I played in a fairly well-known band. Major touring, high billing at big festivals throughout Europe and Scandinavia, multiple sales, multiple awards, chart positions etc. We got paid ONE-SIXTH OF ONE PENNY for each Sp***fy stream (their top rate). Phil's absolutely bang on. You like an artist and want to support them? Buy the physical product. And wonder why gig ticket prices are through the roof? It's the only way artists can earn a living.

Top video. I agree 100%. One of the biggest issues with streaming compared to vinyl and CD is that streaming services generally only offer the latest master of any music, and modern masters are usually heavily limited for volume. Hence older released CDs sound better than modern streams - because of the more dynamic mastering of 80’s and 90’s CDs. Income from streaming is so low there is no budget to record slowly any more, to experiment, to innovate. Streaming rewards instant gratification. So lowest common denominator is usually the most successful, and you have to grab someone’s attention within the first few seconds before they click on to the next song. Making something deeper, more challenging, more innovative is NOT rewarded.

Got to say my own experiences are very different from yours. I listen to vinyl on a good turntable , cd on an excellent transport , reel to reel, cassette and streaming with an Auralic Aries G2 streamer into a Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC. For me, my best source is streaming, though it is not always the case. Sometimes well recorded vinyl or cd will pip the G2 at the post. Reel to reel is fantastic but content is very rare and expensive. In addition I go to gigs, buy vinyl, cd and blu-ray audio (often special editions and box sets) and find new artists on streaming I would never have found otherwise, so I will go and see tgem, buy their physical media etc. To me streaming is a fantastic addition to the musical ecosystem

Great video! I completely share your thoughts… although my favorite format is CD. As you know, a good CD player, with a carefull components matching it can be hugely satisfying and engaging in sound quality - especially when it comes to Jazz music. Continuing my 5000+ CD collection is indeed a thrilling hobby, especially visiting records stores in foreign countries :)

Totally agree with this. It's like if someone lends me a book. Often goes unread for a long time, but if I worked to find it myself it tends to get read a lot faster. Thrill of the chase is half of the hobby.

Totally agree. You mentioned several problems which I can add to my 'he's on his soap box again' dislike of streaming. My primary reason being that it's unfair to the artiste. Apart from that, I really enjoy the tactile quality physical media.

When I started collecting vinyl 50 years ago there was always a certain demographic of people that did not have a vested interest in supporting the music and the artist yet they always wanted to borrow your vinyl or ask you to record a compilation on cassette (later CD-r). I see streaming very much akin to that culture, people want a certain amount of access to the music but don’t want to get behind the artist. Maybe some don’t realize how little artists receive from streaming but I have and always will buy physical media, sometimes the same title on different physical formats.

Yes, I was listening to a friends high end streaming set up and he was flicking between artists and tracks and the atmosphere was lost. As you say some music is difficult to get into and may need several plays to understand but for me this is always the best music in the end.

I've only just seen this thread so hence the late response. I agree with everything you said Phil, like you I've been involved in retailing in the past and still have an active part in the industry and attend shows regularly. I love vinyl and cd but it took me a long time to get on board with cd and I nearly lost interest in hifi for a while. I got a Squeezebox in the very early days of internet streaming and it was dreadful to my ears, it reminded me of radio and why I never got into tuners, I just got bored. Streaming has got better of course but I tend to just use it off my laptop to sample a new band or album to give me an indication of the artist and I may then invest in the cd or vinyl. The other issue with streaming is that as they are computer based products they constantly change and can be very expensive. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your videos.

Not just you Phil👍Fellow paid up Luddite here🙂Tommy Vance! love it. Never had a seperate Dac, or even a 'smartphone' and have never considered 'streamers'. 'No such thing as a free lunch.' Common sense if you like real tactile quality. Enjoy your music, and all the best to you and all of your viewers❤

Hey Phil, this was a great video, thank you for uploading it. I live on the other side of the world in Seattle in the US but I am lucky enough to live near a long time Naim dealer called Hawthorne Stereo. The people there are amazing, so grateful they took the time to teach me to hear what good hifi gear can do. Listening to records on my Roksan Xerxes 20 plus (with Naim olive NAC 72/Hicap/NAP 250 through Audio Physic speakers) is really effortlessly captivating. Just on another level from any digital I have heard. A level where you really want to be present, and you're not thinking about what to play next or spacing out in any way (except the kind of emotional/imaginative engagement really great music inspires). When you say in this video that you can't have a record going in the background when you are doing something else because you keep getting drawn into the music, that chimes perfectly with my own experience. Thanks also for your opinion about streamers in general, and for mentioning high end Naim streamers in particular, which are supposed to be among the best. Not sure of my next step for the system, but I had been considering getting on the Naim streamer ladder. That or buying a used Naim CD player--CDS2 or 3 or CD555. But I have heard that even the best CD replay may not approach what I am hearing from the Xerxes. Now that I have heard your input on streamers, I will probably stick with my Primare for now, which I like a lot, though it is not compelling in the way listening to records is. Probably I will go all in on analog and get a Superline with Supercap for the Roksan--though going to take a while to save for that! Cheers and thank you again for your channel.

