Hi-fi music streaming on a budget

[Bacovish]

Sorry title should read hi-res music streaming.
Forgive me if this is in the wrong section. Haven't bought any CD's in years sooo....in this day and age what would be a good start on a budget to stream good quality music. I guess this would be a add on to my existing set up.
I heard sonus made something like this but have no idea what it is called. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I would like something very affordable and easy to connect. Thanks
I did put this in the wrong section. Mods can you move or just delete please.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Just to understand, you're looking to stream Hi-Res (or CD quality) music that's playable through your current system?

 

[Bacovish]

Yes. You said it better than I could. Thanks

 

[Todd Anderson]

Your best bet (sound quality-wise is TIDAL HiFi, which costs $19/month). I believe you can stream TIDAL through a Chromecast stick... but I'm not entirely sure if you can stream the HiFi version of the service through the stick.

You may need to purchase an AVR that has TIDAL as a featured app...

 

[Todd Anderson]

What kind of budget are we talking?

 

[Bacovish]

Around 100 bucks I guess. I might stretch it though. I've never been a home audio music guy until recently. With my recent purchase of new speakers would like to hear some really good quality recordings

 

[Todd Anderson]

Here's my honest opinion (and others may come along and shout me down)... if you want to guarantee a superb audio experience, buy a disc player and and raid the used CD market on eBay, Half.com, Amazon... you name it. I think you'll LOVE the sound. There are literally tons of fantastic CDs that can be had secondhand that will melt your ears.

 

[Bacovish]

Is playing a cd through my blu-ray be considered a good thing or should I look for an actual CD player?

 

[JBrax]

Is playing a cd through my blu-ray be considered a good thing or should I look for an actual CD player?

I've always played CD's through my media players (PS3/PS4) and never had any issues. I don't see any reason for a stand alone player.

 

[Bacovish]

I don't for see any issues just wondering if it would be the same quality as a stand alone CD player. Please forgive me if this is a crazy question but I know nothing about home audio/music.

 

[JBrax]

I don't for see any issues just wondering if it would be the same quality as a stand alone CD player. Please forgive me if this is a crazy question but I know nothing about home audio/music.

All good, I'd just use your Blu-ray player and let er rip. Congrats on the speakers!

 

[Todd Anderson]

I agree... use the Blu-ray player and see if you hear anything that's offensive ;-).

Higher end players might players may give you some improvement in clarity and precision... but you're looking at a fairly sizable investment. Also, your Blu-ray player may not be able to play SACDs. But, again, the true audible difference between an SACD and a CD is tough to distinguish.

 

[Bacovish]

Ok thanks guys. I'll probably buy a few CD's. For 20 bucks a month I can buy a few of my favorites. I'll probably end up buying a few concert blu-rays also.

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

Definitely hit the garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, etc. You can often get some really good deals on used CDs. They are not being scooped up by collectors in most places like vynil.

 

[Todd Anderson]

There's a thread somewhere around here discussing people's favorite demo CDs. You should check it out and see if any artists catch your eye. Once you hear a special album it will really bend your ear toward looking for great sounding tunes. ;-)

 

[Bacovish]

Thanks for the replies. The one thing I like about streaming is being able to have a little more variety at your fingertips. I can't count how many times I bought a cd with only a handful of songs I actually enjoyed. But then again that was so long ago my tastes have changed. I have never really had the gear that I have now. Heck I watch movies that I've seen 50 times before but with new a audio system and bigger better tv's it's almost like watching it for the first time.

 

[Todd Anderson]

No doubt. If you're really feeling like you're going to miss it, you can always integrate a TIDAL capable component and stream from that service. $20 a month is a pricey, but does deliver decent quality.

You can also download HiRes to a USB stick (assuming your AVR can decide Hi-Res). There are quite a few Hi-Res download sites... HD Tracks is one. That gives a bit more of that "instant access" feel.

 

[ShpongleDMT]

If you have a network connected receiver that supports DLNA then you can stream Tidal straight to it from a smart phone using an app call Bubble UPnP. They also have a version that supports Chromecast.

If you have a lot of music stored digitally you can also send it to a network connected receiver with JRiver Media Center

 

[Todd Anderson]

That's true... but I don't think you can stream the Hi-Res version of TIDAL. That could be old news, though. Have you read information to the contrary?

 

[ShpongleDMT]

My receiver shows it as FLAC 44.1 kHz. While I wouldn't call that high res, It's still way better than most streaming solutions.

 

[Todd Anderson]

That's interesting. So you're streaming through your home's WiFi network, correct?

Do you happen to know what Tidal claims it's HiFi service to be (spec wise)? Doesn't seem to be clearly identified on their website.

 

[ShpongleDMT]

Yes everything is going through my WiFi network.

Tidal Normal is 96 kbps ACC+
Tidal High Quality is 320 kbps ACC
Tidal HiFi is 1411 kbps - Lossless (16/44.1khz)
Masters files are 24/96 khz or more.

https://www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review

 

[AudiocRaver]

I have been using a little Raspberry Pi for streaming Tidal. It has HDMI output and options for SPDIF and for TOSLINK, as well as for better DACs. I put my basic Pi together for around $70 or so. Working on getting a TOSLINK output working right now. The Master Audio option only works with their PC interface.

 

[tesseract]

Yes everything is going through my WiFi network.

Tidal Normal is 96 kbps ACC+
Tidal High Quality is 320 kbps ACC
Tidal HiFi is 1411 kbps - Lossless (16/44.1khz)
Masters files are 24/96 khz or more.

https://www.whathifi.com/tidalmasters/review

Tidal @ 320 kbps is only $10/month, too! Wayne and I have A/B compared it to the HiFi stream and High Quality is indeed, high quality.

 

[GFOviedo]

AudiocRaver's has a good suggestion. I've been testing Sonos Connect Amp, Denon HEOS Amps / Link and Bluesound for a few weeks now. Those three option are pretty expensive. Now, I am looking into the Raspberry Pi just to try it out.