Tagged: streaming

Guest Wi-Fi networks isolate devices by design, which quietly breaks multiroom audio. Here's why it happens and how to fix it properly.

USB, coaxial and optical into a DAC: which digital input actually changes the sound, and when the difference is real versus imagined.

Multiroom dropouts are rarely your Wi-Fi. Here's why DNS resolution quietly breaks streaming apps, and how to fix it for good.

A full four-room multiroom build around WiiM streamers, done properly, for less than the cost of one premium ecosystem speaker.

The DAC chip gets all the marketing attention, but the analogue output stage after it does most of the work shaping what you actually hear.

Turning your phone down before a Bluetooth speaker or DAC often re-processes the digital signal. Here's what's actually happening, and when it matters.

MQA's unwinding wasn't a fluke. It's a lesson in what hi-res audio actually needs from a format, and what was always marketing.

Why the same headphones sound different depending on whether they're fed over Bluetooth, AirPlay or a multiroom app — and how to get the best signal path at your desk.

"Bit-perfect" gets thrown around like a spec, but it's a plumbing claim, not a sound quality one. Here's what it actually guarantees.

Your app says 24-bit/192kHz but your DAC's display says something else. Here's what's actually happening to the signal, and whether it matters.

A reference DAC costs as much as a car. Sofia Laurent explains what that money actually pays for once the chip itself stopped being the problem.

Statement systems live or die on the last metre of cable. Here's why even six-figure hi-fi rooms lean on unglamorous streaming boxes to get the multiroom bit right.

A $150 DAC and a $2000 DAC often measure almost identically. Here's what the extra money is really buying, and why it's usually not "better sound" in the conversion itself.

A client once asked me to fit a $1,200 network switch into his rack. Here's what a switch can and can't change about digital audio, and where the money's better spent.

Upsampling and oversampling get lumped together and spruiked as a feature. Here's what a DAC actually does to your signal, and whether it's worth caring about.

USB, coax and optical into the same DAC can measure and sound different, but not for the reasons forum folklore usually gives. Here's what actually changes.

eARC is convenient but it's not neutral. Here's what actually happens to your two-channel sound when the AVR's HDMI board becomes your DAC.

Multiroom streaming almost never sends bit-perfect audio to every zone. Here's what resampling and format conversion actually do to the signal, and when it matters.

NAS, local rip or a streaming service subscription — does storage location change what hits your DAC? I pulled the signal path apart to find out.

Running different music in every room isn't a firmware bug — it's how multiroom actually gets used. Here's how to set it up so it stays reliable.

A vinyl-and-valves person explains how streaming services actually interact with tube amplification, and why the source matters more than people admit.

You don't need a five-figure whole-home system. Here's how to build genuinely good multiroom audio on a giant-killer budget.

Same track, same app, different loudness in every room. Here's the actual engineering reason multiroom volume matching fails, and how to fix it properly.

MQA's collapse left a lot of confused shelves of "Masters" tier subscriptions. Here's what actually changed, and what to do about it.

ESS, AKM or a "flagship" chip name tells you almost nothing about how a DAC sounds. Here's what genuinely separates a good one from a dud, on any budget.

Most multiroom systems are designed around speakers in rooms. Here's how to build a headphone zone into that same ecosystem without gutting the sound.

DAC before or after the preamp, streamer or separate box: where the conversion happens in your chain affects noise, volume control and cable runs more than the chip inside it.

Multiroom systems are built around speakers in rooms. Here's how to get a proper headphone zone out of the same network, without losing resolution.

What actually changes when you stream to headphones: service quality settings, exclusive mode, and the DAC steps that matter more than the app you use.

Most multiroom systems treat every zone as an afterthought. Here's how to build secondary zones that respect the investment you've made in your primary system.

AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Bluetooth all promise to get music from your phone to your speakers — but they work very differently. Here's what actually matters for audio quality.

Roon, Linn Kazoo and Lumin each promise to be the centre of a serious streaming system. Sofia Laurent breaks down what each actually delivers — and what they cost you.

