Definitive site for helping to assess SACD & HD download quality?

[BlueSkyy]

Hi,

 

Through personal experience on several SACDs and HD downloads I have purchase and reading information on line posted by others, I've been made aware that many times SACDs and HD downloads are nothing more than up-sampled CD-quality files with no additional benefits other than large files sizes and the associated psychological "benefits" to be derived from seeing greater than 16-bit 44khz sampling rates and bit depths.  Some people have even done electronic spectrum analysis to prove just what data is present in those SACDs and files.

 

Is there a definitive site that attempts to collate this sort of information into one place?  Thanks in advance for any information you may have!

[rando]

There is a typo in your header, definitive sight.  

 

If you are physically capable of reading the recording and mastering information offered per each disc/download a meticulously updated online database for reference is a bit silly, non?  Even if you average 3-5 new pieces of high resolution music a day the cost in time and labor is no less than searching a database to determine one metric your buying choice might balance on.  Especially if you factor in the wait time for new releases to be added requiring multiples of visits.

 

Alternately you could inquire with the purchasing agent or music label for particulars.  Intelligent questions often yield voluminous results far outpacing the single aspect being examined.

[firedog]

There is no definitive dataase or site with this information.

But the problem is not that big. 

Most of the instances are from serveral years ago or more - when actual high-res recording and trascription were rare. It  rarely happens nowadays.

 

Some classical companies did make SACDs from upsampled Redbook- because their customers wanted multi-channel, and didn't care if it was upsampled. The information was often freely available in the booklet. Many albums, especially classical ones, have enough recording informaion included with liner notes, etc., that you can tell if the recording was high res or not.

 

Your bigger concern should be that a recording/remaster is well produced. That's more important to the SQ tha the format.

[BlueSkyy]

Thanks Rando and Firedog.  Regarding purchasing agents like some of the bigger on-line sources, I have asked the question and was basically told that they receive what the "record label gives us" and no more information.

 

 I'll do my "due diligence" before purchasing.  I guess it all comes down to caveat emptor.....

[Ralf11]

there is a lot of discussion about various releases on Steve hoffmann forum - but no, not comprehensive or definitive

[rando]

Some old stuffy English feller once said something to effect a defining quality in a man is an ability to come out of failure with the same optimism as he went headfirst into it with.  One sniffy answer from who knows responding to  emails is hardly a rebuffal worth nursing wounds from.  

 

Live and learn, sunshine.  

[BlueSkyy]

2 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

there is a lot of discussion about various releases on Steve hoffmann forum - but no, not comprehensive or definitive

Thanks Ralf.  That appears to be a resource worth paying attention to as well.