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

Appears to be available for sale now:

https://www.highresaudio.com/en/alb...-orphans-brawlers-bawlers-bastards-remastered

 

Hoping for a DD of the reissue for Nighthawks and Change, my two favorite early Waits albums.

 

Waiting anxiously for reports of the new Wait's offerings.

 

It looks like the label "Anti Records" (a subsidiary of Epitaph Records) is putting out the Tom Waits' HiRes titles. According to Qobuz, the other Tom Waits titles this label has are:


"Real Gone" [planned DD release on December 1st - new remaster & remix]
"Heartattack & Vine"
"Used Songs"

With "Mule Variations", "Blood Money", "Alice", "Orphans", "Bad As Me" and "Glitter & Doom - Live" already available as HiRes DD.
("Orphans" currently only available on Highresaudio Germany and E-Onkyo Music Japan [24/48 sample rate])


Anti - Epitaph - Télécharger et écouter les albums

 

THIS WEEK on HDtracks...

Maroon 5 - Red Pill Blues (Deluxe)
SAM SMITH - The Thrill Of It All (Special Edition)
Bob Dylan - Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 (Deluxe Edition)
Roy Orbison - A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Plus much much more...

 

How is the DSD version of the Elton John self titled album? It can be bought from Acoustic Sounds and I will buy it if it sounds good and not like the older remaster.

 

Same remaster as on the original SACD.

 

Damn, that sucks. Thanks.

 

THIS WEEK on HDtracks...

Evanescence - Synthesis
Grateful Dead - R.F.K. Stadium Washington D.C. 1989 (Live)
Aretha Franklin - A Brand New Me: Aretha Franklin (with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
R.E.M. - Automatic For The People (25th Anniversary Hi-Res Edition)
Pearl Jam - Binaural

plus much much more...

 

Hopeful that the new Pearl Jam releases will have some decent dynamic range.

 

More Pearl Jam and R.E.M. I'm a happy boy!

I know the hi-res releases don't generate the excitement they used to (all too often for "good" reason, sadly), but, I still do appreciate you posting this on a weekly basis, jmacvols.

 

Qobuz has had Binaural and Riot Act in hi-res for a couple of months. They are no more dynamic than the original CD releases. Hopefully the HDTracks release is different!

 

As some here may know, I often "test drive" these releases before buying, and, true, there's really nothing special about either Binaural or Riot Act in hi-res, but, the OCD completionist and quarter-century PJ fan in me just couldn't allow for these to be out there for purchase and not buy them...My spirit simply wouldn't allow me to keep the "test drive" copies!

Curious for Avocado. HDTracks states it's a new mix? Hope it's the equivalent of one of Steven Wilson's "Anti-Loudness" remasters. LOL

 

Ugh....Wish I'd seen the thread below before buying. The amount of clipping on Avocado is actually somehow, incomprehensibly WORSE than the original CD. I don't want to cross-post anyone else's efforts, so just check here for the charty stuff

New Pearl Jam Reissues, complete studio vinyl box coming

 

Which version of Avocado did you buy?

 

Here the strange thing, Chauncey. So, I bought what HDTracks listed as 24/44, but the signal path in Roon and the bit-rate displayed on the album cover in Roon both say 24/96.

I haven't looked at any charts, but, I'm guessing it was maybe a rare bit of unintentional honesty from HDTracks, in that there's no info above 22kHz, and the only true variation here is the bit-rate.

Having said this, I cannot F'ing believe, after all of the years that I have made joke after tired joke on the red mosquito forum and elsewhere, that Matt Cameron's cymbals on this record sound like a toddler slapping cellophane, they somehow managed to make them sound even worse with this remix. Absolutely dumbfounded right now.

Only through WWS, so, I'll hold out hope that it gets better, but, man, this is pretty rough right now. I do like the vocals so far. They're more pronounced in the mix and have good clarity.

 

HDtracks is doing a 25% off metal sale. Anything worth getting? I've read a lot of complaints about squashed dynamics on HD metal and hard rock releases from HDtracks. I already have the Sabbath and Van Halen sets.

 

Those are probably two of the better hi-res releases in the "hard rock/metal" area. I also have a couple of the earlier Pantera records and a couple of the Megadeth albums, and they're nothing special. Better off saving your dough and keeping the original CDs, IMO.

I personally do like the Dio-era Sabbath set. Some folks really enjoy the Japanese SACD better, I know, and that one's pretty good, too, but, the set on HDTracks is a good choice if you don't have a way to play or don't want to buy the SACD.

The self-titled Dream Theater and A Dramatic Turn albums are a couple of (sadly all too) rare examples where the hi-res release is actually a different master and both of those sound great.

If you do Tidal streaming, you can listen to the MQA versions of all of these, which are basically just re-encodes of the hi-res files, check them out, and see if you like any of them.
I was checking out some of the old Sepultura Roadrunner records and Mastodon the other day, and was really grateful that I had a way of testing them out without either pirating or buying blind, because those didn't do much for me at all.

 

For Pantera - CFH and VDoP are pretty good. They're either on the same level of CDs or a bit better. I like those in hi-res.
With Megadeth we have a different story - both Th1rt3en and Super Collider are definitely worth getting in terms of audio quality. RiP and recent PSBWB re-issue are debatable because I definitely heard some distortion here and there on RiP. But both are original masters, so it depends on your preference. Stay away from CtE - brickwalled to deth [sic] even further than 2011 PSBWB remaster.
Anthrax was in the same vein as Megadeth's RiP and PSBWB, nothing special. Don't know for Slayer though but you can check DR database for the entries. Oh, and RATM was supbar again. Better than 2012 XX remaster but still not the same league as the original release or AF SACD.

 

My Megadeth fandom skews early, and I haven't really kept up with them beyond United Abominations, so, unfortunately for me, my hi-res Megadeth purchases and experience only involves Peace Sells, RiP, CtE, and Youthanasia , and all of them, IMO, were awful, ESPECIALLY, as you stated, CtE. Stay far away. What a wasteful presentation of a great record.

As for the Slayer, I have Reign, South, and Seasons, and, I THINK they're based on 2002 masters that were done for the boxed set. They're loud, though not egregiously peak-limited, but, yes, you're absolutely right, there's nothing about them that you'd be proud to show off for your $$, either. The Slayer stuff is also on Tidal.

 

Is there a code for this sale?

 

I picked up the REM Automatic 25th from HD Tracks. Weird that it does not include the disc of demos that is in the physical package. I really really like the live show that is added to the set though. For the actual album release I have not made a determination how I feel about it yet. Played it a few times, and obviously enjoy the album, but have not done an A/B comparison to my original CD yet.

 

Um, Youthanasia in hi-res? Where did you get it? I mean besides LP digital rips there was no official hi-res digital release of it. But that's my favorite album, so if you have some info on it that I don't know about... I'll greatly appreciate your input on that

 

THIS WEEK on HDtracks...

Green Day - Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band
Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls: The Live Chapter
The Doors - Strange Days (50th Anniversary Expanded Edition) [Remastered]
Morrissey Official - Low in High School
Bob Seger - I Knew You When (Deluxe)

Plus much much more...

 

Didn't mean to wind you up, my apologies!

You're absolutely right, I'm afraid. I had 24/96 and Megadeth on the brain, and was trying to recall my collection. What I was thinking of is definitely the digital vinyl "rip."

Again, sorry to get you all hot n' schweaty, but, I don't listen to Megadeth all that frequently anymore. The good news is that it does have a chance of maybe being decent if it is finally released, but, I sincerely doubt that judging by the rest of 'em.