What is the latest music you downloaded, what resolution and from where?
Posted by: Stevee_S on 13 January 2014
With more music being downloaded I thought it might be interesting to see what forum members are buying and from where.
The news that HD Tracks are soon to open an online UK store means that more choice is going to be available to us. The variety and quality of downloadable music we can choose from is expanding, MP3 to 24bit studio Masters at 192kHz and beyond.
So what are you buying and downloading?
Bought Tonight
From Linn Records (after previewing the Xmas freebee download from Linn)
Studio Master 24bit/192kHz
Rush, Moving Pictures from Linn in 24 96
Eagles 192/24 HD Tracks 1972-1979 6 album set.
From iTunes so only MP3 256 Kbps
Having been given an iTunes voucher I decided to start using it up by getting some music I don't know too well, so I have just downloaded some Mogwai to try before deciding to go for any of their CDs.
Vivaldi: Concerti Opus 8, The Avison Ensemble in 24/96 from Linn Records
The velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground. In my Lou Reed mourning period I realised that I did not have a digital copy of this pivotal album and HDTracks were doing a special offer.
Is HDTracks opening a UK store actually going to result in more choice? If an album is not available in the UK from the .com site will it suddenly become available from the .co.uk site? That kind of puts the kibosh on the assertion that it's to do with rights and licensing and perhaps brings the real reason into focus - that they can charge £20 for a $20 album. I suppose that at this stage there's no harm in hoping for something better.
Well, the last music I downloaded was "The Dead Daisies". 256kps from iTunes. Only downloaded this lossy format because it doesn't seem to be available as lossless.
Black and Blu by Gary Clark Jr.
in AIFF @ 24/44.1
from HDtracks.com
Just got this one from the Sound Liaison Site.(soundliaison.com) Must be brand new, because when I checked the site, this Sunday it was not on yet.
Incredible beautiful and well recorded album. The opening tune, Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion, is so intense and lush, instant goose bumps.Actually sets the mood for the whole album.
Andre Heuvelman is a fantastic trumpet player, I don't recall ever hearing a trumpet sound that beautiful. And I am a big trumpet fan, I got pratically all Miles, Clifford,Chet and Wynton's recordings, this album has a more classical approach, but never the less I find Mr. Heuvelman whom I had never heard of before, up there with Wynton Marsalis. I actually think that Andre Heuvelman has a more beutiful tone.
The Sound Stage is, just as the other albums from this exquisite little company, deep, lush and with a beautiful decay. It might even be Sound Liaison's best Sounding album, which is quite an achievement since their other albums were already in a class of their own.
Springsteen live in Cape Town, from his web site in Flac. It's an astonishingly good live recording.
Just got this one from the Sound Liaison Site.(soundliaison.com) Must be brand new, because when I checked the site, this Sunday it was not on yet.
Incredible beautiful and well recorded album. The opening tune, Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion, is so intense and lush, instant goose bumps.Actually sets the mood for the whole album.
Andre Heuvelman is a fantastic trumpet player, I don't recall ever hearing a trumpet sound that beautiful. And I am a big trumpet fan, I got pratically all Miles, Clifford,Chet and Wynton's recordings, this album has a more classical approach, but never the less I find Mr. Heuvelman whom I had never heard of before, up there with Wynton Marsalis. I actually think that Andre Heuvelman has a more beutiful tone.
The Sound Stage is, just as the other albums from this exquisite little company, deep, lush and with a beautiful decay. It might even be Sound Liaison's best Sounding album, which is quite an achievement since their other albums were already in a class of their own.
Thanks for a great description k. It has tempted me to try and find somewhere to get a listen to it. I'll try the site you downloaded it from first.
Steve
Downloaded a 24/192 FLAC version of Eagles' Hotel California from Highresaudio.de yesterday. At £18 I thought it a bit expensive but it is definitely better than my CD version. The bass guitar and kick drums in particular have much more weight and better resolution.