Dave Okafor asks whether budget network streamers can genuinely hold their own against pricier rivals — and what you actually lose if you don't spend up.

Every major streaming service has quality settings that most people never touch. Here's what those settings actually change in the signal chain — and where it genuinely matters.

Multiroom audio and high-end source quality rarely coexist well. Here's how to architect a system where every zone gets the signal it deserves.

Hi-res, MQA, lossless, lossy — the format wars are loud and mostly confusing. Here's what actually changes what you hear through headphones.

Zones drifting out of time is the most common multiroom complaint. Marcus Vale explains what causes latency, how each ecosystem handles it, and what you can actually do.

More digits and higher numbers don't automatically mean better sound. Here's what bit depth and sample rate actually do — and where the real gains stop.

Marcus Vale runs the measurements and the logic on whether a physical Ethernet connection genuinely improves streaming audio quality over Wi-Fi — or if it's mostly folklore.

Tidal vs Spotify vs Apple Music vs Qobuz in Australia: Dave Okafor compares price, lossless quality and hardware fit to find which service earns your money.

Building a multiroom audio system doesn't need a $5,000 dealer quote. Dave Okafor compares Sonos, Cast, AirPlay 2 and WiiM so you can spend wisely in Australia.

Do you need an external DAC? Dave Okafor explains when a dedicated converter genuinely improves your sound and when your built-in one is good enough.

Network audio clocking decides how much jitter reaches your DAC. Marcus Vale explains the causes, how to measure it, and which fixes actually work.

Roon, UPnP or a manufacturer's app: which streaming protocol sounds best? Theo Mensah explains what each does and what really changes the sound.

The NAD C 589 CD player pairs MQA Labs' QRONO d2a processing with an ESS Sabre DAC. Here is what that means for serious listeners and Australian buyers.

Antipodes Audio launched the new Oladra brand with the US$35,000 Sentia and US$58,000 Presence music servers, debuting at AXPONA 2026 in Chicago.

Spotify's three-tier Premium plan gates lossless 24-bit FLAC behind Platinum in five emerging markets. Here's what it means for Australian listeners.

Qobuz revenue growth hit 45.7% in 2025, more than five times the 8.8% streaming market rise, and profitability is now targeted by March 2027.

Apple Music lossless gets a reality check from Apple's own VP. Theo Mensah explains what it means for serious Australian listeners and their gear.

The Qobuz AI Charter pairs human-curation pledges with a detection tool that tags fully AI-generated music. Here is what it means for serious listeners.

Dolby Atmos Music is now supported in 150-plus car models from 35-plus automakers, per Dolby at CES 2026. Here is what it means for spatial audio.

Spotify lossless caused only modest cancellations at Qobuz, says MD Dan Mackta, and the hi-res streamer's user base has since grown. Here's why.

Pioneer's SPHERA DMH-WT8000NEX is the first aftermarket in-dash receiver with Dolby Atmos over Apple CarPlay, listed at US$1,299.99. Here's what it means.

HARMAN completed its $350M purchase of Sound United, bringing B&W, Denon and Marantz together. Here is what it means for Australian hi-fi buyers.

Sonos returns to profit with its first positive Q2 adjusted EBITDA in four years. Marcus Vale unpacks what Tom Conrad's recovery means for Australian buyers.

Orchard Audio's Starkrimson 25 Mono shows GaN amplification is still being pushed hardest by small specialists, not big brands. Here's what it means.

The Hegel H150 Prodigy keeps Class-AB with SoundEngine 2, adds the brand's first USB-A input and MM phono, and stands against the Class-D tide.

AKM's comeback is complete as the AK4499EX flagship DAC chip reaches Astell&Kern's US$450 AK HC5 dongle, the first portable DAC to carry the chip.

The Gustard R30 reignited the R2R debate. Theo Mensah explains how discrete ladder DACs differ from delta-sigma and what it means for Australian buyers.

MQA's successor technologies are finally shipping in real products. Here's a clear-eyed account of what survived the collapse — and what's still missing.