Musicophile Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 I keep getting e-mails from Qobuz regarding special offers. Not sure if this is their new commercial policy or just trying to get some more revenues during summer vacation time (a BIG thing in France). First: 20% on all Hyperion recordings: Hyperion - Télécharger et écouter les albums A great label, so really check this out. And 140 studio masters at reduced price: Plus de 140 albums en studio masters 24 bits à prix réduits dans les albums à télécharger en qualité CD (Lossless), Studio Masters A weird selection from Green Day via Avishai Cohen to Monteverdi, worth having a look. Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
Musicophile Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Some personal recommendations: Ludwig van Beethoven : Cello Sonatas | Ludwig van Beethoven par Steven Isserlis – Télécharger et écouter l'album Antonin Dvorak : Concertos pour violoncelle | Anton Dvorak par Steven Isserlis – Télécharger et écouter l'album String Quintet D956 - String Quartet D703 Quartettsatz | Franz Schubert par Takács Quartet – Télécharger et écouter l'album Suites pour violoncelle | Johann Sebastian Bach par Steven Isserlis – Télécharger et écouter l'album Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
mkrzych Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Some personal recommendations: Ludwig van Beethoven : Cello Sonatas | Ludwig van Beethoven par Steven Isserlis*– Télécharger et écouter l'album Antonin Dvorak : Concertos pour violoncelle | Anton Dvorak par Steven Isserlis*– Télécharger et écouter l'album String Quintet D956 - String Quartet D703 Quartettsatz | Franz Schubert par Takács Quartet*– Télécharger et écouter l'album Suites pour violoncelle | Johann Sebastian Bach par Steven Isserlis*– Télécharger et écouter l'album Oh yes, I saw it in my inbox as well. Really tempting to buy Takacs Quartet… BTW, anything else for recommendation highly appreciated ;-) -- Krzysztof Maj http://mkrzych.wordpress.com/ "Music is the highest form of art. It is also the most noble. It is human emotion, captured, crystallised, encased… and then passed on to others." - By Ken Ishiwata Link to comment
Musicophile Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Oh yes, I saw it in my inbox as well. Really tempting to buy Takacs Quartet… BTW, anything else for recommendation highly appreciated ;-) On the Takacs, there is a serious competitor with the recent Pavel Haas Quartet recording for the Quintet, which has the beautiful "Death and the Maiden" instead of the Quartettsatz on top of that (but at twice the price). Both are excellent, I'd be hard pressed to say which one is better . Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
Musicophile Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 And obviously, the Takacs has also done a beautiful job on the "Death and the Maiden", in redbook only, but very well recorded. Quatuors à cordes | Franz Schubert par Quatuor Takacs – Télécharger et écouter l'album Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
rodrigaj Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Please forgive a newbie question. I am slowly putting together a digital setup, having spent 40 years in analog. One of the main incentives was Qobuz. So my question is this: I noticed that this was available in 24bit and 16bit: Brahms: Violin Concerto - Double Concerto | Johannes Brahms par Yehudi Menuhin – Télécharger et écouter l'album Furtwängler died in 1954. What advantage would there be in downloading the 24 bit vs 16bit version? I can see where there might be an advantage in modern recordings. But in a recording that was made in the 1950's? "The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought", Sir Thomas Beecham. Link to comment
Musicophile Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Please forgive a newbie question. I am slowly putting together a digital setup, having spent 40 years in analog. One of the main incentives was Qobuz. So my question is this: I noticed that this was available in 24bit and 16bit: Brahms: Violin Concerto - Double Concerto | Johannes Brahms par Yehudi Menuhin*– Télécharger et écouter l'album Furtwängler died in 1954. What advantage would there be in downloading the 24 bit vs 16bit version? I can see where there might be an advantage in modern recordings. But in a recording that was made in the 1950's? Well, this is a debatable topic, you may even wish to open a separate thread. Some people argue that high-res for older recordings doesn't really make sense. I tend to disagree. These new high-res releases of older material are often new remasters from the original master tapes, digitized at better quality. Many of these classical vinyl recordings were digitized for CD re-release for the first time in the 80s and 90s, when digital mastering technology was far from where we are today. So here you can have a real difference. Unfortunately, the added value depends very much on the quality of the remastering, which is why if in doubt about a particular recording, to either search for it on this forum or even proactively ask if somebody has purchased it already. In this particular case where the high-res is cheaper than the redbook, it is pretty much a no-brainer though, as the recent EMI remasterings have generally been well done. Don't expect audiophile miracles from a 1954 recordings nevertheless. Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
rodrigaj Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 LOL. I did not notice that the 16bit was more expensive than the 24bit. My brain did an inversion of the the pricing and I saw the opposite. As I look further into this, the whole topic of 16bit vs 24bit is controversial, not just for older recordings. Qobuz looks to be an outstanding download and streaming website for classical music and I am eagerly awaiting my Rendu to try it out. Thanks for the suggestions. "The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought", Sir Thomas Beecham. Link to comment
Musicophile Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 As I look further into this, the whole topic of 16bit vs 24bit is controversial, not just for older recordings. I challenge you to find a topic in hifi that is not controversial :-) The easiest is to take the risk, buy 1 or 2 albums you really care about you ideally already have on CD again in high-res, and then you make up your own mind. My personal opinion is that high-res has some, albeit small advantage over redbook if well done. So if the premium vs. redbook is acceptable, I buy the high-res version, just to have the peace of mind of having the best, and also to support whatever is left of the recording industry. Check out my blog at musicophilesblog.com - From Keith Jarrett to Johannes Brahms Link to comment
astrotoy Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 For a small label, Hyperion has a great catalogue of some of the very best of the current artists. In addition to the wonderful Steven Isserlis, there is Stephen Hough (whom we heard last month at Wigmore and who, with Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida, are our favorite pianists - he is a great painter and also is one of only a few performing artists to be awarded the MacArthur "genius" prize.) The Takacs Quartet (whom we heard three time in Berkeley this past year) has several recordings. Our friend Gerry Walther is their violist, having joined them almost 10 years ago, after many years as principal violist for the SF Symphony, where we got to know her. Larry PS. I forgot to include Angela Hewitt - wonderful pianist - I know her Bach the best, though she has been branching out in the past few years. Analog-VPIClas3,3DArm,LyraSkala+MiyajimaZeromono,Herron VTPH2APhono,2AmpexATR-102+MerrillTridentMaster TapePreamp Dig Rip-Pyramix,IzotopeRX3Adv,MykerinosCard,PacificMicrosonicsModel2; Dig Play-Lampi Horizon, mch NADAC, Roon-HQPlayer,Oppo105 Electronics-DoshiPre,CJ MET1mchPre,Cary2A3monoamps; Speakers-AvantgardeDuosLR,3SolosC,LR,RR Other-2x512EngineerMarutaniSymmetrical Power+Cables Music-1.8KR2Rtapes,1.5KCD's,500SACDs,50+TBripped files Link to comment
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