I have 2 sources, one is vinyl with an almost new Linn LP12 "Selekt" + Grado Reference3 MI cartridge + Primaluna Evo 100 phonostage, for streaming a Lumin P1 streamer/DAC using the fiber optic input. On sound quality alone the P1 is 90% most of the time volume matched, sometimes 85%, and infrequently BETTER than my vinyl source. Adding in the convenience and huge selection of streaming, it is a zero brainer choice - everyone should have BOTH types of sources.

Ehyup Phil! Agreed. Have had subscriptions to Apple Music, Tidal, and Qobuz. Best sound quality Wobuz, so I kept it for second year subscription. Started with streaming from Apple Macbook Air - usb - Wyred4Sound DAC2SE. Got the Recovery (USB reclock). Then replaced with Denafrips Pontus DAC. Then a big improvement moving modem router next to system so direct ethernet connection, along with implementing dedicated streamer EverSolo DMP-A6. Also replaced DAC with Auralic Vega (first version). Auralic is great btw. Finally, got on the bandwagon with a new old stock Cisco 2960G switch, and implemented s fiber bridge for good measure. Yes, major improvements. The goal has been to match the sound of a decent CD / bluray player spinning silver discs. Even with all these upgrades, and with 'hi-res' streaming, the humble CD still is superior (forget about vinyl - good record player and phonestage is still reference class). It makes no sense, but even a 16/44 CD sounds more musically complete, more there, more resolved and clearly defined, and easier to listen to. Ok your coffee (or is it tea?) is getting cold so I will shut up and let you finish : ) Tahrah lad!

I first bought a Kenwood CD player in the late eighties and thought it was OK. I still listened to my vinyl mostly though as it gave a way better experinece. Then I bought a Rega Planet CD player and suddenly it all became alive. I still have that player and think it is still prety good. I completely agree with you regarding the experinece of listening to an LP. I would spend hours with friends just sitting and listening to the latest from our favourite artists. Sometimes playing the same album two or three times in a row. Younger members of my family laugh at me when I tell them that. I also really miss having a chat with the staff in a good record shop. I discovered many of my now favourite artists from recommendations of those guys. The demise of small, local record stores is a huge loss.

Second mention of Linn here. For me, CD started to sound good with Cambridge CD2, then Linn Ikemi was a big step up, then CD12 was sublime. I found original spec KDS brought recordings to life more, 2011 audio board improved things quite a bit, was surprised how much Katalyst improved things, and Linn's DIY Organik DAC is astonishingly natural. Interestingly I still listen to things the same way, I listen to the radio, if I like, I buy vinyl, HD or CD, I then sit and listen. Streaming services weren't around in 2008 when I got my KDS so I've never got into them.

Great video. Thank you for sharing and expressing your opinion on streaming. While I don’t fully agree with you, your points on streaming are excellent. I do agree with the idea of owning your music. This is something I miss and is a downside to streaming. I’m in my late 60’s and starting a journey on two channel music. I currently only stream music, using Tidal and Roon as my music engines. Many decades ago I owned some decent audio equipment and as a result of that experience I have no nostalgia for vinyl. I still remember the ‘snap’, ‘crackle’ and ‘pop’ of vinyl when listening. Maybe someday I’ll revisit vinyl. I’ve enjoyed streaming because I do ignore the AI generated list of music I might like and deliberately try music genres I haven’t experienced. As an example, I never would have bought the Album “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis. I recently found this album on Tidal and I gave it a listen. Wow…great experience. Loved the music. I’m now excited to try more and different types of jazz. I completely agree that the compensation model to artists is unfair. I can’t impact that business model. I recently attended a great audio show in Raleigh NC sponsored by Audio Advice. I was stunned as to the quality of the hardware as I was equally stunned as to the price! I can’t fathom spending $10,000 for a turntable and then finding out I need to spend another $5,000 for the needle! Streaming, as a way to engage with music in a cost effective manner, is probably the way I need to go in the short term. Again, great video. Loved hearing your opinions. Thank you.

Agree with your points, especially with the little to no revenue going back to the artist. I listen to all levels of media - vinyl, CD and streaming. Streaming is for general listening when I am doing work around the house. Based on my research, I went with Qobuz given they pass along the largest revenue p/stream to an artist. Serious listening is vinyl and CD which provides me the satisfaction with handling and engaging in the media. Brings back memories of the 70's & 80's.

Outstanding opinions/content. (I actually think the CD vs streaming issue is more age related tbh. I'm 57 and love CDs and vinyl. A 27 year old will think differently..... until the very moment they actually hear CDs/Vinyl!)

I consider my streaming service as a 'try before you buy' service, like borrowing albums off mates as a lad, If I like it, I buy it. It has also diversified the music I listen to. I agree about gig ticket prices. they are bloody ridiculous. There is a time and a place for 'listening' sometimes (I have a gyrodec for that) but for just having some tunes on while going about your day, streamers are great for that. I don't really agrre bout streamers sounding terrible. My setup sounds good to my cloth ears.

