Hi Poo - We think alike. I'm tracking each format download to see what is most popular. I also use a distributed content network that places copies of my files on servers around the globe so where ever you are you download the closest copy to your location. All seamless to the readers of course :~)

you most have the internet on tap! I'm still waiting....hehehe. I can't wait to here these! I have you guys noticed that volume of the RR material is lower then other material???

Thanks,

Last night I grabbed Joel Fan @ AIFF... kinda bummed me out that I didn't know him yet (LOL).

Ruud.

i tried playing one of these downloads with foobar2000 using asio to my emu 0404 usb and the program crashed! After I downsampled to 96khz, the file played fine.

I use the digital out. I wanted to point out that trying to output 176.4 via ASIO caused foobar to crash rather than just give an error message which is a bug in the program. As I send in my first post, when I downsample the track to 96, the track plays w/o any problems.

i also agree on the rather steep price for the download that does not have a physical media. To make it more widespread, i think the price needs to come down a lot. A bit more than CD quality download is what I'd expect to see. Not twice or three the price.

Just my $0.02

Hi Guys - Right now the HRx material is only available vie physical media, a DVD-R disc.

I'm not speaking for Reference Recordings here, but I do know the cost to release music of music such high quality is significantly more than most music. The equipment that RR uses to record and master the performance and the hours RR puts into each album is not cheap. RR does not bring a laptop with Pro Tools in a backpack when traveling to record a Symphony :~)

Definitely. Which is why I am fine with the modest increase over the standard versions. The question is how much is this 'modest' increase is okay for generals.

We aren't falling into the general category in the first place, but I'd love to be in the commons when it comes to pricing. At least, I hope..

Hey Chris:

Perhaps you can post a couple of pictures illustrating the had built class a mic preamps, AD/DAs, and mics. RR uses.

Regards,

Tim Marutani
Emeryville, CA

I bought the Exotic Dance DVD some months ago. But I am not impressed with the sound. I think it's my rig. I played the music with both Foobar and MediaMonkey and output to an ASUS Xonar STX which then feed directly to my Audiolab 8000 C/P or via a Music Fidelity V-DAC. In all cases, the sound is kind of subdued, no stage and no dynamics. I am more ipressed with Kent Poon's Audiophile Jazz Prologue III playing thru the same rig.

Buffled!

Thanks Chris for the enlightenment.

Just tried with my older Juli@, it sounded completely different! The Juli@ control panel indicated it was palying at 176400 hz which matches the original speed. Also discovered playing thru the analog output is a lot better compared to using the digital out to an old Zhaolu D2.

I can now enjoy this disc. Thanks.

I almost went to bed without listening to these two tracks....shame on me! I was not sure what to expect after listening to the Yebra Bounce and not really caring for it. However, I was in the mode to blast some tunes and I woke up the whole house. I LOVED THEM! I can't wait to have some guests over. Thanks Chris for sharing...

Regards

Jesus R.
www.sonore.us

We have been running a similar series via Twitter, offering up free 24-bit tracks from our catalogue to directly compare these with CD quality files and MP3s. See my post here about it.

Good stuff CA!

Jim - Linn Records

Hi Chrille,

Well, there are lots of Jazz fans out there (me included) and this is one incredible jazz drummer. There is a vast gulf between this and Muzak!

Personally I think it really does have some great dynamics, and the 24-bit recording really gets the driving power of the horns and crack of the drums across beautifully. 24-bit is only about dynamics, but a great sense of space too - something that's great to hear in a live band like this.

But don't worry, as I mentioned in my original post we will be catering for the classical aficionados too; next up in the series is a 24/192kHz classical recording!

And if it's classcal + dynamics you are after - just wait until you hear the next set of Mozart recordings from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Sir Charles Mackerras. I was fortunate enough to be filming the sessions, and spent a few hours in the control room - incredible!

Jim

Are you sure commenting in this thread so as to link people to your competitive offering is entirely ethical? Yeah sure, you made a few comments, but as your third post in the forum it sorta comes across as an excuse to grab a punter or two... I'm sure I'm reading you all wrong...

Well, I only downloaded the first one of the two samples from LINN and the sound quality is fine yes, but I find the music uninteresting and I definitely stand by my claim that there is no real dynamic range to speak of in that sample .

Just a Jazzband blaring away quite loud and once in a while a little bit louder than loud.

I don´t have a meter, but would guess there is a dynamic range of 20-30 DB or so on that track!

I know LINN is capable of recording dynamic range .

I have some of their classical releases on SACD.

But that free sample is really flat and uninteresting in that respect too .

Not really a very good choice to demonstrate the benefits of HI REZ IMO.

The Reference Recordings samples on the other hand, THE TCHAIKOVSKY ONE, is a very good example of what a symphony orchestra actually sounds like in a real hall,when it has not been dumbed down to general CD or MP3 standard.

It will probably not sound very good on Joe Sixpack´s boombox.
Or via computer speakers.

But then again, I don´t think it was really intended too, unlike most other commercial dynamically limited crap released on standard CDs or MP3.

But since you all already know I am a self-confessed elitist not only when it comes to sound quality.

