Update on Linn

[Part-Time Audiophile]

Got this email from Linn today. Looks like somebody created quite a stink over there. ;-)

 

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Hi,

 

We will be making a new and improved version of the Studio Master

music you purchased from the ARTS record label available to

download in the coming months.

 

You won't need to do anything, these albums will appear in your

account - or in the 'New Downloads' area of the download manager -

automatically when they are ready for you. Simply open the

download manager application, or log in here to access your downloads:

 

https://www.linnrecords.com/login.aspx?returnurl=account.aspx

 

 

At Linn Records it is always our aim to bring you the nothing but

the highest quality music. That is especially true of our Studio

Master downloads which allow an extraordinary level of quality;

far higher than any other digital format.

 

It has come to our attention, though, that some of the Studio

Master albums from the ARTS label have been, well, missing

something.

 

These albums were recorded at a sample rate of 96kHz, so on top

of having all the great dynamic range of a 24-bit Studio Master

recording, they should also have had all the lovely high

frequencies that using a high sample rate afford. However, during

the process of the label preparing these release for delivery to

us, these high frequencies were lost.

 

We have been working closely with the engineers from the record

label, going back to the original recording and preparing the

albums for download just as they should be: perfect. This is not

a quick process, but over the coming months we will be making

these albums available for you to download again, so the great

news is that the recordings you have purchased will sound even

better.

 

Enjoy!

 

The Linn Records Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lars]

I got burned with 4 titles from Linn and 1 from the Chandos Classical Shop. I have decided not to purchase any more titles from Linn or The Classical Shop until they make good on these purchases.

 

I am not enjoying this.

 

[Russell_L]

"I got burned with 4 titles from Linn and 1 from the Chandos Classical Shop. I have decided not to purchase any more titles from Linn or The Classical Shop until they make good on these purchases."

 

Were these all ARTS titles? I haven't purchased any titles on ARTS from either Linn or the Classical Shop, but using Audacity to check the ones that I did purchase from them (on the Linn, Channel Classics, and Chandos labels), they all appear to be fine.

 

Russell

 

[Lars]

"Were these all ARTS titles?"

 

Yes

 

[Encore]

Linn has admitted hands-down that the ARTS titles were not OK. They are now writing to everybody who has purchased ARTS titles from them that new and QA'ed downloads will be available over the coming months.

 

I think we should give kudos to Linn for contacting customers who have bought ARTS titles individually, making sure that they are made aware of the problems and the offer of new and corrected files.

 

[Lars]

You can give kudos. I now have to wait months to get what I thought and was told I was buying.

 

Pure nonsense on your part sir !

 

[Soundproof]

I think Linn has handled this responsibly, though it should provide pause due to the fact that so many involved did not notice something "was missing" until the file was measured.

 

However - in addition to checking that they haven't committed the silly error that was the culprit here, I would like to know how the higher frequencies come to be: they require microphones sensitive in that region, and we should get information about the mic's used.

 

Well done by Linn though.. For their own recordings there is no doubt as to the microphones, by the way. But a number of the offers from other providers can't possibly have been made with microphones sensitive above 15-16 kHz, as microphones usually reached up there, as a maximum, during the 50s-90s.

 

[Mike in MD]

I have not received a hiRez replacement or an offer of a refund. They have admitted their mistake, but they are not fixing it. We are now approaching the first anniversary.

 

Mike