I’ve just been listening to Black eyed man by the Cowboy Junkies. I’ve always loved this album but only recently acquired it on vinyl for the first time and I’ve discovered tracks I used to gloss over are really good. I totally agree that listening to physical media makes you really listen end to end, there’s too much temptation to flick to another track when streaming if the music isn’t immediately grabbing you.

There's nothing magical about a CD player-it's just a CD transport with built-in DAC. So what's the difference between a CD transport into a DAC and a locally stored perfect CD rip into a DAC?

Some valid points there, especially the exploitation of artists. I personally think people who are into music will always enjoy all formats whether its streamed or physical formats. I really enjoy and appreciate my streaming service, but I'm also buying more CDs and records than ever before, partly because I'm hearing more music via stream. I also struggle to really hear any difference in sound quality on my admittedly modest system. We all have different tastes and feelings of course- it would be a dull old world if we didn't!

I used to love going into town on a Saturday , to visit the small independent record shops , and as I flicked through the new punk band single releases and albums , chat to the other people who came in about what we heard on John Peel during the week . It was a real pleasure and to bu y a record and be excited to take it home under my arm and put it on my turntable , was a real moment of anticipation . We would listen over and over again , study the sleeve artwork and notes and it was a highlight of the week or more. I still have many of the albums and singles I bought as a teenager and they all are representative of a time and feeling . Putting them on my turntable now immediately brings back people and events , girlfriends and gigs . I cannot think of another format that does this . I still haven’t taken to stream8ng or ever bought a song online . It seems soulless and a bit isolated from people and culture and more about the technology being accessible at the tough of a button , after of course one has had to re-educate oneself in the endless acronyms and letters , formats and etc etc , what happened to the music ?I know i can possible hear any musician , any song at any time , but as you say , it’s more than this isn’t it ? Just as I can buy a microwave meal and have it anytime night or day at the touch of a button and a ding , I value a well cooked meal that takes time and thought and to sit down and enjoy the tastes alone or with friends . Maybe a bad analogy but you get what I mean I think ? Maybe I’m just a slow learner , because just as I was finally com8ng round to CDs they were becoming obsolete and replaced with streaming ! As v8nyl had a resurgence in interest . Maybe it’s like the classic fashions , they will always come round again and classic forms stay with us because they’re classic and cannot be bettered in many ways ?

I stream music on the go and in the car, rarely at home. I agree that the relationship with music streaming is a very different experience- skipping tracks after a a minute or two and an impatience attached to the process. There is no doubt streaming is cost effective- you have access to the worlds biggest juke box- all that music just a couple of clicks away. That is mind blowing when you think about it- my 12 year old self would be awestruck at that prospect. I do agree that the thrill of chase- visiting all the local record stores on a Saturday was a ritual and going on holiday visiting a new town or city was always exciting- first stop was the record stores. The adrenaline rush at discovering "gold" was better than sex. The internet kinda ruined that and it became the drunken shopping experience late at night on Amazon and the surprise when a load of discs started to arrive as you had no memory of buying them!

I've been living abroad in a rented flat for 13 years leaving behind my traditional system (TT/CD/Cassette/Tuner) and feel that the streaming explosion has passed me by. Out here I have a DVD player for CDs but no TT. I now have a 'streamer' - well an Amazon Echo Dot that doubles up as an alarm clock. I use it for background music rather than CD because I'd need a CD multiplayer for the length of time I need stuff in the background. I don't fancy investing in another format - another grumpy old Luddite - and will hopefully return home permanently soon to spend more time listening to my classic system.

I stream music to check out Artists and Albums to see if I want to purchase I also make playlists for when I'm writing or driving. For physical media, it has to be vinyl.

Excellent video - well said.

Your spot on I bought a ifi steamer 2 years ago and won't be buying another,stick with my rega and Yamaha CD player 👍

Excellent take on streamers. You made a lot of sense here, as you do in all of your videos. Looking forward to the next one.

Nailed it Phil. Streaming is great for the car or background music and that’s it.

Somewhat silly Phil, but your the boss. My streamer and associated streaming service has pushed the purchase of more physical albums in my collection than even before. I personally rip my purchased albums to a network attached drive and use software to manage it all. My Atoll ST200 streamer makes it so easy to access all my music. It has a beautiful internal DAC, internet radio radio, DLNA discovery with other devices, Tidal connect, etc. Your poor customers don’t know what their missing. Brian

