Hi-Res Downloads - Would you repurchase your favourite music if it was released in this format?

We all know that physical media has seen a massive drop in sales over the past decade. Streaming is the medium that most people in the developed world are using to listen to music and discover new music. However, some of us want our music in high resolution. Would you repurchase your favourite albums when they get released in hi-res as downloads? I certainly would. It's the best of both worlds - convenience and the best sound quality available.

 

So Hi-Rez always = better? I have found this to not be true on too many wasted dollars.
I'll take the best mastering for my tastes, whatever format it may be.
Voted No as a majority I have do not trump what I already have

 

True. Depends on the source of the digital files.

 

I voted No. I wouldn't do it now but I did buy lots of downloads several years ago when they first became available. To me it's like so many other formats in that it is more about the mastering than the format. I was disappointed in so many. What I already had turned out to be better or at least the equal to the high res downloads I just stopped buying a couple of years ago.

Besides downloads are almost passé as streaming has already surpassed them in the market.

 

I would only buy it if it came from a better source and had better mastering, which usually high rez does not sound as good as the original CDs.

 

I voted no. I downloaded several 24 bit versions in the past ;however, at this point I have stopped. A few of them have been good, but most ended up being a waste of money. Why not just increase the quality of the cd mastering?

 

I wouldn't buy downloads, but would consider SACD or Blu Ray Audio versions. Even so, as people have already said, just because it's Hi-Rez doesn't mean it's automatically the best version... It should, but it doesn't.

 

Best mastering wins. I'll choose that every time.

 

Would 24 bit streaming be the solution?

 

Nope

 

Depends on the mastering.

 

I'm happy with my bank account and don't want to deplete it to replace music I already own.

 

Honestly, I am not set up to play anything but physical media through anything but my computer's speakers.

 

Depends on the mastering and the information about the mastering that is provided prior to purchase. The 2015 Rush downloads for example, I was happy to re-purchase as a CD upgrade. This is the exception and not the rule (and yes some people hate the watermarking on these and would say it is still a bad buy).

 

With the luck I've had with computers, no thanks.

 

Yes if the mastering is better, often it's not.

 

No.

There are way too many capital letters/hyphens/slashes/number combinations for me to decode for a wise buying decision. Too complicated for the better sound return (if any). Have you tried reading a DAC review lately?

 

Nope. They are still way too expensive.

 

Absolutely, if the mastering is audibly better than the best CD version I can get at a reasonable price (reasonable price being a highly variable concept depending entirely upon how much I love the album in question).

I've found more success hunting down CDs that share a common mastering with a forum favorite, given that many forum favorite CD masterings are of hard to find or expensive releases.

 

I would pay a few bucks extra for this if it was an Apple Music option.

 

Until audible watermarks DIE! (Here's to you, Universal Music Group) and all DRM and all Proprietary crap DIE, I refuse to buy any downloads.

 

I voted yes - all things being equal downloads are more convenient for me. Most of my playback is through my desktop streamed to my main system or a played through a USB DAC into my older system. (neither system is great, but they get the job done) Given that - physical media adds the work of ripping and storing the original. Not that it's much work but it's less convenient.

Unfortunately - all things usually aren't equal and you usually can't be sure what mastering you're getting. Because of that my purchases have slowed significantly and I spend more time and money seeking better, known masterings on physical media.

 

That should have been an option

 

I can't speak to the ubiquity of watermarks, but what major download sellers are selling files with DRM?

 

CDs & LPs for me. Have no interest in making a laptop a stereo component.