My experience after lost of 20k$

I started my HiFi hobby in the late sixties building Heathkits and plywood speaker cabinets.  I have about 500 CDs and about and about 300 LPs (I have a habit of selling off records and CDs in order to make room for new ones).  I still buy new and used records, and that collection is growing a bit (I am somewhat enamored with all things analog).  I also will buy an occasional CD or download.  But mostly, I just stream from TIDAL.  90% of my CDs and records are available on TIDAL (mostly Jazz and Classical).  TIDAL has expanded my collection to around 50 million tracks.  I sometimes go months without cranking up my CD player.

I don't download and stream to chase infinitesimally small improvements in sound quality.  I do it because it is convenient and dirt cheap.

Kahlenz

i tried the free Tidal trial a year or so ago and found it very difficult to use for Classical.  Very poorly organized, worse than themes that iTunes or similar programs make organizing Classical.  I don’t know if it’s been improved since them.  Any comments?
 

amir52bs

As with all things hi-fidelity the approach and basics make all the difference.  I have never used a MacBook Pro as a computer source for any resolution digital audio files.  
My experience is anything but disappointing.  I constructed a silent hi-def audio window 7  pc built on a compact SilverStone Grandia HTPC ATX Aluminum Enclosure. The heart of the system is a M-AUDIO Audiophile 2496 PCI card.  No drivers exist beyond W7 so that has not been a problem.  
I still spin vinyl as I have over 700 pressings and use my silent audio pc for music files and streaming of a vast variety.

My silent audio pc is by far the least expensive audio component in my chain but maintains supreme fidelity.  If interested I can provide a source for acquiring this awesome audiophile PCI card.

I can usually find what I am looking for using Tidal's search commands.  The search categories are optimized for popular music, so you must be a bit creative searching for classical.

There are some streaming services that specialize in classical music, and their categories and search algorithms are better suited for classical music search and explore purposes.  But in most cases, Tidal has what I am looking for (with its vast catalog, you would need to subscribe to a number of specialized services to even come close to Tidal's inventory).

I figure if its not on Tidal, I'll buy it.  I enjoy buying used records and CDs. Downloads are available if I am impatient or excited to hear something.  But with fifty million songs available to stream, I can usually find something satisfying to listen to on Tidal.

perazzi28:  I like the M-AUDIO Audiophile 2496 card.  With the right power supply and a good sturdy case you could have a lot of fun with this "old school" build.  Newer products from companies like Focusrite and PreSonus are more convenient, will sound just as good if not better, and be far less expensive (but not as cool).