Good Video Phil I have been collecting gear for over 40 years I agree the streamers are convenient but to rig one up as a main central sonic focus point is rather cumbersome. I had a lot of gear and still have and also make Music to. Hi Res is exactly like You mentioned and I am glad that You nailed it. Its so devoid of distortion and such that its actual quality is very linear and dark in that it lacks life. Everything today they try and push as something to do with resolution being the main goal and side stepping the actual components that are in the chain like power supply's and circuit topology. They are trying to get something out of nothing in a virtual platform instead of a physical medium one thats dedicated. I see some Hi end systems and in the middle of the photo is some sort of streaming device which really narks Me. Its like when You see a decent audio rig and in the middle of it is a large flat screen TV which dictates the entire presentation and extremely detracting. I had some really rare items Phil and still own them and will never ever sell them because I know I will never be able to equal or beat there sonic attributes. A lot of the Younger generation have never known what it was like to do trial and error on a buying basis which is an awful shame. If anything when these Streamers are pumped into even a medium quality system there flaws are drawn out. I also design Hi-fi from time to time to and have many concepts I would love to make. Great video and thoughts Phil. Many Thanks Sir.

I remember seeing the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden and Living Color amongst other for £12 a ticket in the mid 90s

The idea that streaming is killing music is debatable tbh. I remember a similar campaign in the 80’s with vinyl album inserts proclaiming taping is killing music. It didn’t. In fact it helped spread music. If I taped something and it was good enough, I would buy it, and in terms of shifting physical units of LP’s CD’s & cassettes, the 80’s & 90’s are now considered a golden era for sales! The same applies today except streaming is the source. If the music is good enough, I buy it.

I mainly stream, I have to say it’s totally engaging and massively enjoyable, I also use CD for an offline alternative very similar in presentation just a little more detail, records for me are to maintenance heavy to take on.

It's on tap & convenient in certain circumstances but kinda cold. Having said that I posess many music hires files for convenience when I want background music of my choice. But when I want a treat out comes the vinyl, lights low & the reclining chair. That's my real listening luxury.

I’m a streamer but I’ve started buying CDs again as well. I personally don’t hear enough of a difference from my CD album vs the streamer version, it’s certainly close. However, I agree with all your points otherwise, we can’t lose music and physical media preserves it from a collection standpoint, and pays the artist properly. I believe streaming has to be overhauled to protect against music suffering, in the same way film is not taking risks because they don’t make enough money from streaming.

I have a Cambridge Audio CXN streamer in my setup, however I have it purely as an 'internet radio'. I can listen to stations all over the world in excellent quality, but my music is still listened to and purchased on CD or vinyl...

Another quick point that you make about the challenge...Think about CD, people popped the CD into the player, sat back and listened. Some early kit did sound a little hard and brittle, but others sounded Superb, The Sony CD101....Brittle, time shared DAC. The Philips CD100, Lovely, mechanical, slow, but DUAL DACS, dedicated per channel and with over sampling. Comparing to LP's, which were very interactive and interesting, a Joy to use and to listen to and see playing the discs gracefully, CD was too easy. Don't Blame digital, as there were already hundreds of titles that were released on LP that were Digitally recorded and mixed! 16 bit, 44.1 or 50KHz sampled. Interactivity is key, it is part of the challenge to use enthusiasts, but what made it super successful, was the ease and convenience for the masses, and quickly portability. Like Cassettes. LP's were all we had for years, there wasn't a choice until Philips, along with Sony's support, innovation and Excellence brought us the Cassette and the CD. Make things too easy and those that appreciate the challenge and involvement, lose some of that joy.

i am watching this again as it stuck in my mind and i have to agree - that when you put a record on - it pulls you in and you sit and listen ( & enjoy) where as all the other ways - streaming - CD etc - play away and can become background where you do other things while it is on....I have to agree with you and due to moving from abroad back to the UK i am at the moment without a turntable and need to remedy that soon !

You make some really good points Phil, and fair play to you for giving your honest opinion. For me, it's about convenience. I listen to music (like most people I guess) in the car, when walking and when sitting down at home to REALLY listen it. Having access to the same range of music wherever I am is the reason why I invested in a streaming amp. It may be that I go full circle and return to vinyl and CD, but for now I'm sticking with my streaming system.

I agree with nearly of what you said there. I occasionally use a basic ifi device to stream unfamiliar stuff to see if I might want to buy it on vinyl or CD, but never listen to it for more than a few minutes. Completely agree that streaming makes you shuffle about and not listen to things properly- easy to just end up listening to the familiar.

A month ago I was sitting wondering if music had died then I watched Rayes live performance at the Albert Hall. I went to buy it and found that they only sell it on vinyl. So now I'm saving up for a decent record player. I'm listening to CDs on a blu ray player through an av receiver. Split up with the mrs I've got nothing but am happy that I've refound music again. Completely agree with your comments Phil.

I could not agree more, streaming has ruined hi-fi and music combined. I remember going to hi-fi shows about 10 or 12 years ago and seeing laptops instead of CD players. I knew then things has taken a turn for the worse, why stream when there are so many good CD players out there and CD's are relatively cheap!☹️

Spotify playlist I've created in the car or when I'm writing. For proper listening, vinyl or occasionally CD

Ive had to go over to streàming ,after having two strokes and confined to a chàir. I need something that I can control from that,I've gt to sell my CD,s.

