cm by 15 cm and gives different colours in different conditions ...it's my favourite "thing" other than my NDS and doesnt give an error 36!

 

back on topic - i suspect the SQ benefits are so small for the target markets that it wont be commercially viable. Having said that even Radio 2 sounds superb through the aforementioned NDS so i still think the quality available from streaming can exceed many people's wildest dreams...listening to Cara Dillon at the cambridge folk festival on the radio last weekend was just wonderful

Posted on: 20 August 2014 by Goon525

Many thanks for the many and varied responses. Unsurprisingly, no one knows or is willing to take much of a guess. There have been rumours that Apple might get into high res - we'll see if anything gets announced on 9th Sept. As far as commercial viability is concerned, I'm one of quite a few mainly classical listeners who has signed up for Qobuz's CD quality service, largely because it IS CD, not MP3. OK, we're a niche but maybe not quite a negligible one. And I'd like better still!

Posted on: 21 August 2014 by Shanks
+ 1 
 
Magical stones are good, but getting stoned is better  
 
Originally Posted by Huge:
Originally Posted by Shanks:
No crystal ball predictions

...

I could try using mine for you.

 

It doesn't work very well and, being labradorite, unless the sun's out and at exactly the right angle, it tends to give gloomy predictions (look-up labradorite and you'll see why!).

 

Posted on: 21 August 2014 by Steve J

I have a large slab of Labradorite as the worktop surface of the kitchen island. The colours can be stunning in the right light.

 

 

 

Posted on: 21 August 2014 by hungryhalibut
Originally Posted by Steve J:

I have a large slab of Labradorite as the worktop surface of the kitchen island. The colours can be stunning in the right light.

 

 

 

Surely that's lobsterite? I can't see a dog.

Posted on: 21 August 2014 by Shanks
Hilarious...although the crowd's state of mind, on whether they are enraged or not, is somewhat immaterial. They could just as well be laughing (although probably a bit wierd) whilst committing the act. 
 
Originally Posted by Wat:
Originally Posted by Shanks:
+ 1 
 
Magical stones are good, but getting stoned is better  

 

I can't say I agree. I'd have thought standing against wall with an enraged crowd hurling rocks at me would be very painful, but I can't say I've experienced it and so should perhaps not comment.