Crosby, Stills & Nash - HDTracks

[Jud]

I will do the same firedog, and will make sure to explain to HDTracks what I didn't like. Hoping that it can be pushed back up the chain to whoever is making these decisions to apply heavy handed compression.

 

I would be fairly certain it is the label's remastering, rather than HDTracks bothering to apply its own compression. That would be an additional expense to HDTracks for no good reason, i.e., if any user base can be counted on to have issues with compression, it is HDTracks'. The labels, on the other hand, seem to be making a practice of reissuing louder compressed versions of back catalog recordings. This is very evident on R.E.M. CD reissues that came out before the latest HDTracks downloads - the CDs have virtually identical (bad) dynamic range numbers to the downloads, in contrast to much better numbers for the original CD and/or LP releases.

[Jud]

I actually like the download a bit better. I don't like the compression, but tolerate it better on the 24 bit material. The Hoffman is okay, but is still only 16 bit. I don't know that I like it that much better than the original CD.

 

Maybe, I am just not hardcore enough any longer.

 

Kind of paradoxical to tolerate dynamic compression better in a format that is supposed to make far greater dynamic range available (the 16 or 24 denote dynamic range capability, 44.1 or 96 or 192 denote sample rate in kHz). Looked at another way, I'm not sure what role greater *potential* dynamic range of a format would play if so little is actually used that there is far more than enough room for it in 16 bits.

[Jud]

Unless you are debating the claim from HD Tracks that they supply the tracks supplied to them, then it is just an opinion if the SQ is inferior. This (IMO anyway) is different from supplying tracks which are actually just upsampled somewhere along the line. Now you can argue that HD Tracks could (should?) supply details about dynamic range and show the spectrum of each track - but thats a marketing decision on HD Tracks part.

 

Eloise

 

Yes, they've in effect rolled the dice, banking that their decision to rely on the labels will keep enough customers coming. As someone who would like to see the market for high-res downloads thrive, I'm concerned about this, because it seems to me relying on the major labels to conscientiously supply good value for money, rather than simply pumping out "New! Improved!" product on a schedule to help satisfy this quarter's revenue projections, is to find oneself leaning on a very slim reed indeed.