I agree with everything you said ... I particularly hate having a phone in my hand/screen to choose music; also dislike the track scrolling/flipping. I really do like putting a CD on (Rega Saturn R); and just leaving it to play through. I might have my eyes closed, or be looking into the middle distance ... but no phone/screen!

Great to hear your views on this subject , and nice to know I am not mad after all!

I only buy CD from charity shops. I'm mostly vinyl, tape and FM radio

One of your very best videos Phil. You mirror a lot of my personal opinions. I embrace all formats including radio and cassette tapes but when I really want to enjoy my music it’s got to be vinyl followed by CD then streaming. I only have a budget streamer using Bluetooth from my iPhone so perhaps I am not being fair on the format though. Looks like the Chinese are bringing out a lot of very good budget streamers lately so when available over here I will be buying the Wiim Pro Plus which appears to be a giant killer amongst the American KZfaq community. Where streaming does prove it’s worth is to sample new music first before buying hard copies and in doing so I think that I have saved an absolute fortune as I often don’t like things that others enthuse about on KZfaq. My sons also feel the same as me about vinyl and although they are all tec savvy all three prefer vinyl. All have excellent turntables but I bought my middle son a Pro-Ject Jukebox to take with him to university this year. This is an all in one simple solution with Pro-Jects entry level turntable and Bluetooth with amp. His uni friends are loving it and although the built in Bluetooth sounds great they seem to levitate towards vinyl. The downside is his record carrying case holds 50 albums but his iPhone holds absolute thousands so all formats have their place.

I agree with you but most vinyl is second hand with zero going back to artists. I agree about the rest of it. Especially people who think that streaming is music instead of just pixelated noise. I stepped back into vinyl, after being in cd land for years. It was a Rega player and it goodish, but I bought cheap Audio Technica turntable to experiment what I was missing and now plan to leap to a Rega 6

Best way to discover new material is the radio. Costs nowt.

I agree with what you saying. All magics lost

I only stream from Spotify when I'm away in my campervan When at home I only play Vinyl and CDs I have bought 40 albums in the last 3 months

Agree with you and particularly around the utility fo different formats - streaming is great when pottering around the house as you can chuck on a playlist that will run for hours. In the car I favour CD as I like to listen to an album and not be distracted by iTunes. However, I am a vinyl fan reborn and a recent'ish experience really brought it home to me when I put P&W Vinyl (Steve Vai) on my Rega after emptying the loft (not listened to it since the early '90's) and was staggered at the detail, detail clearly missing when streaming. I am hard of hearing and even I am hearing a huge gap in quality. Edit - also can't frame digital formats whereas I have first editions of Metallica's first four albums above my desk at home, and they look fantastic and provoke many great memories.

I have thousand’s of vinyl albums but I couldn’t be doing with the background noise present with vinyl LPs. I do have a good turntable (SME + Koetsu) yes it can sound very good on some albums but I embraced digital because of the lack of clicks & pops, where as digital is quiet with no extraneous background noise.

Hi, I have a close friend who used to play drums in a band who played the start and end tunes for the John Lennon Old Grey whistle test TV show back in the day. He would totally agree with you. He had to move to Berlin to support German bands and fill his spare time with taxi driving to make a living. As for your quality argument, I'm not so sure. It seems to me from experience that perhaps due to lack of money, a lot less effort is put into recording the band/orchestra and the mixing. Sometimes, it can sound like they only used one Mike, and someone was sitting on it at the time of recording. I have NAIM equipment just for the record, but i would like to give you one example. Chris Rea The Road to Hell album. I started to play it on CD with no problems, and so I thought that I would make a comparison with the streamed version. I was shocked by how thin the music sounded. On further investigation, it turned out that this was the American mix. Even track 4, although having the same name was a different tune. I then went from TIDAL to Spotify Conect and found that their version sounded on comparison better than my CD. It seems to be very much a case of potluck. The biggest outcome for me was that for all their claims, TIDAL wasn't all that they were made up to be.

If a streaming version of a certain album sounds different / worse in comparison to CD, it is most likely to either differences in DAC (CD player built in vs. streaming device), or the album's master. There are lots of differently mastered versions for popular albums. I also bought my first turntable and some vinyl (new & pre-owned). There's definitely something special to the sound. Nevertheless, streaming made it possible for me to discover new music in ways that were simply not possible before. Using Qobuz now - very good sound quality.

Killing music might be a bit strong. I think the cost of vinyl lp’s and CD’s is killing my urge to invest in new music, like I used to in the past. For me personally, my streamer allows me to hear new music prior to purchase, and if I think it is worth adding to my collection, I will buy a physical copy.(Space is getting a bit tight now ! ) Also, it lets me listen to some old albums in my collection that I didn’t look after very well back in my teenage years ! Question is, if you did start selling streamers, what would you stock ?

I agree with every single comment you've made. Sometimes I'm glad I'm not young (sometimes!) - and on this topic it's especially true - I wish I lived closer to your shop.

