Hi-Res Download News (HDTracks, ProStudioMasters, Pono, etc.) & Software/Mastering Part 12**

I purchased Neil's Greatest Hits a couple days ago without any problem. I am in NL as well.

 

wow, 60% cheaper than the other stores - that's got to be a mistake. it's even $35 less than the 24/96 on HDtracks. Sinatra people should jump all over this.

 

And that's for 192. 96 is under $40 It's still listed too. Of course no book unfortunately.

 

Had no trouble with two Neil Young titles, but I was surprised to see that a few previously available titles in the reissue series don't seem to be available in hi-res any more.

 

Apart from 'Greatest Hits' (which does stay in my cart), all others I've tried come up as invalid when I go to check out. It must be a territorial rights issue.

 

The original CD is very good (IMO).

Can you compare?

 

Found the ToL DR's.

Looks like this could be the best of the remasters.

It would have to be to beat the original.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Bruce Springsteen / Tunnel Of Love
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR17 -1.05 dB -20.27 dB 2:11 01-Ain't Got You (Album Version)
DR12 -1.02 dB -14.18 dB 4:35 02-Tougher Than the Rest
DR11 -1.00 dB -13.73 dB 2:40 03-All That Heaven Will Allow (Album Version)
DR11 -1.02 dB -13.54 dB 3:44 04-Spare Parts (Album Version)
DR15 -1.12 dB -19.09 dB 3:58 05-Cautious Man (Album Version)
DR12 -1.10 dB -15.31 dB 3:44 06-Walk Like A Man (Album Version)
DR11 -1.09 dB -13.88 dB 5:13 07-Tunnel of Love
DR12 -1.10 dB -15.87 dB 3:03 08-Two Faces (Album Version)
DR11 -1.07 dB -13.91 dB 4:17 09-Brilliant Disguise
DR12 -1.10 dB -14.72 dB 4:22 10-One Step Up (Album Version)
DR11 -1.10 dB -14.34 dB 3:24 11-When You're Alone (Album Version)
DR13 -1.10 dB -16.09 dB 5:11 12-Valentine's Day (Album Version)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 12
Official DR value: DR12

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 1579 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

 

Now fixed. If you want something resolved, just mention it on this forum . Thanks Neil!

 

Any sign of that Pono launch in the UK they promised this November?

 

Neil just put a message on the Pono site saying it has been delayed until 2016. Partial quote:

"Our next goal is to open Pono in the UK, as quickly as we can. I know that expectations are that we would be opening our UK operations in 2015, even in November. We wish it were otherwise, but that is going to slip, into 2016. I wish there was more we could do to accelerate things, but there simply isn’t and I feel it is better that we let you know how things are, as it becomes clear to us."

 

Neil Young (PonoMusic)


When we started our journey with Pono and everyone in this community, we set ourselves the goal of opening music stores, starting with the USA and then on to Canada and the UK.

It has taken us longer than any of us foresaw, and definitely longer than any of us wanted, to break out of the USA and into other territories. It has been frustrating and infuriating in equal measure, but we have been determined to succeed. The goal of breaking out from the USA has now been achieved, with the opening of our store - and distribution of our PonoPlayer - in Canada, just a week ago.

The complexity of licencing arrangements and agreements, funding, and getting distribution of our PonoPlayers organized, is different for each territory and so it isn’t simply like a set of dominoes where one territory follows on immediately from the next.

Our next goal is to open Pono in the UK, as quickly as we can. I know that expectations are that we would be opening our UK operations in 2015, even in November. We wish it were otherwise, but that is going to slip, into 2016. I wish there was more we could do to accelerate things, but there simply isn’t and I feel it is better that we let you know how things are, as it becomes clear to us.

The UK is a very important territory for us and it is a disappointment to me personally, to our hard working and dedicated team, and I'm sure, to our loyal supporters, who have been with us for so long, that we cannot go faster. Every effort is being made to open stores and distribution for the UK, and other territories, as quickly as we can. We ask you to bear with us and I promise that we will keep you informed as we go. I will personally make sure that we let you know where things are at before the year ends.

We have achieved a lot together, Pono is an unfolding journey and each step we make is a spreading of what we are committed to achieving - bringing back the music to the world. We will get there, of that I am sure.



Neil

 

eclassical.com's advent calendar started today. Each day until Christmas Eve, one title from BIS and another from harmonia mundi are 50% off. The next day, another pair is 50% off and the previous day's pair are 25% off. Most will have a hi-res option. One of today's albums is Grieg's Piano Concerto played by Noriko Ogawa in 176.4/24.

 

I noticed that a number of titles that were listed on the Canadian site show up as "Not Available In Territory". If they are not available why list them?

 

Sounds like a quirk in the system. You should report it to Pono as there is no reason for any music to be not available now that they have opened the "store" in Canada. There is a "contact" link at the bottom of the store's main page. We in the US had similar problems early on.

 

Pono is failing on a number of fronts:

-Price

-They are NOT always getting the highest resolution available. I see many titles where they are selling
Redbook downloads, and other vendors have higher resolution, for the same or even less money.
Case in point, Jacco Gardner's Hypnophobia. I just bought the 24/96 for $11.54. The CD downlaod
is $12.99 on Pono. Rip.

 

woukdnt this be covered by the "pono guarantee?"

 

If they don't have the higher resolution file, how can they upgrade you? They float the notion that they always get the best
the record company has. Not true.

 

Does HD Tracks ever accept multiple discount codes?

 

It depends from the deals with the labels. I don't know if Pono is the richest vendor in the Hi res market.

 

FYI..I am very pro Pono..I love the concept. They have some ways to go. I really wonder if they got feedback from HD download customers before they opened to fix things
that are known issues.

 

I like pono, and their prices and selection, too...

However, the bloatware required to download (Mac OS X) is absurd (I still use it since I don't have a choice, but it is ridiculous)...

 

Sorry if this has been covered, I did do a search but didn't see it. The Beach Boys' Party! Uncovered and Unplugged. It's on sale (45% off) at ProStudioMasters for $38.84. Still seems pricy. The CD is just $19.98 on Amazon. Not sure this is worth the HD treatment. I've convienced myself to buy it, just not sure about the format. Opinions?

 

Some info about "Out of the Blue" from ELO. Treated myself to the 192/24 version from HD Tracks. These files are definitely from the remastered 30th anniversary edition. No bonus tracks like the CD release, but the rest are identical, only higher resolution. I don't need any software to make this determination, the tip off is at the end of "It's Over" , the 2nd track. On the original CD masters there is bad tape drop out at the very end of the song as it begins to crossfade into the next track. The files from HD Tracks have no such dropouts. This is the same case with my 30th Anniversary CD edition.

This is Jeff Lynne's masterpiece and is presented with the best possible audio currently available. Minimal compression, wide open sound and VERY musical. If you need gap-less playback, just re-author the files to a DVD-A outputting PCM 192/24! I am stoked!

 

Personally, I went for the CD at ~$15 from Amazon.
I couldn't justify $50 for this HD download without any provenance, but that's just me.
I missed the Pono 20% off coupon over the weekend, would have bought the Ryan Adams Carnegie Hall download.
Oh well...

 

That's interesting. It looks like a very different philosophy from the mastering used for things up to Born In The USA. It appears they've decided not to use the same compression they used for the first batch of remasters.