Who here would buy an album for the sole purpose of it being audiophile quality?

If an (new/unknown) artist were to put out an album that was recorded/engineered, mixed and mastered to very high standards, little-to-no processing, wide dynamic range and other attributes similar to "audiophile" releases, how many of us would actually buy/stream it? Obviously, with the internet we can sample stuff to see if we like the overall sound, but we can't generally can't preview albums in full HD. So with that said, who here would take a gamble on supposed audiophile releases that you've never heard of before? And if not, does it even make sense for artists/producers/engineers to take the extra steps in carefully choosing the right microphones, riding faders in the mixing stage so that they don't need to use compression, and all of the other steps that it takes to create a audiophile-level recording?

Just wondering... I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

Wow, the first reply to my thread is the King of audio himself. I'm honored and humbled. I will have to check that Steve Davis SACD out then. Thank you sir.

 

Buying audiophile releases somewhat blind are my modern equivalent of back in the day buying a new cd from Tower records on a hunch or because the cover looked cool. I’ve always been okay with spending money on music though , even when as a college student that meant living off ramen noodles for stretches of time . I imagine on this forum I’m not alone on this !

 

Maybe to add something specific, I recently bought several of the Yarlung titles. Antonio Lysy, smoke and mirrors percussion ensemble, ciaramella, etc. All fantastic sounding and musical horizon expanding . All on vinyl.

 

Always music first. If its not something Ive listened to then I have no idea if Id dig it. If I dug it, then of course I want it to sound as good as possible.

 

If it's supposed to sound great, I'd take a chance on it.

 

!? No. Music trumps sound quality.

 

All electronic systems require calibration of some kind. So it makes sense to have several audio system calibration discs whether of sine wave sweeps or peak sonic recordings. Sometimes it's better when a music calibrator disk or LP is not too emotionally involving as one can judge the system performance more coolly.

 

Thelma Houston I got the Music in Me direct to disk vinyl lp.....

Bought it out of curiosity, it sounds phenomenal and turned out to be a damn good listen.

 

That is a great album. Never heard that pressing. I think I’ll order it.

 

I've bought a few that were stated to be "Audiophile" quality. And some are good, but often not to my liking. You win some, you lose some. But I don't see this any different from taking a chance on an album by any new artist. I've bought plenty of records and CDs from Audiophile labels. Some just aren't that good. I own the MoFi CD of Layla and Assorted Loves Songs. It sounds worst than the re-issue Polydor LP set that I already had. The new MoFi vinyl re-issue however is excellent. Again, you win some, you lose some. Part of the adventure is finding great recordings and your reference is always the poorer one. I also go the range. All my records don't sound great and that's fine too. Some of the records I love the most aren't audiophile by any stretch of the imagination.

 

There are some good threads here about audiophile releases and I have bought a number of them based on those descriptions, including the Steve Davis SACD. I love to hear musical precision at it's finest.

 

I have acquired a number of releases because of sound quality and not because I was particularly interested in the music, a mofi comes to mind, a classical piece of Taffelmusik, Harry Belafonte live, plus a couple more I suppose . I think in all cases I played them once and they have never gone back on the table again. It's something a lot of us probably do as we improve our systems but in the end perhaps not really worth doing again after the first few and "sticking to the music" is best. But it's nice to have one or two records well known for incredible sound to have as a baseline for what perfection is supposed to sound like.

 

The better question is how many unopened audiophile releases do you have?

Never mind not caring about the music therein, you can't even be bothered to open it. Thread needs a poll.

 

I'd be happy to take a chance. I've bought quite a few cds on a whim and came to love many of them.

 

Plenty. It's easier to love something you don't know that's well recorded and mastered than you might think. It's music - it's art.

 

Don't know if this counts but I had never heard the KISS album "Music From The Elder" until recently. I was curious about it for some time and when an original Japanese CD from the "Burning Collection" popped up here for $70 I immediately grabbed it. I wasn't even entirely sure if this was considered the best sounding version but I figured it likely was so I quickly pulled the trigger. No regrets.

 

I too very often buy music on a whim. However it's rare that I spend a lot on a blind buy. But it happens occasionally.

 

I have on occasion over the years spotted a deal on an audiophile issue of an album that I may not have been familiar with and taken a chance. As might be expected a few hits and a few misses.

 

Unknown, no. If on the fence or "potentially interesting," then it's worth pulling the trigger to help support The Greater Good.

 

I buy albums based on label/mastering reputation all the time... particularly in the used bins. I can't see spending $30 on brand new music I'm not familiar with just because it is "audiophile." But if I happen to see a DCC/MoFI CD in the used bins priced like its a regular release, that's an instant buy. Ditto for classical/jazz LPs I stumble across with well-respected labels. I also check deadwax when I see an LP I'm on the fence about... a "TML" "RL" or "Wly" will almost always move the LP from a maybe to a yes.

 

I bought two SACDs for a dollar each at the Half Price Books Clearance Sale last year. I haven't listened to them yet, don't know exactly where they are in my room, and I don't know what they are, but at least I have them!

 

The release would have to be "in the ballpark" of my interests. The problem is I have a big "ballpark". Large foul territories and 450 feet to dead center..........So I'd probably buy it.