Agreed... mostly. Sticking a record on & sitting down to listen means you tend to give it more of a chance & some of my favourite tracks took several listens to get to that point. There's a lot to be said for slowing down generally & appreciating stuff. Spotify sometimes feels like a menu with too much to choose from. That said, I did discover Xavier Rudd & Gerry Cinnamon from Spotify suggestions - and then went & bought the vinyl: for the quality & to reward the artists. I'm still considering a streamer, mainly for background music & for when my vinyl copies are crap, like my Housemartins LPs.

Totally agree with you Phil. I have a cheap Raspberry Pi based streamer that I use to listen to Internet Radio - unfortunately where I live is in a fm signal desert - even my Arcam receivers with an externally mounted aerial can't pick up anything much - so I found a use for modern tech.

Great video. The description of hi res (12:40) was spot on - my first time hearing it was one of my great audio disappointments. Convenient but sterile.

You make some good points about distraction with screens in your hand when operating streaming devices, and also about artists being ripped off by streaming services. But I just don’t think you’ve listened to streaming set ups that are done with the right gear in the right way, and the right hands and speakers and rooms to bring the music to life in full as much as it ever was with vinyl.

It's not about the format, that's a misconception. If you like music, you like music regardless of the format. I get as much enjoyment from listening to music on a stream on my Samsung earbuds walking to the gym as I get from listening to it on my £35k system full range. Except when cranking up 2000 Watts on tap with well mastered and recorded albums it's like a PA at a small venue with the room pulsating with bass pressure lol. I can enjoy the music either way.

I got rid of Spotify this year and started a vinyl collection. The cost is prohibitive. I've spent over a grand already so now I'm also collecting CDs. I still keep my digital collection on my PC and phone, but now I add to that digital collection by ripping the CDs I buy. I also sometimes try new music (to me) on KZfaq before buying the CD. I like your videos. I'm 34. Also a massive thank you for your Rega TT servicing video and the oil I purchased. The £8 was a small price when you factor in the oil, the how to video and the nice little instruction slip included. Now, how do I convince my Wife who uses Spotify that my physical media is not a waste of money?

A veery good Frend of mine streams his music and just as you pointed out he skips through tracks just like the way you described, it drives me insane he has a really good system it’s just a pity I never get to hear a song all the way through how can he say he enjoys his music when all he douses it flick though it like a mad man. I have to sit there and endure this and smile threw this torcher 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴I do stream some music but the bulk is vinyl cd ore real to real tape and I sit and listen to it in it’s entirety start to finish, that’s how music shud be heard. One last thing in my experience streamed music has no soul. It’s just clinical and dead.

I wish I had a shop like yours around the corner, or even in driving distance. But I do not. Plenty of HIFI shops, but not with real opinions that resonate with me like your input. That is why I listen to your opinions, value your advice, and trust your guides 😊

An interesting listen thanks. I have a side shoot to the debate over the quality of different formats - most of my old records (LPs) from the late seventies and early eighties have gone AWOL over the decades for reasons that ultimately I have to take the blame for. However, my question is, what should I replace them with, a new, sealed, modern pressing on 180g vinyl from my local record store, or a decent condition original pressing found at a record fair, charity shop, etc. Assuming the forty year old pressing is in excellent condition, and all other things being equal, and cost not being a factor, which is likely to be the more entertaining listen…? Could be a topic for another talk, perhaps…

I stream purchased recordings, not via Spotify, etc., and I welcome and respect Phil's thoughts. I use Roon, and while it does not automatically suggest music I may like, it provides a wealth of information regarding similar artists, guest musicians, side projects, etc., leading me to discover new artists. With the closing of my local independent record shops and magazines like Q and Vox, it's become increasingly difficult to discover new and upcoming artists. Most established music publications now focus on retrospectives of famous artists instead of highlighting new talent. This begs the question, how do non-streamers discover new music? The only TV program I can think of that features music is Later... with Jools Holland. However, there used to be many more shows dedicated to music or featuring as a significant part.

PS, I have noticed that with now buying higher quality equipment that the original recordings do make a massive difference in my ability to enjoy the music . My older less sophisticated record player in my teens made everything sound the same whether a good recording or bad and so it was a level,playing field in a perverse way . With higher quality systems , those less good recordings by some “ GarageBands” of the 70s sound pretty rough , even listening to the Velvet Underground first album wasn’t so good as it once did . Maybe letting Andy Warhol,produce it wasn’t such a good idea , still a genius record though . I think with streaming they reproduce a lot of the older music and clean it up a lot , often too much until it can sound sterile . Music for AI .

Agree with you Phil. On the physical formats, though, wish there was an environmentally friendly version of vinyl and CDs! Idea for someone…

I could not agree, more with pretty much everything you said. This is a great channel. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Great video - thanks Phil. I can identify with so much of what you say.