I am also one in my choice of music, and while I am at it:

When I listen to music I do that ,and only that, nothing else!

I really wish Reference Recordings would release more real music !

Not only warhorses and HI FI spectaculars, Military Marches and other really lighweight stuff.

I want music that is really worhty of my full attention!

They have a very good recording engineer in Keith o Johnsson but their musical choices leave something to be desired all too often.

I have some, but very few HDCDs of really interesting world class quality music .

Janacek with Mackerras and the Istomin Mozart plus the Bernstein Dances disc,
are the ones I can think of that are of any real musical quality from Reference Recordings in my book,

Good sound on its own in more or less total isolation ,is of little or no interest to me.

I am not a HI FI NERD, I am a MUSIC-LOVER.

I need a combination of both good music and excellent sound quality in order to spend my dollars!

In that respect it seems that LINN has a LOT more to offer than Reference Recordings so far!

But let me finish by saying that both LINN´s downloads and Reference Recordings HRx discs are ridiculously overpriced!

To take just one example.
I bought the SACD set ,two SACDs, of Mozart symphonies on LINN for 11. Pounds 32 pence!

But downloading the same material would cost more than twice as much!!!
Why, why why ????

On the other hand, I downloaded all these samples in seconds!

I am on a 100mbps broadband connection.

If I could download the Reference Recordings Tchaikovsky and maybe a couple more of theirs, at a decent price! I would buy some.

But as things stand, I am not going to have a physical disc for 45 bucks!sent from the USA all the way to Sweden just to be able to listen to music on my computer!

In other words, with today´s broadband connections there is NO EXCUSE at all for selling only ridiculously expensive HRx discs when the material could be downloaded fast by many!
Both I and many others can download 4-5 gigabyte in a few minutes!

My advice to both these two and other companies starting out in the HI REZ download market is :If you really mean to and seriously are expecting to get some real business from this, for God´s sake price your stuff at non rip off prices!

The only time I have actually tried to buy downloads so far, was from HD Tracks where prices are not quite so rip off ridiculous!
But since I live in Sweden I can´t do that!
Brave New World!

All the best chrille

I think Linn downloads are priced around the same price as an SACD, but they don't have the cost of pressing, they don't have the cost of storage, they don't have the cost of shipping discs around the world and their is not the cost of a retailers 100% markup.

So I cannot see why they are priced so high, they are twice as expensive as they should be. Just check out HD Tracks which has some of the best recordings made by Reference Recordings available at 24/96 for US$15.98 a CD's worth of download, which is half the price Linn Records is charging.

I won't be buying any of Linn Records downloads, until they start charging a reasonable price.

Thanks Marcia for the samples!

I'm downloading a track now but with my connection it's going to take almost 2 hours. Grrrr.
No 'cable' in my area....

Can't wait to hear the result, however.

James

Hello there Chris,
Sorry to disturb you with a stupid question again.

After the pleasant surprise of the these downloads I also tried paying for and downloading from 2L which worked VERY WELL very fast and very good music Mirror Canon super music piano Beethoven´last piano sonata among others in superb sound!!!
I had no problems whatsoever downloading or playing my purchase.

But when trying the same with the BSO this morning it was like entering HELL nothing worked as expected !!!!!

Very confusing and simply beyond me! obviously!
It is supposed to work internationally but ,I simply can´t make it work or find my music which some strange appelet says it has downloaded on my screen???
But where and how do I find it and play it in itunes?
What I thought I had downloaded was Brahms´s Requiem but it is nowhere to be found .
And what´s more my computer hanged got jammed and I had to force exit !!!Very frustrating to say the least!

When I finally was about to jump aboard wholeheartedly I end up with the most frustrating download experience ever!!!

Can you help me ?
chrille completetely lost and frustrated now

Sorry !
I think all I showed in my frustration was my own stupidity here.

It turned out that I could find and play the files simply by opening i Tunes and loading the files there from where they where hiding!

But it was still a bit frustrating that my computer jammed and I had to force exit from the appelet!

I don´t know what happend there?

And if you wonder why, my post here was added three times!!

Haven´t got a clue why that happened either?

Let´s see if this one gets posted three times as well!

If so sorry again, it is not intentional.

Anyway it turned out that my Brahms download was good too.

It is actually quite fascinating that I can within an hour even with my studipidity and whatever strange things happened with the download, listen to a HI REZ version of Brahm´s masterpiece from the BSO in sound quality that NO rBCD or 16/44 file ever made could approach !
And I am in Sweden on the other side of the world so to say!

Quite cool.

Sorry to bother you chris , Chrille

ps And thanks for your admirable patience with my stupididity before.

I forgot to ask how come the BSO can sell their hi res stuff internationally and Reference Recordings and HD Track can´t??
Or won´t ?

Would you know anything about these hurdles?

With LINN being way overpriced IMO I would like to buy stuff from HD Tracks as well but can´t as things stand, do that because I am in Sweden.

Or should I buy whatever I can from BSO before they realize they can´t either?

All the best Chrille

Hi Chris, did you get an outcome with Asus on the above?

Cheers.

Thank you for the free samples - looks like a wonderful way to check out new hi-rez music!