Promates offer DXD

[One and a half]

Promates are offering DXD titles for classical from the Decapo and OUR Recordings.

 

The music is not my cup of tea, still, there's another hires outlet to add to the list, and PCM only.

[Musicophile]

How nasty: "EU customers will be charged 25% VAT upon checkout". Most major markets are around 20 . The 25% seem to be the case in Denmark where the shop sits, which probably is the highest VAT rate around in Europe.

[Boris75]

The premium for DXD files over their 88.2kHz equivalents is huge.

[tailspn]

The premium for DXD files over their 88.2kHz equivalents is huge.

 

Question: what do you think is an equitable price? DXD is 4X larger than 88.2KHz, thus the upload, storage, and download costs are more for a download service. But the production costs are actually the same, or less, since most anything that's available in DXD was processed on a Pyramix workstation. That's it's native editing sampling rate for hi-res music.

 

Your views?

[Musicophile]

Question: what do you think is an equitable price? DXD is 4X larger than 88.2KHz, thus the upload, storage, and download costs are more for a download service. But the production costs are actually the same, or less, since most anything that's available in DXD was processed on a Pyramix workstation. That's it's native editing sampling rate for hi-res music.

 

Your views?

I share Boris' view that even a 4x larger file size doesn't justify such a steep premium. As a result, I've created a poll here:

 

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f13-music-downloads-and-streaming/how-much-premium-are-you-willing-pay-more-highres-downloads-22428/#post367493

[EchoChamber]

How nasty: "EU customers will be charged 25% VAT upon checkout". Most major markets are around 20 . The 25% seem to be the case in Denmark where the shop sits, which probably is the highest VAT rate around in Europe.

 

Yep it's the highest VAT. I live here and pay it all the time. But, even so, those albums seem way too expensive.

[tailspn]

I've created a poll

 

That's an interesting poll. It however is like asking how much would you be willing to pay for a bottle of fine aged wine, from an acknowledged producer, over a bottle of Ripple. I think too extreme to be practical.

 

I'd really be interested in opinions to my original question:

 

How much of a premium would you be willing to pay for a DXD recording, or a DSD 128fs or 256fs recording? I'll clarify that a bit by stipulating a new original recording, or tape transfer, newly re-mastered. Furthermore, I'm asking in proportion to same 64fs DSD release, under the same circumstances. These sell now for $25-$30.

 

Thanks!

[bmoura]

That's an interesting poll. It however is like asking how much would you be willing to pay for a bottle of fine aged wine, from an acknowledged producer, over a bottle of Ripple. I think too extreme to be practical.

 

I'd really be interested in opinions to my original question:

 

How much of a premium would you be willing to pay for a DXD recording, or a DSD 128fs or 256fs recording? I'll clarify that a bit by stipulating a new original recording, or tape transfer, newly re-mastered. Furthermore, I'm asking in proportion to same 64fs DSD release, under the same circumstances. These sell now for $25-$30.

 

Thanks!

 

It's an interesting question. Some examples I've found on the Internet:

 

• DSD File/Opus 3 charges a $2 premium for Stereo DSD 128 files vs. Stereo DSD 64 (Eric Bibb)
  
• Native DSD charges a $2 premium for Stereo DSD 128 vs. Stereo DSD 64 (A Far Cry)
  
• Downloads Now charges a $10 premium for Stereo DSD 128 files vs. Stereo DSD 64 (Tony Furtado)
  
• Acoustic Sounds/Super HiRez does not offer DSD 128 yet - so no comparison possible
  

[Musicophile]

That's an interesting poll. It however is like asking how much would you be willing to pay for a bottle of fine aged wine, from an acknowledged producer, over a bottle of Ripple. I think too extreme to be practical.

 

I'd really be interested in opinions to my original question:

 

How much of a premium would you be willing to pay for a DXD recording, or a DSD 128fs or 256fs recording? I'll clarify that a bit by stipulating a new original recording, or tape transfer, newly re-mastered. Furthermore, I'm asking in proportion to same 64fs DSD release, under the same circumstances. These sell now for $25-$30.