The local hi-fi gang with whom I associate, with the exception of one, listen almost exclusively via streaming. It’s a bit sad. There’s one who listens to a lot of vinyl so in that I take comfort. I do stream, but don’t think I will ever invest in “serious” streaming gear. My serious listening is vinyl where the only distraction may be reading the liner notes.

I've been streaming for the last 4-5 years. However, recently I started buying CDs again, just so I've got a physical copy of the music, plus hopefully more money will go to the musicians pockets. I buy PS5 games on disc, Blu Ray 4k UHD movies on disc etc. Also when you have a physical copy of the media you can re-sell parts of your collection if you want.

I don't stream for four reasons: 1. the artists aren't paid enough, I buy CD's and downloads and I think that downloads sound as good as CD's 2. I listen mostly to classical music and Spotify etc don't have a proper way for searching the music. 3. there are many rare recordings that are not on the streaming services, also, they usually have the latest version, often 'remastered' one which are usually destroyed in the loudness war and I often like the first CD version better. 4. I am sure that soon the algorithms/bribery will push people more and more to the music the companies want you to listen to and block out any innovation. Can you imagine the Sex Pistols trying to get an audience right now? The same with local bands. LP's are not for me anymore. When I hear a LP on a high end system I still miss the high resolving quality of a CD. My standard: A piano on a LP does not sound like a real piano, it lacks a lot of the rich overtones which you do hear on a CD.

The other thing is space. With many living in smaller homes (or moving more often between rental properties ) a large vinyl or cd collection takes up alot of space. My large CD collection is problematic to store as I don't want to ditch the cases.

You make some very very good points however, in my experience spotify has resulted in me spending more on my vinyl and cd collection, for example often spotify will say "because you listened to this have you considered this also?" Spotify introduced me to the music of Steven Wilson as a result i ended up purchasing his entire back catalogue including Porcupine Tree on both vinyl and CD at a cost of about £900 as i love it so much, without spotify this probably would never have occurred, so this is how it work's for me, streaming is my shop window onto the world of music, if i lije it i buy it , if it's just ok then maybe ill stream it from time to time with the knowledge that the artist is still being paid something, one downside with streaming worth mentioning is the fact that pop artists now cannot have long intros for their songs as people will just scroll on, this is fundamentally charging how some more 'mainstream ' artists are having to write their music, the listener must be engaged immediately which seems a shame.

LOL HD audio surpasses vinyl. 24 bit 192khz and better wipes floor on vinyl

The problem with the main stream streaming services is - Spotify, Tidal and the like - that if you have a wide range of musical tastes you are pretty knackered. Especially for classical and jazz. I don't wan to listen to "Cool Jazz" I want to listen to John Coltrain !!!

Glad to see someone stick to their principles. Streaming is proof that we don't have a relationship with enough.

Pretty good points - Also kids that stream have no idea which song is on which album and progression from album to album - which for someone like Dylan you can see his progression thru Bring it all back home - then Highway 61 - then Blonde on Blonde etc.....

Its strange how things work, I grew up listening to my dad’s hifi, cd and records, loved it and as soon as I was able to I bought my own hifi, but had very little collection so the obvious thing to do in my mind was stream. I’ve been disgruntled with hifi for years, been through so much gear and it all sounded a boring. At the beginning of 2023 I bought a rega p6 and fell in love with it and a handful of records I got hold of, all the while I had been picking up CDs everywhere, got close to 600 of them and I’d rip them to a nas and play them that way as to me it sounded better than Qobuz. Yesterday I happen to go to my local store and they had a rega ISIS cd player open box for the right money, so I snapped it up and my goodness what a revelation, it’s so much better than streaming and for the first time in years I felt like I did as a kid listening to music

Very interesting Phil, I still use LPs and CD, but also stream and have a small home server, onto which I've made all my music. The first home server that I built was in 1996 on an old Linux bow with a creative gold audio card that had SP/DIF. Connected into my listening room into a DAC. Sound of excellent, opened my eyes, I've built one ever since. Where streaming is really useful, out and about, in the car etc. Keep It Simple though, you don't need expensive kit, you definitely don't need special network cables and high end switches and hard drives! You think that having these at home we'll make any difference when the music is coming Samsung cloud server in Canada or India travelling all around the to reach your house, oy by cell towers!? It's a bit like spending thousands on power cables etc when the incoming AC line from the grid has also travelled a huge distance through old cables and infrastructure! A friend of mine is a writer, and has written several successful songs for fairly major artists and he gets pretty good royalties each month. Artists are generally paid pennies for each stream that is played for at least 30 seconds... And more if the entire track is played. He takes around 15,000 pounds a month in royalties. He is 27. Stick with sensible decent kit the kind of stuff Phill sells, the law of diminishing returns kicks in much sooner than you think.

I completely understand your position. However I do stream using Roon/Tidal. I use this to discover new music and if I find myself listening and enjoying a particular artist, I go and buy the album. I do realise that I am certainly in the minority though. If you're an audiophile there are some big issues with streaming. More often than not older music is re mastered horribly, tracks appear and dissappear at random, often the tracks are compressed with a pitiful dynamic range.