Using downloaded music for me is a bit clunky as I have to transfer the files to a USB stick for popping into my nDAC but I'll probably use this site again.
Downloaded a 24/192 FLAC version of Eagles' Hotel California from Highresaudio.de yesterday. At £18 I thought it a bit expensive but it is definitely better than my CD version. The bass guitar and kick drums in particular have much more weight and better resolution.
Using downloaded music for me is a bit clunky as I have to transfer the files to a USB stick for popping into my nDAC but I'll probably use this site again.
Qobuz definitely cheaper if you are looking for others- think I paid €15.99.
G
HiDef. Free Xmas downloads from Linn
Downloaded a 24/192 FLAC version of Eagles' Hotel California from Highresaudio.de yesterday. At £18 I thought it a bit expensive but it is definitely better than my CD version. The bass guitar and kick drums in particular have much more weight and better resolution.
Using downloaded music for me is a bit clunky as I have to transfer the files to a USB stick for popping into my nDAC but I'll probably use this site again.
Qobuz definitely cheaper if you are looking for others- think I paid €15.99.
G
Thanks, Graeme. Will have a browse at the Qobuz site. I'm a newbie at this downloading lark.
Just got this one from the Sound Liaison Site.(soundliaison.com) Must be brand new, because when I checked the site, this Sunday it was not on yet.
Incredible beautiful and well recorded album. The opening tune, Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion, is so intense and lush, instant goose bumps.Actually sets the mood for the whole album.
Andre Heuvelman is a fantastic trumpet player, I don't recall ever hearing a trumpet sound that beautiful. And I am a big trumpet fan, I got pratically all Miles, Clifford,Chet and Wynton's recordings, this album has a more classical approach, but never the less I find Mr. Heuvelman whom I had never heard of before, up there with Wynton Marsalis. I actually think that Andre Heuvelman has a more beutiful tone.
The Sound Stage is, just as the other albums from this exquisite little company, deep, lush and with a beautiful decay. It might even be Sound Liaison's best Sounding album, which is quite an achievement since their other albums were already in a class of their own.
I have bought this one too. It is a 24/88.2 Studio Master Download Wav file.
Incredible well recorded and the playing is top notch.And yes ''Oblivion'' is fantastic, but my favorite is ''Incontro'' with the gorgeous cello introduction.
Mr Heuvelmann is a thinking artist, I really like his own comments on the music of the album;
"Sometimes you find what you are not looking for and that is especially true for the music on this album. The music on After Silence crossed my path, by meeting people or visiting places, events taking place or just materializing in my mind, but the one unifying factor for all 11 compositions is that they appeared after a moment of silence.
Silence is the most important part of my music making.
Silence is there, foregoing every first note I play.
Silence being the place for inspiration.
Silence which lets me start each piece of music as a child hearing it for the first time.
Silence keeping me from automatically following the beaten path."...... Andre Heuvelman
There is also a free track available for download on the Sound Liaison site from this album.
Eat Your Robot - 'That Winning Smile Of Dinner' Beermat & EP Download Code (FLAC)
http://eatyourrobot.bandcamp.c...ning-smile-of-dinner
I spoke with a representative from Qobuz at the Bristol show who said that it would be offering a high resolution download service in the UK from April. He also suggested a typical price of £13.
Greater choice and a lower price might stimulate more risk taking with what seems to me to be the variable quality of some of these high resolution (often compressed) downloads. It was interesting to note though that all material used in the Statement demo was simply 16bit, 44.1kHz CD rips.
Thanks to a heads up from blorbed. now downloading the Doors 9 album Studio Masters in 24/96 from Quobuz. Great value at about £20 for the lot.
Any good?
Any good?
No idea yet Harry, just downloading it at the moment.
Steve
Yes: Relayer, The Yes Album and (studio master) Fragile. Qobuz.
G
Good choice Graeme.