All About Streaming Music Services

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Skip Bluetooth, stick with wifi, and go with a cheap Dayton Audio streamer, which cost between $52 and $70 each for the bottom end units.  (They also support Bluetooth.)  They have an optical out to use proper DACs and support a goodly number of streaming services.  A phone or tablet is needed to control the units.  Sound quality is at least 16/44.1 when using wifi.  I don't know if they stream hi res as I have never tried.  Expensive streamers are up there with expensive record clamps in terms of bang for the buck - unless people believe they really can hear beyond 22.05 KHz and their systems really can reproduce more than 16-bit dynamic range.

Thank you for the suggestion!  A friend of mine (when talking about this yesterday and looking into various options) wondered whether or not I could hook something up to my Pioneer DVD/SACD, etc. player and use the DAC in it?  It's a Pioneer Elite DV-79AVi.  Would something like this be possible with what you are suggesting?

PD

[Todd]

Would something like this be possible with what you are suggesting?

I'm not familiar with the Pioneer unit.  If it has an optical input, then yes, it could be used as a DAC.  If not, it can't.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm not familiar with the Pioneer unit.  If it has an optical input, then yes, it could be used as a DAC.  If not, it can't.

Well, I double-checked the booklet, and nope!  But thank you anyway for the info.

PD

[Spotted Horses]

Well, I double-checked the booklet, and nope!  But thank you anyway for the info.

PD

I had a Marantz CD/SACD which had digital inputs (TOSLINK Optical and Coax) and for a while I used it as a DAC. The sound wave great but after some time I noticed it had a habit of taking about half a second to detect that it was receiving a signal, so that when starting a track a fraction of a second would get cut off. I'm sure it was the Marantz player because the problem occurred no matter what the source of the optical signal was, and if I fed the same optical signal into another DAC there was no problem. Anyway, I got the Schiit Audio DAC and the SACD player went to the electronics recycling dump.

So my thought is, better to get something that is a dedicated DAC, rather than something where the digital streaming interface is an afterthought.

[aukhawk]

For a while I used an old minidisc recorder as a DAC    it served very well.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thank you gents!

PD

[DavidW]

Are there any streaming services that also allow you to purchase the music too (and in a good lossless format)?

I believe that part of my issue would be trying to find a way that I could hook it up to my good stereo system (and also not having to spend a ton of money to do that).

PD

Didn't realize I had been gone so long.  I wanted to say that if you use a receiver made anytime in the past 10 years it probably has Spotify direct.  You can use a phone or a tablet with the Spotify app and have the receiver (if connected to wifi) stream and play the music directly.

If not that then you can connect your tv to your stereo and use the Spotify app that is on every tv.  I'm not the biggest fan of Spotify but I have to admit that they have managed to integrate themselves on seemingly any device that can connect to the internet.

Finally many connect a laptop to their receiver and then they can play anything.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Didn't realize I had been gone so long.  I wanted to say that if you use a receiver made anytime in the past 10 years it probably has Spotify direct.  You can use a phone or a tablet with the Spotify app and have the receiver (if connected to wifi) stream and play the music directly.

If not that then you can connect your tv to your stereo and use the Spotify app that is on every tv.  I'm not the biggest fan of Spotify but I have to admit that they have managed to integrate themselves on seemingly any device that can connect to the internet.

Finally many connect a laptop to their receiver and then they can play anything.

Hi David,

My tv is a "dumb" one.  Most of my stereo equipment dates back (when purchased--not necessarily first manufactured) to 2014 and doesn't have any wi-fi connections built in directly (which is why I've been looking into various less direct options).  But thank you! 

Actually, I just remembered something!  Some years back, I was looking into being able to do something along these lines.  I dug through my drawer of remotes, various audio manuals, etc. and realized that I have an old AirPortExpress which I had never even opened!     This might still work for me.

PD

PD

[Spotted Horses]

Now that I've dipped my toe into streaming, I only stream if a recording is not in my collection (on my hard disk). It occurs to me that I should stream recordings that I have. That way I'm at least sending a nickel to the performer and/or recording publisher.

[Madiel]

Now that I've dipped my toe into streaming, I only stream if a recording is not in my collection (on my hard disk). It occurs to me that I should stream recordings that I have. That way I'm at least sending a nickel to the performer and/or recording publisher.

But you sent them money by purchasing the album in the first place. And on most services, you would have to stream it a huge number of times to send the same amount of money as you did through the purchase.

[Brian]

I also stick to that plan (stream only things I don't own) but more out of self-guilt of, "you own that, you should listen to your copy!" It's a CDCDCD side effect. I bought all this stuff, now I need to get my money's worth instead of streaming it   

[DavidW]

I also stick to that plan (stream only things I don't own) but more out of self-guilt of, "you own that, you should listen to your copy!" It's a CDCDCD side effect. I bought all this stuff, now I need to get my money's worth instead of streaming it   

I'll stream things that I own if I'm not home.  When I was in grad school I used to take a backpack of cds with me to listen to when I went into the office.  Now I can just stream them if I want!

[Brian]

I'll stream things that I own if I'm not home.  When I was in grad school I used to take a backpack of cds with me to listen to when I went into the office.  Now I can just stream them if I want!

My first job out of college banned me from streaming because I was "using too much internet" so I had to fill an office desk drawer with CDs!

[Spotted Horses]

But you sent them money by purchasing the album in the first place. And on most services, you would have to stream it a huge number of times to send the same amount of money as you did through the purchase.

I'm talking about things I've purchased years ago, can't hurt to send them a few more pennies.

The main reason I would go to my ripped copy is that I also have scans of the booklets.

[Madiel]

I'll stream things that I own if I'm not home.  When I was in grad school I used to take a backpack of cds with me to listen to when I went into the office.  Now I can just stream them if I want!

I'll occasionally stream things that I own when I'm not home because... they're not loaded onto my iPhone.

Admittedly a lot less of the classical collection is on the phone than the popular music collection. But that's okay because for classical I'm less likely to want to listen to it at work.

[Madiel]

I'm talking about things I've purchased years ago, can't hurt to send them a few more pennies.

Probably fractions of a penny, but if you wish.

[DavidW]

My first job out of college banned me from streaming because I was "using too much internet" so I had to fill an office desk drawer with CDs!

Wow so stingy!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Probably fractions of a penny, but if you wish.

I do so hope that it's better than that.     These days though (not even getting into past agreements between record companies and artists)?  I do appreciate artists like Taylor Swift for bringing attention to (for a lot of people) and fighting against some of the PTB.

PD

[Madiel]

I do so hope that it's better than that.     These days though (not even getting into past agreements between record companies and artists)?  I do appreciate artists like Taylor Swift for bringing attention to (for a lot of people) and fighting against some of the PTB.

PD

Spotify still reportedly pays between 0.3 and 0.5 cents per stream.

Think about how much you, the listener, pay per month. Then think about how much music you might listen to in that month. Sure, usage will vary, but I can't imagine a service like Spotify wants to be losing money on its heaviest users.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Spotify still reportedly pays between 0.3 and 0.5 cents per stream.

Think about how much you, the listener, pay per month. Then think about how much music you might listen to in that month. Sure, usage will vary, but I can't imagine a service like Spotify wants to be losing money on its heaviest users.

Doing a quick check, it looks like it's anywhere from $4.99/month (premium - student) to $9.99 - for single person - premium.  No idea what the cost is with ads.  And more $ if a family account.  And that's in US dollars.  Haven't tried it myself.  Wonder how much money Spotify pulls in with the ads?

PD