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

HD Digital - Music

 

So far I have only downloaded Future Games - as I was curious! The only copy I have is the 1980's CD, which I converted to FLAC a few months ago via XLD. Using Audioquest Nighthawk's with a SIMAUDIO 230HAD Amp/DAC from my MAC laptop - it sounded pretty good. A bit dense but overall not bad. But I wanted to see if the remaster was any better. According to HIRESAUDIO.com - "Digitally remastered . Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 96 kHz, 24-bit. The provided 192 kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value! " So I got the 96/24 from Acoustic Sounds. Slight improvement! The sound stage seems a bit more open and I notice some details in the instruments that I don't quite get from the ripped FLAC. And overall, nice balance of instruments with vocals. Still a bit dense ... but I like it. Interesting, but running the DR's via Dynamic Range on both - the overall DR is 12 for both?! But then again, I'm not too technical with that kind of stuff ... so I go by what I like to hear. I'll probably follow up with the others, but will wait til I see them at discount.

 

Thanks for the Neil Young tip ... downloaded a couple and DAMN they sound amazing!!

 

Hi

I love Ryan Adams but some of his last releases have been brick walled beyond belief. His last album (self titled) on cd had GREAT MUSIC but was slammed with compression. After a few songs, I simply move on.

A quick look at the DR database shows "Prisoner" at DR 8 on a CD. Do you have any idea what the hi res download is?

 

+1 for feedback on Soft Bulletin. Tempted because I love it, but don't need to drop $ on a HiRes brick.

 

I assume that the HD Download of the Soft Bulletin is the same as the DVD-Audio. If that is the case then it is a HiRes brick.

 

I feel like that is a safe assumption, but would be quite happy to be proven wrong.

 

No intention of sparking additional debate on the merits of MQA, but, anyone with Tidal can listen to The Soft Bulletin via Tidal's MQA masters. No MQA DAC required, as it's only 24/44, so you should get the full impression via the software unfold.

 

Thanks for that. Never even thought to check. I'm a streaming newbie

 

....your impression?

 

This Week on HDtracks...

Gorillaz - Humanz (Deluxe)
Willie Nelson - God's Problem Child
Billy Idol - 3 Albums
Feist - Pleasure ...

+ many many more...

 

Could've been mixed to 24 bit DAT. Not necessarily, but possible.

 

Listened to the Uriah Heep, Demons and Wizards, Magicians Birthday. I purchased from AS, which actually discounts. HDtracks doesn't discount much.

I like the sound of the mastering and 24/96 is a nice treat for timbre and other nuances. Not perfect, but better than any cd out there for sure.

 

Sure...So, I don't have the DVD-A to compare, but I knew that the original hi-res download of Yoshimi from HDTracks from a few years ago ended up being one of those wacky stereo fold-downs of the 5.1, similar to what happened to the Talking Heads Remain in Light a while back, so I didn't have much faith.

Turns out that the MQA of Yoshimi seems to be based on the new 2017 hi-res release from a few weeks ago, which, unfortunately, ascribes to the idea that compressed and louder equals punchy and detailed. I actually don't mind this trade off for some releases (The Clash and Pearl Jam catalogs come to mind), but these new Lips releases (Bulletin included) lean more towards the Jeff Buckley Grace/RHCP hi-res style, which, IMO, is TOO much to comfortably bear.

I'm just grateful for Tidal, in this case, because its MQA program has once again has saved me a few bucks. Take a listen for yourself and let me know what you think.

 

Thanks, appreciate the feedback and info.

 

24 bit DATs never existed. There was 48khz as opposed to 44.1 sampling option (which wasn't utilized except for about half of In A Priest Driven Ambulance), but never 24 bit.

 

Agree. Although the Sanctuary remasters were not bad.

 

Yes 24-bit DATs did and do exist. I have a Tascam DA45HR and used to mix client projects to it all the time and know many mastering engineers who had one.

 

Agreed. Ditto Look At Yourself.
It should be mentioned, though, that these new Heep DE's sound great BUT...
The bonus tracks on all three appear @ 24/44.1 - are all slammed with compression - and have about half the DR of the main album tracks.

 

Learned something new today.

 

Oddly though tascam were the only company to make one, and if you wanted to do 24-bit this was your only option.

 

They absolutely existed, I have one at work.

http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/292/DA-45HR_TECHDOC.pdf

I see there was a similar response above, didn't mean to pile on.

Also, I think Pioneer made a 96kHz capable DAT machine, but it could only do 16 bit. There was never, as far as I know, a 24/96 DAT.

At one point there was 24 bit multitrack machines, but I don't know if there was ever a 24 bit two track open reel (there were 16bit open reel two tracks).

I say all this while knowing that the Flaming Lips album could very well have been 16 bit at mix down. Just saying 24 bit was a possibility.

 

At least with labels like MOFI and Audio Fidelity you know who's mastering and know the work.

 

No Santana Lotus DSD/hires download? It's available in Japan.

 

Well, learn something new every day. I've never come across one before. And, being that Tarbox is a place I've spent a lot of time at, I know there's never been a 24 bit DAT player/recorder there. I don't wish to sound like a know-it-all because I've just been proven not to be, but I do know for an absolute fact that all Soft Bulletin-era songs were mixed down to standard 44.1/16 DAT.