indigomoonbeam Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Hello Sam, Hope you are well. I've been closely watching developments in the digital audiophile downloads arena. A company called HD Tracks ( http://www.hdtracks.com ) are pioneering the availability (albeit at a premium price) of record company endorsed digital audio tracks/albums at 96,000kHz / 24bit (equivalent to SACD quality) or in some cases even an astounding 192,000kHz / 24bit. I have discussed the now contentious subject of vinyl or CDs being played on good quality H-Fi equipment still providing a superior sound to downloaded High Definition digital music (HDDM) files with a few Hi-Fi "experts" from the conventional equipment manufacturers camp and they were adamant HDDM surpasses the former in listening quality. The people I spoke to were previously cynics and sceptics until they gave HD a fair hearing and were won over. So, the million dollar question is.... have any discussions taken place at Zeppelin Towers about the possibility of embracing this new HDDM downloads market? Cheers, SonicD P.S. For those of you who don't know, normal CDs are manufactured at 44,100kHz / 16bit (sometimes 24bit with remastered releases). HD Tracks only provide a service to people residing in the United States at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5ymo Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 192,000kHz / 24bit , 44,100kHz / 16bit...WOW, big deal!! Give me a 12" lump of plastic and my old stereo any day. Technology, great, but vinyl wins hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyPhantom Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I doubt Zep has gotten in on it yet, unless Jimmy has plans for the O2 release to use this. Regardless, this is excited because that is a major difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMachine Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I don't think it's possible to enhance the old recordings any more than what has been done 'till now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Actually 24bit FLAC is a big deal. If you take the time to listen through a good set of headphones, the difference between 16bit and 24bit is remarkable. I've purchased several albums through HD Tracks and I can honestly say it's worth the money. The Robert Plant/Alison Krauss record is available there in 24 bit. The fidelity is incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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