Setting the cache while streaming music with streamers

[sloiseau]

Dear all,

I have a traditional HIFI setting and I also listen to music through Qobuz. I'm often using a computer or a tablet plugged to the amp with a simple jack to RCA connector and I'm planning to buy a DAC + Streamer (in one or two pieces).

I have a question regarding the cache. Using Qobuz on a computer/tablet, with the Qobuz app, you can dimension the space devoted to the cache. As soon as some music is listened more than once, it reduces the amount of data downloaded, and since lots of music is heard frequently, I was supposing that it was a significant factor in reducing the carbon footprint of streaming music.

The streamers I have been looking at do not seem to have an internal storage system. Is this possible to cache downloaded music on the local network when the streamer is connected to it, or on a USB-plugged drive? Does it depend on the streamer, or on the application used with it? It seems weird to me that all music is permanently downloaded while there is cache possibility provided by the platform, but is this the common practice? In that case, it will probably influence my decision in favor of connecting a laptop to a DAC, if this is reasonable.

Thanks for any info and comment.

 

[Stickler1]

Sounds reasonable but usually sounds worse in comparison with a non PC sources. Go for it

 

[sloiseau]

For those who may be interested: I asked the Octavio team (https://www.octavio-audio.com) about their "octavio stream" product and they have answered that the device (i.e. the app that manages it if I understand correctly) can't deal with cached data (although the device can access a disk on the NAS for playing local media).

Maybe cached music is encrypted and the providers are reluctant to disseminate the encryption key, which could lead to a data leak?

In any case, it seems to me to be a major drawback if streamers can't cache data given the cost of fetching the content again and again from distant servers -- unless I'm completely wrong with this. I'm very suprised to see no more concern about this.