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

I'm around 10 tb also. Until recently, I had the backups (2x 16 bit, 3x 24 bit) scattered on a bunch of hd's. I just spent $1k (ouch, more than my Oppo 95 cost!) on 3 14 TB Western Digital drives & I now have 3 copies of each, sorted by genre & artist (sorting & transferring the files wasn't fun!). + a few thousand discs & 2 6 TB drives for movies & several thousand discs.

I also have a copy of all music files on numbered flash drives with an Excel sheet telling me what's where that I use for the Oppo playback.

 

Haven't started keeping spreadsheets, but I like the way you think!
I even have a specific way I name folders: ARTIST - YEAR - ALBUM TITLE [(RECORD LABEL) - (CAT. NUMBER) (COUNTRY OF RELEASE) (YEAR OF RELEASE)] just to keep track of which specific mastering it is

 

I'm not an Elvis guy myself (no offense intended), but I just wanted to say that this is a great review that's full of information that would be valuable to someone considering a purchase of these files. My hat's off to you ! I wish we got more reviews with this level of care and detail (although I'll take what I can get ).

 

I’m at around 4 plus TB myself (though I probably have an equal amount still to add from discs and stray hard drives). I have two back-ups - one an exact mirror to my JRiver library (5TB drive), the second that’s connected to my Cambridge streamer (8TB drive). The perfect curation for an old fart in his 50’s!

 

For 24 bit I use:
Artist, Title, Label, Source (Flac, blu-ray, needle drop etc), Location (Flash Drive #)

Don't know why I made a different choice for cd quality (this is files):
Artist, Title, Location (Flash Drive #), Style (Rock, Jazz, Folk, etc)

And finally discs:

Artist, Title, Label, Type (LP CD 7" SACD (etc), Style (Rock, Jazz, Folk, etc)

 

Elvis Costello's "This Year's Model" remastered AGAIN? Latest HD Tracks e-mail shows this marked (2021 remaster). There was a 2015 hi-rez remaster. It's my favorite EC album, so I wannna know about it, but who can keep up?

 

I was just looking at that. The 2021 remaster's samples are significantly quieter and more dynamic-sounding than the Hip-O CD I have. That CD in particular is much louder than most of the EC Hip-O remasters.

 

Ironically, I played the 2015 2 nights ago. It is a DR7. Doesn't sound as bad as I would expect, though. I haven't heard the 2021 yet. It is a DR12; so probably a huge improvement. It also has 1 extra song, Big Tears.

 

It's a weird track listing for the album. Neither the 12 original UK configuration or the 13 track US configuration, and then including "Big Tears" which has never been part of the album, just a bonus track for expanded editions.

And apparently there was a 2020 remaster of "Armed Forces", coming after the last hi-rez remaster in 2015. I wonder if it similarly shows a restoration of the original dynamics. EDIT: Looked around, it didn't. Almost identical to the 2015 DR8 remaster.

So once again, we've got this seemingly random remaster strategy. It's like they flip a coin as to whether they will compress or not, and never release any info...

 

Good to know. I've only got the 2015 Armed Forces. It's a DR8.

 

The cd of the 2020 is DR12. Not sure on the 24 bit.

 

Which album are you talking about here? The 2020 "Armed Forces" or 2021 "This Year's Model"? The 2020 "Armed Forces" alleged remaster was for the Super Deluxe Edition, but that was digital files/vinyl only, to my knowledge. I didn't know there was a CD.

 

You may be right; my SDE is 16 bit flac files.

I got a hold of the 2020 24 bit; it is sadly DR8.

 

Recent Metallica remaster is on HDtracks. Would really love to properly compare it to previous 2011-2012 (aka downmixed) HDtracks version.
HDtracks

 

did you happen to see they're selling what purports to be 24/192 for the deluxe box at $80 higher than the 24/96 and there are no 24/192 tracks listed? for the expanded edition, they're selling another 24/192 release at $15 higher than the 24/96 and apart from 3 random live tracks, nothing's actually listed as being 24/192. and finally, the main album release is sold at nothing higher than 24/96. bizarre.

 

Welcome to the world of the "music" biz bean counters.

 

I've been doing this for a few decades but they never cease to amaze

 

Yeah, the whole mixed thing about various bitrate is strange. It is stated that this reissue has different bitrates though on the page.

 

the strange part is not the different bitrates. it's selling a release at 24/192 for $80 more without showing any tracks in it at 24/192.

 

Oh I see now. That's crazy
Maybe some kind of error? Cause I remember they had higher prices for higher bitrates but not when the original release is lower than what's offered

 

PSM doesn't yet have the Metallica. I suspect if you wait a week or 2, they will. I've found them to be the most honest regarding the actual source.

 

If there was ever a black mark against trying to sell hi-rez over redbook files, this would be it: why are the 16-bit files so much more dynamic than the 24-192 files? Both 2020 remasters: Accidents Will Happen (16-44 = DR12; 24-192 = DR7).

Just wanted to add that I really appreciate the forensics and deep dives that occur in this thread. Obviously helpful for purchasing but interesting and fascinating too!

 

Quick question: how do you link the oppo to your pc? Any particular software that works?

 

If he's doing what I do, he's referring to connecting flash drives directly to the OPPO. The OPPO is excellent in many, many ways (and my 93 still has the ISO capability - can play any ISO files except for SACD) but it's limited to 2TB drives maximum.

 

That’s what I am doing as well, connecting a hard drive to the Oppo, but I was hpoing for a way to make it work like NAS or something. I am a bit technically challlenged in this area.
I have a 105, that I hacked so it plays sacd iso’s. It’s a great machine, that one.