question Music Downloads Purchasing Question

[The Computer Audiophile]

Those of you (me included) who purchase downloads, from which online store do you purchase them and why?

 

The answers will help with something on which I'm working. 

[seeteeyou]

Qobuz.

 

No expirations at all even if a purchase were actually removed from their (i.e. both purchase + streaming) catalog. Lots of different lossless / lossy formats to choose from.

[JoeWhip]

Depends on price and availability. Qobuz, HDTracks, Prostudiomasters, Highresaudio, NativeDSD and Bandcamp.

[ASRMichael]

Qobuz. Easiest way to find & purchase music. Also at different bit rates. 
 

Also, after Qobuz podcast I simple don’t see me changing to anyone else. They need our help against the giants who have no interest in audiophiles. 

[Musicophile]

90% Qobuz because of the Sublime discount and the Audirvana integration. 
 

Occasionally NativeDSD, Highresaudio, Linn, and Hyperion for DSD releases or for labels like Linn or Hyperion that are exclusive to the vendor shop. 

[semente]

eClassical, Presto or Qobuz. If HighRes only when on sale.

Otherwise CD.

[austinpop]

Mostly Qobuz & eClassical.

 

Rest: Native DSD, Presto Classical, High Res Audio, HDTracks, Linn, Hyperion.

[jcbenten]

HDTracks but not very often.  Sometimes if the Artist offers CD or better quality.

[Foggie]

My go to's are Bandcamp, Qobuz, NativeDSD, ProStudio Masters

 

HOWEVER, the most important criteria for me is version/mastering/cat no.  Why in sam hell can't meta freaking data be complete.  It's not even close and such sore spot with me.  Apparently I'm the only one/minority on this and have many times emailed the sites looking for info/clarification.

 

Maybe things have changed / gotten better in this regard from some sites, but I want to know exactly what I'm purchasing!!  Is it a 1980 original or a 2020 remastered compressed piece of crap.  If they don't provide the serial, cat no etc.. you'll never know.  Rant off.

 

I feel like Clark Griswold having a meltdown in front of the kids 😂

 

 

[austinpop]

Regarding the why, I value provenance info. eClassical and Native DSD are best at providing info about the original recording formats.

 

Second factor is price.

[Mayfair]

In descending order - Presto, 7digital, Qobuz (France), HDTracks.  I find Presto Classical has excellent selection and competitive pricing, 7 Digital not that great selection, but often competitive pricing, and Qobuz France has excellent selection (sometimes older jazz albums I can’t find anywhere else), but I find they’re often a tad on the expensive side.   I’ve found  HDtracks relatively expensive with not as great a selection of what I like as Qobuz.  I also don’t like HDTracks time limiting the availability of purchased music and not letting me stream my purchases. 
 

I like Presto letting you stream or download load your purchases as does  Qobuz, but don’t like or understand why Qobuz limits me listening to my purchased music  to 320 Kbps without buying a streaming subscription - Presto lets me stream them as lossless. 

[Marco Klobas]

It depends on availability. So far I purchased on HDTracks, HIGHRESAUDIO, NativeDSD, 7digital and Linn.

[firedog]

Mostly Qobuz, as I have a sublime subscription that makes most purchases cheaper there than anywhere else.

Occasionally from NativeDSD (especially if they offer a recording in the native format and others don't); Bandcamp (they have music I like that isn't available elsewhere), HDT, HIGHRESAUDIO, ProStudioMasters, eclassical, and presto.

 

[MarkusBarkus]

Qobuz. 

[happybob]

6 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Those of you (me included) who purchase downloads, from which online store do you purchase them and why?

 

The answers will help with something on which I'm working. 

For me it's mostly Qobuz (via Sublime subscription), next is Native DSD, Bandcamp or HDTracks. I do really like it when the actual nature of the recording is noted (i.e. is it DXD, DSD, and if so what rates natively, etc.)

 

Since I now use PGGB for upsampling (with Dave DC4 DAC), I am buying a lot more music in general and then processing (gargle blasting) it with PGGB. That said, I'll almost always go for the HD version of something, but even 16/44K version processed with PGGB is so much better than almost anything else available streaming or otherwise. That's why I buy a lot more music now. 

[austinpop]

Also wanted to mention using VPNs to price shop between US and sites in Europe and UK. Sometimes not so much price as availability, if release is region limited 

[Jud]

No longer do so from HDTracks because at least back when I used to buy from them their policy against being able to re-download (unique in the industry AFAIK) created hassles if anything went wrong.

 

Qobuz gets a lot of my business due to convenience, but I also use Bandcamp, artists' own sites, nugs.net, Nonesuch, eClassical, Presto Classical, Hyperion, Native DSD, Channel Classics, Pro Studio Masters, Blue Coast Music, and others.

[bobfa]

bandcamp, Qobuz, eClassical, are the big ones for me.    doing less these days and chasing CDs.  

 

Stopped HDtracks due to no -re-download.  Silly....

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

Qobuz, eClassical, BandCamp, HiDefTapeTransfers, the sadly now gone Acoustic Sounds, and others if I have to go tracking down an album.

 

I do wish Arkiv Music would offer a download store as well.

[graham]

qobuz, eClassical, Bandcamp, Presto, Hyperion, Chandos, Nonesuch, Highresaudio

[The Computer Audiophile]

This is all very helpful guys. Keep it coming!

[copy_of_a]

1. Qobuz (multiple file formats)

2. Highresaudio (sometimes better prices than Qobuz)

3. Bleep & Boomkat & Bandcamp

 

[DuckToller]

Qobuz, NativeDSD, Bandcamp

[cambridgehank]

iTunes Store.  I am not a audiophile or as compulsive about my listening experience as others.

[cjf]

QoBuzz (Only if an old or original version is available. I despise Remasters,Extended or Expanded versions of anything)

 

I prefer buying old physical copies of CD's that I rip myself if given a choice (Local brick and mortar joint's that sell Used CD's or Discogs).