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

special mention for Terry Callier: The New Folk Sound Of Terry Callier, and the first Joan Baez album, in 24/192.

They are absolutely spectacular, and beat all previous digital versions by a a mile. The Terry Callier is stunning. and the bonus tracks are fantastic.

 

I'm going through the same debate and have the same versions as you (also have the mono vinyl because I'm, well, me).

Would love the mono direct transfer (and for it to serve as the digital/pristine version of my mono vinyl copy). Really wishing they handled it like they did for the Pepper Super Deluxe, where the direct transfer is available on HDtracks. If they did, the HDtracks version would be a complete no-brainer for me, as they're my usual default in purchasing and I generally never play CDs after I import them as WAVs.

I want to get the Vinyl Deluxe set, too, and definitely can't justify getting all three (CD Super Deluxe, Vinyl Deluxe and HDtracks).

Part of me thinks that the HDtracks will always be there, but the Super Deluxe (and therefore the Blu-ray mono direct transfer) will not. But I've never ripped Blu-ray (and would even have to buy a player), and have no idea if that degrades things in any way where the 2009 mono box set rips would be the superior version anyway—and therefore, maybe I'd be better off with the lossless HDtrack version anyway?

What is an obsessive Beatles audiophile supposed to do?!

 

Buy everything, of course!

 

Haha. Maybe little by little over time so it doesn’t feel like I’m buying them all?

 

I had to get the physical set of the super deluxe White Album. I ripped the 24/96 from the BD and it sounds great. Not sure if HDTracks version would sound better, the Sessions CDs sound great too, I know that they are only 16/44 but am happy with the set.

I did buy the DSD of Pendulum from Acoustic Sounds. It is taken from the master by our host, as was Cosmo's Factory which I bought first. Pendulum is my favorite CCR album, plan on listening to it in a bit. The Cosmo's Factory DSD sounded so good, I imagine Pendulum will sound just as good. Plan to get the rest of the CCR DSD albums, but with so many sets coming out might have to wait a bit for the rest.

 

ended up buying the HD tracks super deluxe and am really impressed with the 2019 mix, esher tapes and most of the extras. While I respect the folks that find fault in the 2018 mix overall I think it is a revelation and provides more tonal texture in many cases over the 2009 release.

 

The "Mastered For iTunes" versions are good imo. I have the AP SACDs of Cosmo's Factory and Willy and the Poor Boys and I am happy with these versions. I also have the Fantasy Gold CD of Chronicle for all of the other stuff.

 

It's nice that the Eagles "Singles & Bsides" portion of the bigger Legacy set is now available as a stand alone title. There's only a few of them I would want, so I don't think I'll buy it, but its good that its an option. I think the edit in "Best Of My Love" is atrocious. Very jarring, though I guess its impossible to say I'd feel that way if I didn't know how the full song sounded.

 

I've been meaning to check out some of those "Mastered For iTunes" albums, maybe I'll check out Willy and the Poor Boys. Right now I just own the 40th anniversary CDs, and the reissued box set. They don't sound bad, but I really love the clarity of these DSD albums, and they still retain the punch too.

Thanks for the tip!

 

No mono mix on the download. What a ripoff.

 

No mono mix. so frustrating.

 

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I agree - it's great that the one thing most people would want to purchase stand alone is being sold individually. If only everybody would do that (Imagine Blu-Ray's?!). Not sure if there's a separate CD release of it. Odd that HDTracks gets the hi-res stand alone of this and the only hi-res demos & outtakes from The White Album. One would have expected those in the SDE box sets.

Best Of My Love certainly is a jarring edit. Many of those 70's tape-and-razor-blade edits were. Have You ever heard the Deep Purple Woman From Tokyo and Burn edits? They're cringe-worthy. Best single edit of that era IMHO was Let It Ride by BTO. It eliminates the drums and screaming section just before the guitar solo making for a far smoother listen.

 

I agree completely. I'm delighted with this release in high-res. I hadn't heard the Esher demos before, and they're wonderful. Regarding the remix, the bass is much more articulate on many songs, the harmony voices are much clearer, more distinct, and richer sounding - better tonal texture as you said. Same thing with the strings, as on Goodnight for instance - they are silky smooth. I hear much more musical detail generally, but I think the dynamics and ambience are also retained well. That's my take anyway. It makes the intricacies and instrumentation of the recording so much more enjoyable to me.

 

I would agree there. I think the versions I own do sound better, but it's going to cost you more money.

 

i can’t ever imagine recommending some one actually spend money for lossy music.

 

I'd challenge anyone to crap out a blind test proving they hear the difference between lossless and 256k AAC encoded by Apple's AAC encoder. I prefer lossless when I can get it for the theoretical benefits though.

 

c’mon. lossy is a rip off. there is no reason for it to exist. period. Mastered For Itunes is total horsecrap marketing.

The equivalent of “organic” pink slime.

 

The Sweet Spot for Apple AAC?
Can't tell difference between FLAC and high quality MP3/AAC
AAC vs lossless test CD
256 bit iTunes plus AAC VS CD

I thought I heard a difference too until I did a blind ABX test using my 1st Gen FiiO X3 and Sennheiser HD598SE headphones. I will agree that "Mastered For iTunes" is marketing gimmick because I have heard examples that were trashed in mastering. But I will still say 256k iTunes AAC is not easy to distinguish from lossless. I have never heard of or read about anyone who could hear the difference.

Now, thread back on track.

 

"Mastered for iTunes" refers to the mastering, not the format. In fact, I'm pretty sure "Mastered for iTunes" specifies 24/44.1 as a minimum; it is then encoded to 256k by Apple and sold as such.

 

terrific. now give me the 24bit album. not some diluted crap with a fancy label.

 

I wouldn't recommend it generally, but there may be a bit of music unavailable in a lossless format, and I would still be interested just to hear the music at all, if it was important to me.

 

Many of the 24bit albums being sold are just that, the "Mastered for iTunes" versions you were initially complaining about

 

Apple does have written minimum specs. Good for them.

Is there something wrong about a customer wanting it before it gets dithered and shoved into an AAC container?

 

Precisely..not sure why this is not clearly understood.

 

AAC? No thanks. No reason for music to be sold in any lossy format. Streaming? Sure.