SRV & DT: Texas Flood

[audiophile65]

I see that HDTracks has Stevie Ray Vaughn's 'Texas Flood" in PCM 24/88 and 24/176 and in DSD64, and that Acoustic Sounds has it in 24/176 FLAC. Any preferences as to what's the best? I like the music myself, but I want to see if I can wow a special friend of mine with a good sounding version via headphones.

 

Thanks for your help....

[Solstice380]

Those are all the Sony releases. I'm not sure which of these would sound better as Sony's provenance is a little obscure when it comes to these conversions. I opted for the Analogue Productions SACDs and they are awesome! I hope they release them as downloads like they are doing with some of their other excellent remasters.

[firedog]

I have a rip of the Sony SACD and it sounds great. HDT says the downloads are Sony. I think it is pretty safe to assume that HDT had the SACD ripped to DSD and the 88 and 176 are derived from the DSD track of the Sony SACD: this seems to be the typical HDT method, unless they tell you otherwise.

 

IMO, this means the HDT PCM versions will be very close to the DSD version in SQ. Much depends on your setup and how it sounds best. On one setup the PCM might sound better, on another the DSD.

 

The AS 24/176: I'm guessing this is the same as the HDT, but since they only say it is from Epic/Legacy - which is Sony - it's hard to tell.

 

Haven't heard the AS/Mobile Fidelity version, it is apparently their own remaster from the analog tapes. Generally their versions sound very good. Maybe someone else has compared the two SACD/DSD versions and can give an opinion.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Personally, I'd buy one of the SACD/DSD versions if I was choosing now.

[audiophile65]

I have a rip of the Sony SACD and it sounds great. HDT says the downloads are Sony. I think it is pretty safe to assume that HDT had the SACD ripped to DSD and the 88 and 176 are derived from the DSD track of the Sony SACD: this seems to be the typical HDT method, unless they tell you otherwise.

 

IMO, this means the HDT PCM versions will be very close to the DSD version in SQ. Much depends on your setup and how it sounds best. On one setup the PCM might sound better, on another the DSD.

 

The AS 24/176: I'm guessing this is the same as the HDT, but since they only say it is from Epic/Legacy - which is Sony - it's hard to tell.

 

Haven't heard the AS/Mobile Fidelity version, it is apparently their own remaster from the analog tapes. Generally their versions sound very good. Maybe someone else has compared the two SACD/DSD versions and can give an opinion.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Personally, I'd buy one of the SACD/DSD versions if I was choosing now.

 

I can only be able to purchase and download "Texas Flood". I will use my MacBook Pro for downloading it, then it will go into my forthcoming Pono music player w/Grado RS1e headphones. I will most likely go with the HDTracks DSD 2.8MHz, if not the PCM 24/88.2 or 24/176.4.

[cheezmo]

I think it is pretty safe to assume that HDT had the SACD ripped to DSD and the 88 and 176 are derived from the DSD track of the Sony SACD: this seems to be the typical HDT method, unless they tell you otherwise.

 

Pono has the same files. Do you think HDTracks did all that and gave them to Pono?

 

HDTracks, Pono, etc. sell whatever the studio gives them. They don't request SACD rips and covert them.

 

That being said it is very likely that the label took the existing DSD master and converted it to those PCM formats to give to the Hi-Res stores.