How and from who do you get Hi Res Music?

[Good4it]

Can it be down loaded via wireless? Can it be sent to my AV Rec. by wireless? Does it have to be stored on a computer, and does that computer have to be hard wired to my AV Receiver?

So many questions.

 

[sterling shoote]

Can it be down loaded via wireless? Can it be sent to my AV Rec. by wireless? Does it have to be stored on a computer, and does that computer have to be hard wired to my AV Receiver?

So many questions.

All of my Hi-Res has been down loaded from HDtracks. Usually, HDTracks will allow me to pick a high definition format. Since I use iTunes as a media player, I often choose between ALAC and AIFF at 24/96 and CD quality, since iTunes supports all of these file types and more. Once down loaded, the tune can be sent wirelessly from computer to my home theatre via AirPort Express.

Now, since AirPort Express only operates at 16/44.1, it down samples Hi-Res to 16/44.1; thus, it thawarts the perceived benefit from Hi-Res. At any rate, I also have an external sound card which can decode or send 24/96 files. I use this instead of AirPort Express most of the time but when this wired connection is used I do not have AirPlay capability.

So far, I cannot discern the 24/96 material sounds any better than CD quality. In fact, I cannot discern that CD sounds better than 256k material which I download from the iTunes store. The only thing for sure is the 256k material sounds better than 128k when listening to hear a difference. For the most part, I think CD quality is all the quality I can appreciate; and, therefore, today, most of my down loading is CD quality; but, I think actually buying the CD might be a better route, since it allows trading, re-selling and won't crash.

 

[Good4it]

Nice response THANKS!

 

[KenM10759]

I buy & download some 24/96 FLAC files from various record companies or artists' websites onto my USB 2.0 hard rive, then copy them to my Bluesound Vault. Nothing higher res than that. Sometimes I just listen to the files off my PC's Realtek HD port via headphones, other times (like right now) I listen to Tidal Hi-Fi the same way. The PC is connected to the Vault via Ethernet hardwire connection, and that also allows the Vault access to the internet and I can control the Vault with my Android tablet wirelessly. The Bluesound app allows me to play files from it's own 1TB drive, my computer, USB hard drive or Tidal Hi-Fi. I will get a true standlone NAS unit when my PC, USB drive and Vault are closer to full. I don't have a whole lot of files stored right now, barely 600GB worth.

The Vault is my connection to my receiver. I choose to use the analog RCA outputs of the Vault rather than it's optical output because it seems to have a slightly better DAC than the receiver. It sounds terrific. Like sterling shoote, I can barely tell the difference between the 24/96 FLAC files, a CD in my player, or the .wav files on my Vault. Probably just in my head, but I think Tidal through the Bluesound Vault does sound just a little bit nicer on some plays.