BACK TO BASICS Part 1: Music streaming

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Let’s look quickly again at how the most common methods of music streaming function in a home hi-fi scenario: Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Google Chromecast, UPnP and Roon.

**This video is not about sound quality**

Seen in this video:

AURALiC Aries Mini (discontinued):

Amazon doorstop:

INTEL NUC:

Google Chromecast Audio (discontinued):

Bubble UPnP:

Chord 2go/Hugo2:

mConnect Lite:

Roon:

Roon Nucleus:

#backtobasics #streaming #audiophile

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[DarkoAudio]

Got a question? Please ask it in a way such that anyone might answer.

[kevinf]

This is a great overview of streaming. Perfect for someone, like me, who is an old audiophile somewhat mystified by all of this new digital stuff. I think I (mostly) understand now. Thanks

[TPQ]

I always watch your videos as soon as I see them posted, I enjoy them, and I always come away with something.

Thanks.

[adamhindle]

Excellent summary John. As a newbie to streaming, the issues of 'yeah but where is the music'? and 'how can I control it'? are the two key questions. The interface between the listener and the source of the stream/stored music is at the heart of this, and is central to online sales/streaming, music listening and hifi hardware purchasing for the foreseeable future.

[jaybaldwin]

Just wanted someone to explain that to me. You just do that so well. Same with the video about DAC's. Just what was required. Thankyou. I await the following videos.. 👍

[felirick]

I really appreciate how thorough your videos are. Your videos are very transparent and musical....

[simonfoote]

Thabks John I'm liking the direction this is moving in. I'm very much at the beginning of getting into audio and I like a lot of your videos but still have gaps in my understanding. Keep it up, I'll be here for what comes next.

[andydavies]

Nice explanation of Airplay/Chromecast/Spotify connect. Not sure why Google have decommissioned the Chromecast audio - if you have already invested in quality speakers it is a good companion for getting your streams played easily.

[syanhc]

Streaming has changed a lot since this video. I’d appreciate part 3 on changes to streaming in 2022.

[byronb.]

(Comments surpressed, but) Good basics video. I didn't realize how important gapless playback is to some people. But it makes sense to preserve the art as the artist(s) intended. Great way of explaining the phone being a remote vs being the source. Looking forward to the series. 👍

[SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks, I'm just starting with streaming so this really helps!

[braintoosmall]

I love my Roon Nucleus for a lot of different reasons including the fact that you can use your DAC of choice with it. Thanks for the good info John.

[eviyoda]

Loved seeing the Huckaby track at the beginning! RIP. Love from Detroit.

[NotedArchived]

Streaming that Sakamoto. Nice! Great video. Informative and entertaining all at once. Cheers!

[darensweeney]

This is the clearest explanation -- by far -- of the different types of streaming I've ever heard. "You turn off the phone, and the music stops." Perfect!

[Chapterrifik]

Awesome video as always, one thing I got to say is I love that little puk.

[michaelrose]

Great video. There are so many ways and means of streaming depending on your setup and preference, and a lot of minor annoyances (like gaps between songs!) that folks wouldn’t even consider before spending $$$. Looking forward to the more of these sorts of videos :)

[VirtualGuth]

Hello John, after more than forty years of enjoying music playback through a variety of dedicated 2-channel systems, decades ago I had settled on the old-school peripherals of tuners, turntables and CD players. Now in 2020 I have finally decided to take the plunge into the modern era of digital audio. In the past I have had a decent understanding of what areas I might be willing to make compromises (example: integrated amplifier vs separate preamp and amplifier) and others where I was not so keen to do so (separate external phono preamp vs built-in phono preamp). The specifics in these cases do not matter, so much as that I was able to figure out where I felt my money was best spent for the gains in performance I was after.


I will be watching your Back To Basics series of videos with some interest as I am hoping that I might walk away with a similar understanding when it comes to the modern digital realm of audio. Over the course of years I have ended up with a couple thousand CDs and a great CD Player that I truly enjoy, but that is aging. So I would like to figure out my best path forward sooner rather than later. Am I always to assume that bits are not "just bits" when it comes to things like streamers or dacs or whatever? Where might my money (which is not unlimited) best be spent in terms of of functionality (i.e. streaming, ripping, storing, serving, digital to analog conversion, etc.). Which of these areas stand to provide the best bang for the buck or reveal the most potential for overall improvement. Likewise, when does it make sense to combine these things together physically (for instance, using an all-in-one streamer/ripper/server) as opposed to separating them and making use of a Mac/PC for some portion of the task at hand?


At any rate, so far so good. It seems that avoiding gapless playback through streaming is lesson one, although you might have explained why exactly you feel this way. When making similar points going forward I hope that you might expand on such strong feelings in a bit more detail. In the meantime, I've subscribed and plan to watch, listen & (hopefully) learn. Thanks!

[callummartin]

Would be interested to see this tied into your videos on the Raspberry Pi. A full “how to” guide for buying and setting up a Pi as a wifi music streamer for Spotify Connect would also be really useful.

[dennismiller]

Its easier for me to understand a diagram, like iphone to ? via? Internet cable, wifi, etc, as this gets more complicated then diagrams make more sense to me, thanks (just a suggestion)