Hi-Res Download News (HDTracks, ProStudioMasters, Pono, etc.) & Software/Mastering Part 11**

Gary, why don't we have a Hi-Resolution Downloads thread. As someone else posted, just put HDtracks, Pono, ProStudioMasters, etc., whatever will clue people into what the thread is and it can be all inclusive. I think most of us "watch" all these other threads anyway. It would be nice to have everything in one thread.

 

Just to complicate/cloud the issue, there actually is/was (last used in March) a thread in "Coupons, Discounts and Sales" for all HiRez sites: "Good Deals on Hi-rez Websites HDTracks Pono Qobuz etc."

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/good-deals-on-hi-rez-websites-hdtracks-pono-qobuz-etc.409556/

 

Where's A Farewell To Kings on HDtracks? Wasn't the 2015 '12 Months of Rush' Hi Res version due out today?

 

That's what I thought too.

 

It is on ProStudioMasters at 24/44.1. Don't know their coupon code for this week yet.

 

Really confused. Didn't we just get Paul Simon stuff at 96/24? I know Pono had it and I think Acoustic Sounds. I thought HDTracks had it as well.

 

That isn't the 2015 remaster.

 

Weird. Why on Earth would it be in 24/44.1? Huh. Maybe I'll wait this out a bit.

 

Whew!

 

It has an odd title, then (copied and pasted...) and is in their recently added section.

A Farewell To Kings (Remastered 2015)
Rush

 

I could have sworn that wasn't there when I looked earlier!

Odd that it's 44.1kHz.

 

I wonder if it isn't on HDTracks, because they noticed that too and are doing some due diligence? (That would be giving them a lot of credit

 

Another thought (that I posted in the Rush vinyl/high res thread) is that the master tapes are damaged or lost, so they used a digital transfer for this new version. I sure hope not...

I can only hope that HDTracks are doing some due diligence. That would be a good sign!

 

No. HD Tracks has only announced it in the last day or so. Also, only some of the albums. No 'One Trick Pony', 'Hearts and Bones', 'Rhythm of the Saints' , for example.

 

For the jazz guys, ProStudioMasters has Ron Carter/Herbie Hancock/Tony Williams Third Plane, which I don't see on HDTracks.

 

So this is the same stuff Pono has, just getting it a bit later. I see.

 

The fact that the albums released at HDtracks don't have bonus tracks (like the already available albums at Acoustic Sounds do) and have a 2015 release date suggest they are new masters. A good thing since I'm not really very happy with the old versions. A "bad" thing since I bought them from Acoustic Sounds only a few weeks back... When will this madness end?

 

I'm demoing the three 2015 Paul Simon hi-res releases and they really do sound great. Very nice tonality and analogue warmth, with excellent detail and just overall great musicality. The volume is a little louder than I'm used to, but these don't sound compressed by any means - I suppose I should just be happy they made use of all the bits! Waveforms look gorgeous BTW. DR values: Paul Simon, DR=10; There Goes Rhyming' Simon and Still Crazy After All These Years, DR=11.

 

Problem is..they are all really 24/48 in resolution.....still sound very, very good. But do NOT blow away the CDs.

 

Dynamic range database lists the existing 24 bit versions of the latter 2 as DR11. Are we sure these are new remasters?

 

Not sure this is true. The Pono versions have bonus tracks (the same as the remastered CD:s), the HDtracks versions do not. Confusing, as always...

The original or remastered CD:s?

 

Ok let me clarify...i have all the Qobuz ones, the complete collection, and I was referring to the 2011 CDs.

The Qobuz version have the same bonus tracks.

 

A fairly simple waveform and frequency spectrum comparison should help differentiate the HDTracks Paul Simon albums, which from the description should sound and "look" much better than the existing versions on the other sites.

 

Sorry, I don't have the previous hi-res releases so I can't do a better comparison. If it helps, here are the full DR reports for the three latest (2015) hi-res titles:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: /Volumes/4 TB Seagate/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Paul Simon/Paul Simon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR8 -0.20 dB -10.23 dB 01 Mother and Child Reunion.m4a
DR9 -0.37 dB -11.74 dB 02 Duncan.m4a
DR11 -0.47 dB -15.39 dB 03 Everything Put Together Falls Apart.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -12.52 dB 04 Run That Body Down.m4a
DR11 -1.09 dB -14.39 dB 05 Armistice Day.m4a
DR9 -0.20 dB -11.20 dB 06 Me And Julio Down Bby Tthe Schoolyard.m4a
DR9 -0.23 dB -12.68 dB 07 Peace Like a River.m4a
DR11 -0.69 dB -14.86 dB 08 Papa Hobo.m4a
DR11 -2.99 dB -15.53 dB 09 Hobo's Blues.m4a
DR11 -0.20 dB -12.64 dB 10 Paranoia Blues.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -12.60 dB 11 Congratulations.m4a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 11
Official DR value: DR10

==============================================================================================

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: /Volumes/4 TB Seagate/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Paul Simon/There Goes Rhymin' Simon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR9 -0.20 dB -11.54 dB 01 Kodachrome.m4a
DR12 -0.22 dB -14.56 dB 02 Tenderness.m4a
DR12 -0.20 dB -14.56 dB 03 Take Me to the Mardi Gras.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -12.83 dB 04 Something so Right.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -13.69 dB 05 One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor.m4a
DR10 -0.24 dB -13.59 dB 06 American Tune.m4a
DR12 -0.23 dB -13.88 dB 07 Was a Sunny Day.m4a
DR11 -0.20 dB -13.73 dB 08 Learn How to Fall.m4a
DR13 -1.13 dB -16.37 dB 09 St. Judy's Comet.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -12.53 dB 10 Loves Me Like a Rock.m4a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 10
Official DR value: DR11

==============================================================================================

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: /Volumes/4 TB Seagate/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music/Paul Simon/Still Crazy After All These Years
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR10 -0.21 dB -13.41 dB 01 Still Crazy After All These Years.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -13.19 dB 02 My Little Town.m4a
DR10 -0.20 dB -12.90 dB 03 I'd Do It for Your Love.m4a
DR11 -0.20 dB -14.63 dB 04 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.m4a
DR13 -1.42 dB -17.49 dB 05 Night Game.m4a
DR11 -0.28 dB -13.19 dB 06 Gone at Last.m4a
DR10 -0.22 dB -14.97 dB 07 Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy.m4a
DR11 -0.20 dB -12.80 dB 08 Have a Good Time.m4a
DR14 -1.49 dB -17.47 dB 09 You're Kind.m4a
DR12 -0.86 dB -16.28 dB 10 Silent Eyes.m4a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 10
Official DR value: DR11

==============================================================================================

 

Ah. I think that explains why the Qubuz versions do not blow away the CD versions. They are very likely the same masters.