New formats on hdtracks

Can't you just convert them?

hd tracks don't seem to reply to anything.  linn are great they will reset etc well done linnmusic

FLAC files should be fine ... WAV files would be awkward as they do not support TAGs in a universally accepted way. Converting between formats is trivial and there is absolutely no difference between the PCM data in the files. 

WAV files sound identical to FLAC, AIFF, ALAC in my set-up, but if you can hear a difference in yours then just convert to WAV - there are lots of programs that do this. Some UPnP servers convert on the fly. As I use a Mac Mini in to a Naim DAC, the MM converts all four types into identical PCM before sending to the DAC. 

FLAC and ALAC do not compress the music, they simply compress the file - like zipping a document: when you unzip all the words are still there. MP3 compresses the music and omits bits that our brains are supposed to fill in ... a bit like writing can see this as cn u c ths ... which I wouldn't like even if we can see what was meant. 

So just convert the FLACs to WAVs using XLD on your Mac or an equivalent on another computer ... the results will be identical. The formats are just PCM containers. 

Flac and Alac are not just simple containers (they are differently encoded) so there is a difference to WAV, which is what Peter is able to hear (and myself). As we can hear this difference, despite the fact that the music files are supposed to be 'identical', something clearly is not the same (for us). Music files are to zip files, what an Apple is to a PC (similar concept, very different approach).  Converting from FLAC/ALAC back to Wav simply adds another encoding step and a further opportunity for error(s) and therefore cannot be considered as a useful suggestion for those who can discern the difference. For those who cannot hear a difference then fine just convert formats using your preferred vehicle.

But great that HD Tracks now offering the choice and I agree Peter, would be good customer focus if they offered the ability to download again in another format. Better still if others, apart from Naim, offered the real deal WAV files in the first place. The argument about TAGS in WAV now seems completely bogus given the way illustrate are able to handle them.

Andy 

The underlying musical data is the same in a FLAC and WAV, just the packaging is different and the FLAC is losslessly compressed. Once uncompressed, the data is (are?) perfect and intact. There is no difference between a WAV created from a lossless FLAC and the original WAV file.

Test it yourself. Take a WAV, convert to lossless (but compressed) FLAC and back to a WAV. Hell, do it 100 times. See if you can pick the difference between the processed WAV file and the original.

Any perceived sound difference between the formats is often ascribed to the player (in the case of FLAC) having to do the decompressing whilst playing the bitstream. Personally I am sceptical regarding whether there is any audible difference that I could perceive at all - but maybe that's just my cloth ears.

yes they are doing a fantastic job of releasing a bunch of shite no one wants.  HDTracks is $.

How likely is it that HDtracks have actually got four different masters, one in each format?

How likely is it that the WAV on HDtracks has been converted from FLAC?

Are you saying that Linn or other suppliers WILL have different masters for each offered format then? 

It's a question for Linn (and HDtracks).

Is the mastering done into WAV or into something else?

wav/flac no difference only if you believe every thing naim say any about any thing. who is the prat

Mastering is done in PCM

What does that even mean?

I understand that PCM is the result of the process of making music digital. But in what format is it saved?

PCM explained:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV_AtmUS7lE

ATB from George

Sorry, but this isn't right. There is no difference between the PCM in the lossless formats. You can prove this by converting the ALAC, FLAC, WAV an AIFF to PCM and running a file difference on them It will report zero difference. If you can hear a difference owing to a conversion then something strange is happening in the software you are using as it is not working correctly. XLD will convert FLAC to WAV perfectly without any errors. 

Please note i believe if you compatre two CDs playing then you may well discern differences for many reasons. However, the data format is not one of them. 

The differences some folk claim to hear are usually down to playing FLAC against playing WAV on Naim equipment. Here we are suggesting converting before playing. 

Tagging in WAV is problematic. It is handled differently by Naim and ITunes for example. if the music is FLAC then it is easily converted to work with both. 

What we ideally need is a format that all agree on ... It doesn't matter what it is as long as it is lossless. If Apple would embrace FLAC then we would have it. 

Have anybody downloaded wav from hdtracks to find out how they have incorporated meta data? Both mac and pc downloader cannot work with screen readers, so I might as well contact hdtracks. If i cannot

download anyway it does not make a difference if I lose my ability to download from hdtracks.

Claus

If you say so Guy, well it must be right. Damn ears and brain, really must get them fixed. Still, as long as I stick with Naim I can continue pretending I hear a difference and just blame them.

Keep telling myself 'it's just 1's and 0's.... it's just 1's and 0's.. there can only ever be just 1's and 0's...  (Note to self - cancel pre-order for quantum computer)... nothing else can be involved.... just 1's and 0's....... 

Andy

I finally managed to get the terrible downloader to work, but that is in spite of all efforts from hdtracks to make it unusable. I have downloaded The Band The last walze, I have the Rhino set, that does contain more tracks, but if you do not have it it is a must, and 20 dollars is not unreasonable.

The wav files works fine on my ns01, I get the  meta data I need.

Claus  

Claus did you download as wav?  How do they do the metadata for wav?  Thanks!

Claus I was hoping you also downloaded the same album in FLAC version to compare with WAV

Perhaps later I will download 1 or 2 tracks in both formats to compare. This should conclude (for me) the format matter once and for all.

The meta data is in the wav file itself. I managed to get a Danish band to send me an Itunes album in wav format, but without the meta data. The free audio editor Audacity has the ability to add meta data to wav files. I was about to try it out yesterday, but this Audacity feature did not work well with my screen reader, so I just converted to flac instead.

I do not believe hdtracks allows you to download the same album in different formats, Naim and Linn does the same you pay for each format of an album. The only place I know of where you can download albums in all available formats is Society of Sound. 

And also with Qobuz, unlimited (re-)download of all formats and all resolutions up to the resolution bought.

-

Aleg

Any further experience with this, anyone? How is metadata handled on WAV vs FLAC downloads from HDtracks? I'm about to download the Rush catalogue and can't decide between FLAC and WAV. 

Connon

Connon, with HDTracks downloads I've found the metadata on flac downloads to be as-expected.  But it is so easy to edit, it doesn't really matter to me.  In fact, I like to put [HDTracks] in the album name for all my downloads from there -- so I end up doing a metadata edit anyway.

And given that you can freely transcode between .wav and .flac, I think that truly it doesn't matter.  I download .flac from them, for whatever that's worth