Streaming: Presto vs Idagio vs Naxos Music Library

[Brian]

As for streaming, I have a Qobuz subscription, but I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with their "New Releases" page, which does not show all new releases available.

This drives me nuts. I don't know how they are filtering their new releases, but I feel glad to have access to the Naxos distribution backend (from my reviewing days) so I can view a complete list of new releases they distribute, then page over to Qobuz and type them all into the search box.

[ChamberNut]

Now, the most difficult decision needs to be made. What to chose for my first ever, rookie streaming listening project.    Likely between Dvořák's symphony cycle conducted by Rowicki/LSO (I never was able to find a fair priced/very good condition physical copy). Or, Mozart's orchestral serenades (other than a few of the more famous ones, I have not heard the orchestral serenades). I have, and am familiar with the wind and string serenades.

[Daverz]

Now, the most difficult decision needs to be made. What to chose for my first ever, rookie streaming listening project.    Likely between Dvořák's symphony cycle conducted by Rowicki/LSO (I never was able to find a fair priced/very good condition physical copy). Or, Mozart's orchestral serenades (other than a few of the more famous ones, I have not heard the orchestral serenades). I have, and am familiar with the wind and string serenades.

Posthorn Serenade is my favorite of those.

[ChamberNut]

Posthorn Serenade is my favorite of those.

Which ones are all considered the orchestral serenades? It's unclear to me from the list of works on Mozart's Wikipedia page. Is it Serenades 1-9?

[Daverz]

Which ones are all considered the orchestral serenades? It's unclear to me from the list of works on Mozart's Wikipedia page. Is it Serenades 1-9?

Brief search found

[ChamberNut]

Brief search found

Excellent, thanks!

[Spotted Horses]

Your way is my way. 

My ears/equipment can't really tell the difference as long as the lossy-file is decently made. I am so grateful for that fact.

"As long as the lossy-file is decently made" is the sticking point for me. I got a free trial of Apple Music and started listening to some classical. Sounded great, until one track had some distortion that was obvious. I went into the settings and saw that lossless was not enabled. I enabled it and the distortion went away. Maybe high quality lossy compression is fine most of the time, but every time I put a recording on I don't want to wonder "could it have sounded better?"

[Spotted Horses]

I own too many CDs to ever consider streaming. Unless, one day, I lose all of them in some kind of unforeseen incident.

I have a large CD collection (not the largest) and this created a psychological barrier to streaming. It seemed like I was admitting that I'd wasted all of that money if I streamed instead. But then I accepted that fact that if streaming was sufficient for my needs, then I'd wasted all that money whether I stream or not.

It turns out that streaming is sufficient 95% of the time. There's the odd thing that is not on the streaming services that I have on my hard disk of FLAC files, and there are the things that are so badly organized on the streaming service that it is easier to find the FLAC files on my disk. But 95% of the time I am streaming, and often something that I also have on my hard disk. Streaming is easier and it sends a few extra pennies to the record producer. I still purchase music that I find "important" (mostly lossless download). But the money I save using streaming exceeds the monthly cost by a large factor.

In the end, I don't think the money I spent on CDs was all wasted, but now I don't spend money on CDs unless I confirm that they are really worth listening to again.

[Duke Bluebeard]

I have a large CD collection (not the largest) and this created a psychological barrier to streaming. It seemed like I was admitting that I'd wasted all of that money if I streamed instead. But then I accepted that fact that if streaming was sufficient for my needs, then I'd wasted all that money whether I stream or not.

It turns out that streaming is sufficient 95% of the time. There's the odd thing that is not on the streaming services that I have on my hard disk of FLAC files, and there are the things that are so badly organized on the streaming service that it is easier to find the FLAC files on my disk. But 95% of the time I am streaming, and often something that I also have on my hard disk. Streaming is easier and it sends a few extra pennies to the record producer. I still purchase music that I find "important" (mostly lossless download). But the money I save using streaming exceeds the monthly cost by a large factor.

In the end, I don't think the money I spent on CDs was all wasted, but now I don't spend money on CDs unless I confirm that they are really worth listening to again.

I'm slowly drawing closer and closer to just not buying any more music period. I own enough for twenty lifetimes. I just placed an order with JPC, but I'm truly considering it being my last CD purchase.

If streaming was my only option and I didn't own my CD collection, then I would most certainly be whistling a different tune, but the fact is I own probably hundreds of recordings I have either only heard once or never at all. So you can understand why I'm not particularly interested in streaming.

