Hi-Rez Download Reviews - Comments About Music You've Purchased (or want to purchase) *Only*, Please

Sounds like another (accidental?) down mix rip of the DVD multichannel mix to stereo. Chicago II and a Talking Heads title are the same.

 

Acoustic Sounds sale. 15% off this weekend.

http://store.acousticsounds.com/superhirez

 

Thanks for posting. Super HiRez discounts are kind of rare!!

 

Picked up two downloads using the HDTracks 25% off code. Santana III and Songs from the Big Chair. Both real winners! I have the original West Germany version of Chair and this beats it easily. Code is HDnumber1

 

I enjoyed Santana III a lot too. Really a nice transfer. Their first album and Welcome are really well done as well. I guess all their albums are good in hires!

 

How many of #1 albums are HD Tracks "digital version only" masterings (no CD equivalent)? Still Crazy After All These Years & Band on the Run, what others?

 

I second that opinion. Even so, it's an improvement on the CD I have. The CD has very little stereo separation; the hi res download opts for the wide stereo, which is likely the better option based on the source tapes, and thus the overall sound is somewhat superior. But it is far from an audiophile calibre recording.

 

When I read this comment, I thought you were dissing the hi res download. But having followed the link, I see that the DR for the HDTracks version is 12 - same as the DCC version - whereas the CD's DR is 8. So you must have meant the opposite of what I thought you were saying.

 

Soul Station sounds MUCH better in its XRCD version, mastered by Alan Yoshida (which means this HDTracks version is by Bernie Grundman). Everything sounds fuller on the XRCD mastering and there is even more separation.

 

I bought this one:
http://www.hdtracks.com/this-time-i-m-swingin?format=FLAC

Dean Martin - This Time I'm Swingin' 24-96

A great collaboration with conductor/arranger Nelson Riddle. A very nice sounding download. Dynamic, smooth, vivid sound.

(I don't know how this compares with the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab SACD.)

 

SS is one of my fav jazz albums. I don't have a copy in front of me at the moment to check.. were the sessions recorded in stereo? I imagine they were not, but again I can't confirm at the moment.

 

Borboletta also worth the download.

 

I used the HDTtracks 20 percent code last night and picked up Sundown last night in 192/24 Sounds incredible. Lightfoot's voice, the guitar work, the bottom end... all has that hi res goodness. Also decided to give the 2015 Van Halen S/T a shot. I have the 2013, the DCC and the original WB and I was really skeptical about whether I needed this one too. Have to say, this IS the best of the bunch. The 2013, while definitely hi res, is loud and not as dynamic as the 2015. I definitely recommend. Finally, I decided that I might as well try the new Moving Pictures 48/24. I own the version from 2011 which I liked but didn't love. This is definitely an improvement. You can go WAY higher on the volume without losing any sonic loveliness. As cheap as it is, I, again, recommend.

 

Anyone hear the 24 bit Cheap Trick downloads on HDTracks yet?

 

Curious as well.

 

Btw I picked up Zep ITTOD the other day and have to say I wasn't impressed. I love the earlier offerings and find them all to be much better sounding than their original cd counterpart. Not true for this. I listened twice, on two different evenings and found it screechy and loud. Some of it is the recording but the original Diament is just more pleasing to my ears. Wonder what others think.

 

Finally spent a few dollars at HDTracks. I would have spent more but the contents of my CART and WISHLIST disappeared

• Charenee Wade "... The Music of Gil Scott Heron" - I think I am going to like this one. It is a challenge in that her interpretations are interesting and her voice is a bit hard/shrill in places due to the production. Great band.
• Jill Scott "Woman" - Nice (IMHO) but the sounds very loud. I need to hear it on my main rig.
• Earth, Wind & Fire "Open Our Eyes" - One of my favorites. Sounds pretty good for an older album. Mostly natural bass, voices and tinkly things.
• Jimmy Smith "The Sermon" - Haven't listened to it yet.
• Roberta Flack "Quiet Fire" - Great album, good sound. Her voice sounds lovely but the bass is muddy in spots. I need to compare it to the original LP, if I have time. There is some distortion here and there but not as bad as first take (which didn't ever sound very good. Just great music). WHERE IS "CHAPTER TWO"?
• Mahavishnu Orchestra "Inner Mounting Flame" - Haven't listened to it yet. When I do, I know the neighbors will hear it too. It has to played loud.
• Jethro Tull - "Aqualung" - Just a quick listen but I like what I heard

All 'n all no clunkers.

 

Yes, it is well-known. They forgot to downmix the rear channels (and sometimes centre) of the surround mix. Also Flaming Lips - Yoshimi...

They know it is an error, have issued refunds, and they still haven't corrected the problem. I guess they are happy to take the unsuspecting customer's money.

 

Not yet. I'm a little disappointed that the first five titles are limited to 44.1/24, given the $18US price tag..

 

Does anyone know if the first five are the same masters they used for the RSD vinyl from last year?

 

• Well, I'm guessing you won't play it loud enough for us to hear it, so please let us know how it sounds. I'm particularly interested in that one.

 

To me....TO ME, it sounds absolutely fantastic...Now, now, now...I don't happen to have any graphs, waveforms, pie charts, venn diagrams, or flow charts to support my ears, BUT...what I can tell you is that I bought it, and it sounds GOOD.

It's definitely "louder" than my old CD (early-mid nineties, maybe?), and there was undoubtedly some additional digital compression applied on this one, but there's no ill effects in terms of clipping, distortion, etc....the result is still somewhat "crankable."

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks. I have the Speaker's Corner reissue LP, which is fine, but I suppose I won't be able to resist buying to compare with a good hi-res digital version.

 

Actually, it's Chicago's first album (CTA) that's a downmix of the multichannel mix--in this case a quad mix. I didn't like the downmix at all and asked for my money back from HDTracks since there was no indication that it was not the original mix. I got a refund, and a warning that they don't do refunds.

Chicago II is a different case. The album was mixed into 5.1 for DVD-A, and at the same time it was remixed into a new hi-res stereo mix for the same disc. The original mix is notoriously poor-sounding on many tracks. The remix, to my ears, is much better, though on the DVD-A it's dynamically compressed and very shout-y sounding. The HDTracks download is the stereo remix, AND it's not dynamically compressed. It's my go-to version for this great album. Highly recommended.

 

The 24/96 of Chicago II is $19.98 on HDTracks, Pono has it for $14.99 assuming that is the same version. HDTracks lists a 2003 release date, whereas Pono has a July 16, 2002 release date and 2004 copyright date (I guess that averages to 2003).