 

Thanks!

For me, it would probably be around this logic:

 

Redbook: $10

PCM highres up to 24/192: up to $15

DXD, maybe one more $ on top, but not beyond, unless really the entire recording is outstanding.

 

I really just don't get a huge additional premium vs. high-res PCM, because one is just the other down sampled, and sorry, storage space these days is really not a cost argument, I mean, Promates entire album shop collection fits on a handful of USB stick, even in DXD format.

 

I'm sorry, but already their premium of PCM 88 over MP3 cannot be rationally justified in any way, and then the huge premium on top for DXD just feels like pure rip-off to me, probably because they think they are catering to a ultra-niche audience that just doesn't care.

[Boris75]

For me, it would probably be around this logic:

 

Redbook: $10

PCM highres up to 24/192: up to $15

DXD, maybe one more $ on top, but not beyond, unless really the entire recording is outstanding.

 

I really just don't get a huge additional premium vs. high-res PCM, because one is just the other down sampled, and sorry, storage space these days is really not a cost argument, I mean, Promates entire album shop collection fits on a handful of USB stick, even in DXD format.

 

I'm sorry, but already their premium of PCM 88 over MP3 cannot be rationally justified in any way, and then the huge premium on top for DXD just feels like pure rip-off to me, probably because they think they are catering to a ultra-niche audience that just doesn't care.

 

I fully agree. I am ready to pay in line with the improvement in quality that I expect. I expect a strong improvement when moving from medium bitrate mp3s to CD quality, so there I am willing to pay a hefty premium. I am also ready to pay a significant, though smaller premium when moving from 16/44 to 24/96 as in my experience with good recordings sound can become more natural in this upgrade. When moving from 24/96 to 24/192 or higher resolution, I am not willing to pay much as I am not sure I can hear any difference. I do not consider DSD64 as an improvement over 24/96, so I wouldn't pay a premium for DSD64 over 24/96 except if the 24/96 files are converted from DSD, because in this case I would like to get one step closer to the master.

[tailspn]

Thanks guys, we appreciate the feedback. Anyone else who already purchases/collects DSD edited master recordings?

[Boris75]

Thanks guys, we appreciate the feedback. Anyone else who already purchases/collects DSD edited master recordings?

 

I bought DSD albums from Acoustic Sounds, Eudora Records and Blue Coast Records.

[tailspn]

I bought DSD albums from Acoustic Sounds, Eudora Records and Blue Coast Records.

 

So may I gather from your previous posts you're not that happy?

[bmoura]

So may I gather from your previous posts you're not that happy?

 

I wonder if that is from the music downloads - or the Benchmark DAC - or both ?

[Boris75]

So may I gather from your previous posts you're not that happy?

 

There may be a misunderstanding: I am very pleased with all of them for sound quality and with most of them for musical quality. However, I would not pay the kind of premium Promates is asking for going over 24/96. For instance, I always bought from Blue Coast during one of their special offers as I find their non-discounted surcharge for DSD or 24/192 too high for me. With their special offers, it was fine for me.

[bmoura]

There may be a misunderstanding: I am very pleased with all of them for sound quality and with most of them for musical quality. However, I would not pay the kind of premium Promates is asking for going over 24/96. For instance, I always bought from Blue Coast during one of their special offers as I find their non-discounted surcharge for DSD or 24/192 too high for me. With their special offers, it was fine for me.

 

That's a good strategy. Download sites like Blue Coast/Downloads Now and Native DSD regularly offer sale prices on new DSD downloads. Sites like Super HiRez/Acoustic Sounds offer sale prices on some or all of their downloads periodically. Best bet is to sign up for their newsletters so you can be alerted as to when the sales are on and what titles are available at a discount.

 

I certainly take advantage of the download sales to save $ as you do !

[tailspn]

There may be a misunderstanding

 

I'm sorry, I took you literally. You agreed to a price structure voiced by Musicophile that would have a DXD download costing $16. Yet you bought DSD recordings that occupy less than half the storage for the DXD provider, that averaged above $25, and those you presumably support.

 

I was/am confused.