Improvement At HD Tracks

[mwheelerk]

I realize that just saying this might cause a firestorm of a discussion but I am really pleased and think the quality of the most recent purchases from HD Tracks has been exceptional with the Van Morrison Moondance, Joni Mitchell Hejira, Miles Kind Of Blue and Muddy Waters Folksinger among others.

[CatManDo]

Reading the thread title I first thought their website/store was meant. That would have been a positive surprise.

 

About the downloads themselves: Hdtracks can't do anything about the sound quality, except refusing to sell stuff which they think is not good enough. They always had many good sounding releases and they probably will always have some sub-par masterings. They depend on what labels are giving them.

 

Maybe you have been unlucky with your purchases in the past and lucky now, but I can't see a trend in the sound quality.

[mwheelerk]

Reading the thread title I first thought their website/store was meant. That would have been a positive surprise.

 

About the downloads themselves: Hdtracks can't do anything about the sound quality, except refusing to sell stuff which they think is not good enough. They always had many good sounding releases and they probably will always have some sub-par masterings. They depend on what labels are giving them.

 

Maybe you have been unlucky with your purchases in the past and lucky now, but I can't see a trend in the sound quality.

 

I'm sorry. You may have misunderstood. I may not have made myself clear. I have had a positive experience overall with HD Tracks. I have made about 150 purchases and other than a couple that I have found indifferent compared to my CD rip they have been good for me. My post was meant to convey they had stepped it up a notch and those recent purchase were really exceptional.

[Garf]

I wouldn't say it is an HDTrack improvement, but an overall improvement in the hires field. As Cat says, they can only pass along the "message". I chuckle when people get all up in arms and attempt to shoot the messenger when a bad recording slips through.

 

As a whole, I do see a trend, with improvements in hi-res recordings. Less highly compressed, fatiguing releases. I think there are better tools, better work flows, and more engineers/producers who "get" hires. Dare I say the field of hires recordings is maturing?

[Starre]

I got 4 albums today from HDTracks and they were all very nice. Kind of Blue, Beethoven/Mendelson violin concertos, Steely dan Gaucho and Vivaldi 4 seasons Neville Marriner.

[mwheelerk]

I wouldn't say it is an HDTrack improvement, but an overall improvement in the hires field. As Cat says, they can only pass along the "message". I chuckle when people get all up in arms and attempt to shoot the messenger when a bad recording slips through.

 

As a whole, I do see a trend, with improvements in hi-res recordings. Less highly compressed, fatiguing releases. I think there are better tools, better work flows, and more engineers/producers who "get" hires. Dare I say the field of hires recordings is maturing?

I totally get that. They are the retail outlet for the record labels. So, what HD Tracks has available to sell seems of a better quality lately.