[Spotted Horses]

I'm slowly drawing closer and closer to just not buying any more music period. I own enough for twenty lifetimes. I just placed an order with JPC, but I'm truly considering it being my last CD purchase.

I couldn't commit to that because there are composers I have grown to like whose music is just being recorded.  That said, I don't need to own more recordings of music by established composers, now that streaming is available.

[ChamberNut]

I truly believe the world of streaming will allow me (more mentally, than physically) to explore music in the past I would not have considered exploring.  That may include early music (pre-Baroque), some more famous Italian opera, and more contemporary composers. And much much more.

[Spotted Horses]

I truly believe the world of streaming will allow me (more mentally, than physically) to explore music in the past I would not have considered exploring.  That may include early music (pre-Baroque), some more famous Italian opera, and more contemporary composers. And much much more.

That's the big plus. Someone mentions it and you are listening to it a minute later at no incremental cost, rather than laying out and waiting a week for a CD to arrive.

[AnotherSpin]

On this forum, I discover new composers, unfamiliar works by familiar authors, or unusual versions of pieces I already know almost every day. In the past, I likely wouldn't have heard all this—buying CDs is too expensive and uncertain. Thanks to streaming, I can listen to it all right away.

[ChamberNut]

This term is often overused and can be cringe worthy, but streaming is a "game changer". 

Albeit I'm about 15+ years behind. 

[AnotherSpin]

This term is often overused and can be cringe worthy, but streaming is a "game changer". 

Albeit I'm about 15+ years behind. 

As soon as you start using streaming, those 15 years will vanish as if they never existed.

[Duke Bluebeard]

I couldn't commit to that because there are composers I have grown to like whose music is just being recorded.  That said, I don't need to own more recordings of music by established composers, now that streaming is available.

One of the problems, or at least for me, of streaming is the endless amount of music that is being offered. I find this overwhelming and even if I don't think about it, it's bound to cross my mind again. I prefer to limit myself and if I'm "missing out" on a composer who is completely new to me that I may enjoy, then I'm fine with that --- as I said, I have enough music in my collection for multiple lifetimes.

[Iota]

This term is often overused and can be cringe worthy, but streaming is a "game changer". 

Albeit I'm about 15+ years behind. 

To the bolded .. that's exactly what it has been for me! The freedom to dive into new/unknown works or new/old performances of works at the click of a button is a wonderful thing for which I'm grateful almost every day. Though I do understand DB's point in the post above. And sometimes too much choice can mean you end up darting around rather than lingering for longer on something, which has its own rich rewards. So there are losses and gains in both ways of doing things I think.

[DavidW]

@Franco_Manitobain out of those three Idagio is my favorite. I think it is missing some of Supraphon's catalog though. The detailed browsing and searching along with the tight integration with my streamer is what sets it apart from the other two for me.

But I use Qobuz more often than Idagio since it also offers me non-classical music.

[Duke Bluebeard]

To the bolded .. that's exactly what it has been for me! The freedom to dive into new/unknown works or new/old performances of works at the click of a button is a wonderful thing for which I'm grateful almost every day. Though I do understand DB's point in the post above. And sometimes too much choice can mean you end up darting around rather than lingering for longer on something, which has its own rich rewards. So there are losses and gains in both ways of doing things I think.

I understand the excitement and the endless possibilities of new discoveries with the notion of streaming, but I have found this to be too much of a good thing. In fact, I have subscribed to Spotify a good while ago (Spotify Premium actually), but soon realized I was in way over my head and cancelled my subscription.

As I mentioned, if I had no other choice, then, yes I would be streaming but I've been incredibly fortunate (and grateful) to have been able to acquire such a remarkable classical CD collection through the years.

[foxandpeng]

I have a large CD collection (not the largest) and this created a psychological barrier to streaming. It seemed like I was admitting that I'd wasted all of that money if I streamed instead. But then I accepted that fact that if streaming was sufficient for my needs, then I'd wasted all that money whether I stream or not.

It turns out that streaming is sufficient 95% of the time. There's the odd thing that is not on the streaming services that I have on my hard disk of FLAC files, and there are the things that are so badly organized on the streaming service that it is easier to find the FLAC files on my disk. But 95% of the time I am streaming, and often something that I also have on my hard disk. Streaming is easier and it sends a few extra pennies to the record producer. I still purchase music that I find "important" (mostly lossless download). But the money I save using streaming exceeds the monthly cost by a large factor.

In the end, I don't think the money I spent on CDs was all wasted, but now I don't spend money on CDs unless I confirm that they are really worth listening to again.

Yeah, pretty much this for me too.