Will HiDef downloads ever become a mainstream product.

Posted by: fatcat on 21 November 2012

Over the last few days I've been listening to a lot of 12" singles. The SQ is far better than an album track played at 33 1/3, and is basically Hi Def analogue.

When they where first introduced I did buy quite a few, but even though they've still been available, I haven't bought one for 25 years.

Will the same thing happen with HiDef downloads.

Posted on: 21 November 2012 by Mr Underhill

Like you I have bought a fair few 12" Singles, and generally found the quality to be a big step up.

....can't always say the same of 'HiDef' downloads.

I will probably get shot down in flames now ....but, my belief if that a 12" single is the same track on different media - ish.

With HiDef there is a whole panoply of subtleties involved:

Is the HiDef version the same tracks but with higher sampling/bit rates?

Has it been re-mixed?

Has it been re-produced?

Was the source recording suitable for handling as HiDef

......etc.

And this is before we get into when IS HiDef high definition.

Personally I definitely read reviews before buying anything from HDTracks.

I have just bought the Peter Gabriel 24bit 'So' remaster, and in all honesty don't think it is any great step up from the CD re-master.

What I DO think is fantastic is the 24bit live So concert from 1987 that is available from Society of Sound.

For me it comes down to the quality of the recording, and in this way I think that buying a 12" single was far more transparent ....but it was ONLY a single.

Posted on: 21 November 2012 by fatcat

They where only singles but an album could have been released on 3 or 4 12" singles, and why no classical, I'm sure a Mozart symphony, could have been released on 2. There's a lot of spare room on a 12" singles, plenty of land between the grooves.

When I bought them I was using a budget technics direct drive turntable, I now have decent turntable with outboard PSU and they sound amazing. I've just listened to a Shakatak 12", the piano playing sounded so fast, for a few seconds i thought I had it on the wrong speed.