When I bought my NAS Synology 8TB DS716+II 2-Bay and a Cisco 5 port switch at the time (2017) it cost me about 780.00 USD. The real time consuming job was loading my initial CD collection which I did over several months. Then packing them away into boxes and storing them in a closet.
The quality of Qobuz streaming sounds fantastic where I am located and mostly only use the NAS for the infrequent times an album may not be in the Qobuz catalogue.
As always, my system, my room, my ears…
I’m about to replace my UnitiServe with a Core and thankfully my dealer is just going to transport all the files so I won’t have to go through that again. Between an old iTunes library and my current server think I’ve had to rip my library about 4 times there’s no way I want to go through that again. 
Ive tried out a couple of albums on Qobuz recently in 24 bit snd went on to buy the Cd as im a collector still.
Despite 16 bit , these ripped WAV files were comfortably better than the streamed versions. Im not a big fan of demoing one against the other , but being familar with the streamed versions already , even a cloth eared fool like me could clearly hear the difference with the CD rip.
Like a veil is removed. More cleaner, more precise, better timed, more natural and emotive. Like a black box upgrade for me.
I want to play around with hi res downloads too. Im renewing my Qobuz subscription soon and sticking with the studio tier for now. I still like owning cds for the artwork snd lyrics etc.
Unless the 24 bit downloads prove significantly better i will always see myself buying cds , especially for artists im a huge fan of. I think i would forego any slight improvement in SQ, instead to hsve a physical copy of the artwork, lyrics and credits etc. It just means something to me still.
I just got my first pair of reading glasses for my deteriorating eyesight, so i can actually read the damn booklets now !!
My local hi res sounds better than my local cd quality. And it should it seems.
The other day I downloaded the Airbag catalogue from Bandcamp, all as 44.1/16 WAV files. They playback quality from the Core is well ahead of the same resolution files that are on Tidal and Qobuz. Very pleased with the quality. Also half the cost of buying the CDs and having them sent to NZ.
I have keep a Meridian 200 transport (bought back in 00’s) plugged into my NDS digital input, for those ‘Let’s check whether the ripped CD is as good as playing the CD itself’, and if anyone was to bring a CD of new material round to play, moments.
They really doesn’t happen anymore - yes, ripped CD, local stored, is as good as the physical CD, if you have the HiRes version then either local or internet streamed is better (even MQA 44.1 versions), and music discovery is more “have you heard the album/track from …” from which you find and play from a Streamed source.
That saying, the Meridian transport isn’t going anywhere, and I will still favour local based streaming over internet based streaming.
Whenever I compare a locally streamed (from my UnitiServe) ripped CD to the same CD streamed via Qobuz, the local stream usually comes out on top SQ-wise.
But I think the new gen Naim streamers, especially the ND555, are doing a better job with on-line streaming, certainly Qobuz, who I suspect are also making SQ improvements.
Yesterday I played Chick Corea Trio - Trilogy album via Qobuz. It was recorded live and I was streaming the 96kHz/24bit version. Truly stunning SQ. I feel no need to go and buy the hi-res download.
I did not read all, but I‘ll offer my insights.
Perceived differences are due to different mastering and further editing/eq. Maybe the way the device handles the stream maybe slightly different. But has nothing to do with local or not.
You can easily test it if you put a server in the cloud and stream from there and locally the same files. Technically it is nonsensical to think that there is any difference. If it was maybe the webpages will be also slightly different every time 
All other differences are purely imaginative.
No popcorns needed. There is no basis for debate. Purely subjective and unmeasurable things don‘t count as arguments. As somebody else said. Listen to it in random order so you don‘t know whats wat 10 times and if you get it 10 out of 10, then we talk
They are all slightly different. But to argue that the quality by itslef is different is not very insightful. And it is not because one is better or worse it is just the nature of different masterings. But if you listen to the exact same one, the transport channel is irrelevant.
After all, bits are just bits, right?
The are, indeed. And the transport channel is irrelevant. This thing called tcp makes sure everything comes in the right order.
Everyone who disagrees is science denier.
As said. Perceived differences are due different mastering and or processing. I had this discussion before. We did a test and there was obvious difference. Which was explained by the manufacturer by different caching and equalization. Mystery solved. Its never the transport channel.
‘This thing called tcp males sure everything comes in the right order.’
So unlike Eric Morecambe’s explanation to Andre Previn about his musicianship, when streaming online or locally we are getting all the right notes and in the right order?
I don‘t know neither of them. But your argumentation is flawed. You are saing this:
Look at this respectable and more knowledgeable authorities. They said something and we believe it. You are unknown, small, stupid IT guy who things he know more about networking than this two respectable and knowledgeable authorities.
I’m confused. Who are the two respectable and more knowledgable authorities, and who is the stupid IT guy?
For the avoidance of doubt, I am stupid Pub Landlord.
Confused, of Chesham.
What do you mean with this?
Ohhhh it’s a comedy sketch. I get it 
But yes you are getting the right notes in the right order. Maybe different sources are handled differently and some filters are applied.
Eric Morecambe (the bad piano player in the sketch) is a UK national treasure, and one of my comedy heroes.
Yesterday I went to a shop to maybe buy a naim cd5i. I don‘t own a cd player. The owner was a really cool dude. The shop was full of things everywhere. There were strategic paths in between the stuff to the listening spot, a pc and a secondary room. There were cds everywhere. All the walls were covered with cds. I am not exaggerating. He had couple of rare really high quality cds. One of them, the midnight sugar, the other one I‘ll share when I buy it …. And many more.
His system: olive poweramp, 122x, hicap2, cd5i and Thiel speakers. The same cd sounded totally different in his space and mine. Do you think the difference is that I ripped the cd to my streamer, or the room, speakers and space.
I am not really familiar with TV, and even less with UK Tv. But I know Mr. Bean.
