Is it possible to download these HD tracks...

Flac files can be burned direct to CD with Nero. I think version 6 and later will do it automatically.

If it isn't automatic, then a plug in can be found fairly easily.

You can also decode Flac to wav, and burn those with any CD burning programme, with the free Flac decoder. http://flac.sourceforge.net/

Quite a few bands are starting to use Flac, which stands for Free Lossless Audio Compression. Flac decreases the size of a file usually by around 30%, with no loss of quality, which allows it to be more easily distributed on the web, or other media (DVD data disks for example).

The formats listed on the website, AIFF and FLAC are both 44.1kHz 16 bit, they are nothing higher than standard CD quality, but unlike MP3 (no matter what level of compression) they do not lose some quality compared with CD.

320 kbps MP3s are far better quality than lower bit rates, but MP3 compression does lose some of the audio quality/some of the audio information no matter what the bit rate, and also such high bit rate MP3s are not particularly smaller than Flac.


The no DRM just means that the files do not require a connection to the internet in order to get a license to allow then to play. (An idea that has allowed record companies to really shoot themselves in the foot while whining about piracy).

There have been high(er) bit rate distributions than those shown here, such as the recent Nine Inch Nails album 'The Slip' distributed with bit torrent, in a number of formats, including much higher bit depths/kHz.

What this website is offering, is CD quality formats, as opposed to the usual lower but rate MP3 files that have been used by many internet distributors. The MP3s will sound pretty good, and are there as many people expect to use MP3s for their music nowadays.

Hope that helps.

They also say:
"Finally, audiophiles take note. HDtracks offers select titles in ultra-high resolution 96khz/24bit files. This is true DVD-audio sound quality for music lovers that demand the very best!"

It says that these are FLAC files so I don't know if they will play on a CDP. I think you would have to burn these files to a DVD-R and play it back thru' a DVD player which can decode DVD-Audio. Apparently there are downloadable Media players which can be used to play these files on a computer provided it has a DAC which can decode 96/24 resolution.

regards
Geoff

Sorry, only read the page linked, but you are quite right about the menus on the left giving more information, and details about 96 kHz/24 bit downloads.

I think you are also right about having to burn 96 kHz/24 bit to DVD to play back, I have also seen that elsewhere on the web.

Jamie