Hi res recommendations?

Graham,

I agree, the master ....and the remastering, are king.

I recommend B&W Society of Sound for great value, interesting music and brilliant VFM.

This is a good thread for explaining methodologies for examining files, and presenting a pile of analysed HiDef files:

http://www.computeraudiophile....las-reference-thread

I've posted a number of threads about HiDef files I own - but I'd stick to the more recent ones, I might be changing my mind about some of my earlier reviews, revisiting them at the moment.

My current main current listens are:

Peter Gabriel - New Blood;

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/10858529752641527

Keith Jarret - Koln Concert;

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/10858529757095378

Gerry Muligan - Little Big Horn, excellent value - $8.

M

P.S. Bit of a lie actually, just ripped Paul Simon, One Trick Pony and Seven, James LPs to 9624, mainly listening to them! But you can't just buy 'em.

Graham,

I dont know if you are a Wings fan? but the HR download of Band on the run is brilliant.

Stu.

Laki Mera 'Proximity Effect' from Linn. Great album and studio master download is top notch.

Hard to advise you on specifics without really knowing what genres/artists you like though!

Bruce

so is animals / ella /tom petty all at HD TRACKS

G,

I'd look at the thread I linked above at Computer Audiophile before you buy from HDTracks, they have an interesting track (sic) record.

I think the Band on the Run is amongst the gooduns' though.

M

Graham,

I dont know if you are a Wings fan? but the HR download of Band on the run is brilliant.

Stu.

Hi Stu - are you the Stu of Munch  fame??

Yes I thought the uncompressed version of Band on the Run looked worth a punt but it was a bit dear. I am also looking at the 192 version of the Eagles Hotel California for when I have had my NDX upgraded later this year.

Bruce,

Thanks for the pointer.

Hard to advise you on specifics without really knowing what genres/artists you like though!

I like a varied selection of stuff so all recommendations will be considered. Whilst the Hi res versions may be different and/or better than the original versions I wonder what is actually "outstanding" given we have Naim gear.

M

Will investigate the link re HD tracks.

Thanks.

One or two from me, which I got from HD Tracks  - Ray Charles -  Genius loves company and "Ray Sings and Basie Swings", and Steely Dan Gaucho. I still have to check out Elton John,  Madman Across the Water and Goodbye Yellowbrick Road.

Any more from any one?

Yesterday Burning Shed launched Burning Shed 24, a high resolution audiophile download store, with Steven Wilson's Grace For Drowning and Porcupine Tree's The Incident, Deadwing and Lightbulb Sun.

All titles come with downloadable artwork.

The downloads are encoded at 24bit/48kHz (some at 24bit/96kHz)

http://www.burningshed.com/store/24/ 

Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning is highly recommended. Mind you, if there was a recording made from the gig's mixing desk on halloween, I'd buy that instead. Drumming & Bass/Stick, like you've never heard.

Further to Mr Underhill's reference to HDTracks then I am a little sceptical about he quality of some their material.......as mentioned check out the posts on ComputerAudioPhile for more information. I purchased Gaucho and whilst it sounds good (well doesn't all their stuff) I'm not convinced its a true 24/96 version. I'm now reluctant to buy material I already own unless I see some very positive feedback based on the file analsysis.

It looks like the Fleetwood Mac - Rumours hi-res offering is actually 16bits according to some repors on  ComputerAudioPhile. It's a real shame because they have some nice material in their collection now

On the positive side the Laki Mera from Linn is very good

I've also recently started listening to hi-res using tracks from Linn, Naim and HDTracks. I have always tried to rely on my ears rather than the analysis but boy is it difficult to differentiate between what you've read and what you think you heard. What I am confident about is that it is well worth trying the free hi-def downloads from the Naim Label to calibrate against. (Barb Jung and Trichotomy)

I too bought Gaucho and, frankly, loved it though it is undoubtedly "loud" (i.e. I needed to turn the volume down). So a quick peruse of the above links (Thanks underhill) and guess what: Gaucho is clearly compressed and suddenly it is difficult to continue enjoying it as much as before. Personal view is that it is still pretty good but a little different presentationally. I also bought Machine Head which also sounds good to my ears. I was less impressed by Miles Davis - Tutu which sounds as I remember it from CD.

My suspicion is that its the quality of the remastering I'm listening to rather than that inherent in the hi-res format. So this weekends challenge is now to go back and put on the CD and Vinyl versions I have (something I've been deliberately avoiding) to do a back to back test .... depending on how that goes I may well come back to this forum eating humble pie!

MartinC

listen on linn       barb jungr dylan/nina/presley/cash    stunning download  or 44bit best carole kidd

I do not fully understand the various graphs on the computeraudiophile link, other than they imply we are not getting full hi res. I don't know whether the software or equipment used to generate the graphs is entirely accurate but it brings me back to the original question that just because something says it is hi res it may not sound that much better than the original. Even if it does sound different or better it may still not sound truly great.

After all, we accept the source first principle, so if the original recording/master is poor we may get closer to it with a decent hi res version but it will still sound poor.

It is a shame that some decent technical recordings and hi res versions of them are not always great musical offerings but then that is down to personal  taste.

I have a couple of Barb Jungr albums but do not like them enough to invest in dearer hi res versions.

I remember when we used to by demo discs (Thelma Houston Pressure Cooker et al) that sounded truly great simply so we could show off the hifi but I did not always like the actual music.

Obviously some good recordings allow us to explore and enjoy music we would not otherwise listen to but  I want both great music and great recordings.

Greedy of me, I know!

Bang on.

Personally I have found everything I have taken from Linn to be very good.

Unfortunately, I think we just have to try and be savvy as customers, hence my posting some of my file analysis + review here, borrowing (stealing) the techniques from CA. Hope more people jump on the bandwagon. We punters should stick together.

As some of the posters on CA note, the graphs are not always straight-forward to interpret - Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert being a superb example; could easily mistake it as a CD packaged as HiRes. Like you I struggle to fully appreciate the fine detail of spotting an upsampled CD, for instance.

Martin

Graham,

If you are a fan of Dan Arborise?

I have been for years after a forum friend on here got me into his first album,Around In Circles around four years ago.

I bought his second album Of Tide And Tail when it came out.

Both only on CD though.

Love them both to bits.

Linn got hold of Dan last year and you can get the Hi Res downloads from them.

I got his second album HR download as a  pressy from Linn last year.

Silly me forgot to download it before time ran out.

Still in the same place near Ashford if you want to come down for a listen?

Stu

If you like John Martyn? Nick Drake?You should like this man.

.

The CDs sound great in there own right.

Stu

Hi Stu,

Thanks for the recommendation. I will check him out.

Would love to pop in some time. Believe you are in Hythe. I am busy decorating at the moment but perhaps one evening week??