Agree with everything!

I’m only interested in physical media. I love the inconvenience and storage space lost to my collection lol. Seriously, there are lots of good reasons why physical media is best overall. I also think KISS philosophy plays a part here.

The streaming model is breaking music. I ripped my CD collection to flac and listen to that but fight flicking though tracks. Compared to my younger days when I listened to a tape or CD begining to end. I like not organizing CDs and risking getting lazy and scratching a CD which is hard to find. I am planning on getting a turn table into the mix. I do enjoy finding CDs or Vinyl in a shop by looking for a specific recording or taking a chance on something. I'm in the USA and have enjoyed Bristol Sound type bands, my recent find was Morcheeba Back to Mine. Never heard of the CD but knew about Morcheeba and took a chance. Glad I did. First found Morcheeba as a manager of a CD shop knew I liked Portishead. He was that guy that knew all the little details. Which is another thing wrong with streaming. I enjoyed getting to know a few guys at music stores. I use youtube and s***tify a bit for music discovery or find something someone is talking about it. I can go weeks without using Sp*tify. However, I stream radio stations, most often actual stations not internet stations, for daily listening. Local radio isn't that great.

Although quality of streamed music has improved…I find its greatest value is to search out new or forgotten music and of course it offers many logistical benefits over hard form. However, I always find myself reaching for an album for more critical listening vs. more of a background listening - best suited for streaming. I am not a musician, but will gladly pay $30-$50 for an album not just due to listening preference but out of respect that those that create need to get paid.

I listen to a lot of music on KZfaq , with the computer connected to a stereo system . The sound can be surprisingly good through a quality amp , DAC , and speakers , but anything I especially like I'll buy on CD anyway . Unfortunately , the sound quality of a lot of older recordings transferred to CD is indifferent to downright poor , which hardly encourages me to buy them . I won't be going the streaming route though , because I can't be assed to research equipment choice or to spend even more money on it

Just to add I dont stream but have every other format it depends on your mood, I dont stream but have a few thousand albums on hi-res as well as vinyl & cds, its whatever floats your boat at the time.

I prefer vinyl - BUT streaming enables me to try out recommended albums that are written about in the hifi magazines - and it's even better when they're by artists I've never heard of. There's no way I could afford to do that with new records at £25 a shot just to try them out. Then if I find a 'new' artist that I discover I like, THEN I'll seek it out on vinyl.

Things will change. Of course. But i struggle with this consideration for different overall reasons. On one hand, physical media is the source of an unbelievable amount of waste, as are the appliances that play them. And i love audio equiptment! Definately a gear head, among other things. And if you love music, you will love your music- your music, regardless of the source. On the other hand, I'm with you. Artists are trying to make a living and they deserve support. A lot of my friends hate recordings and see them as degrading to begin with..so, there is that.

Great video Phil. I use all 3 formats: Vinyl, CD and Streaming. I love all 3, as they have their distinct advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I think the artists not getting enough revenue argument is a bit of a red herring. Artists that are truly great /original will always make enough through sales of physical media, gigs and merch etc. There are hundreds of artists who sound like each other and lack originality or any point of difference, so I'm sorry, but natural selection operates, and a lot of them would be better off finding something else to do, rather than whining about streaming only paying a pittance.

I see streaming as a necessary evil. Its good for finding new to me music. The problem i find is being able to own the physical copies because i prefer records and CD but the only shop near me is hmv, they used to be loads. But hmv just seems to stock mainstream popular music from mainly artists that have already made it/well established which is fine to add more of their stuff to my collection but i am forced to stream what i cant own. I don't use Spotify only Qobuz and Tidal. I would love to go to live gigs but often cant, the last i saw was Pulp in Sheffield in the late 90s

I experienced this at a hifi dealer using streaming to demonstrate speakers and amps they never finished a track kept swapping listen to this one then this one. I left with a headache..

Talking about streaming, need at least cd quality in the stream. However I also used to listen to cassette a lot back in the early 90s in the car, cassette quality is rough at best but a good convenience.

I made a decision after CD arrived and I sold off my vinyl that I wasn't going to rebuy media AGAIN when it made a comeback. Instead, I've had a target of vinyl like digital playback and think I'm pretty close. It's taken time, money and patience to assemble a system that has that presentation. Not very "hifi". I don't stream, I own all my digital media. Completely agree that streaming, especially people that grew up with it, promotes short attention span listening. I think people that grew up with vinyl have a much greater propensity to listen to entire albums.

Agree with you Phil.will always prefer vinyl& cd.Okay there are issues,such as lasers/styli wearing out,but I prefer that to problems with internet connections.The only streaming system I heard that was A1 was a hideously ugly Wadax combo(£120,000 approx!!),even then I was still thinking a cd player or excellent tt would have been better at a fraction of the price.Stick to your guns,as I really believe if a lot of dealers were honest they would admit they are selling a retrograde format in terms of emotional involvement,but push it,as that is what so many tech slaves will only consider.