Trollbuster

Well I know we have moved on quite a bit timewise but I have continued to monitor hi rez files from many sources and reported genuine failings back to their source. Chandos are clearly well above the ligit borderline. One problem is that I cannot access directly HDtracks files. They seem to have banned my USA contact after our earlier HDT disclosures with known BIS 44.1. I have privately received a file of theirs which was reconverted from its original download source. I suspected this was a bit of mischief making so no comments on that particular HDT track. It has been circulated on torrent sites as 24/96 and if you download it you will get a 44/1 spectrum. At his point in time Dacapo have been identified as suspicious and I even suspect the original was 44.1/16 bit. This led me to ask someone for the development of a program as an add on to fingerprint such files. I even had to create my own hirez files from known cd originals and then work on these as a starting point. It is still not perfect but better than 90% accurate. Im spending more time now converting vinyl to 24/96 and it is interesting to observe the spectrums of so called early pure digital LPs. I dont mean the digital remasters. Amazingly some have wider that 44.1 sampling.Not by much but it indicates something was going on in certain companies around 1991 plus?.

If you read the thread from earlier you will notice that Chandos have only just started making their downloads hi rez. They have been making the CD versions available for considerably longer.Hence the difference. If you wait till next week I suspect their will be another hirez batch even making some of the cd level available.I certainly hope so even though Ive still a couple to get from last weeks batch. If you want to search Chandos lists for original recording information I will make it easier by proving a link. worked for me. http://www.chandos.net/searchresults.asp?zoom_query=24+bit&zoom_page=2&zoom_per_page=10&zoom_and=1&zoom_sort=0&zoom_xml=0

Hi Ted, Very Interesting, Can you please tell me more?. I was involved in monitoring/testing these dubious downloads and the firm that was the main complaint were BIS who reverted from DSD to 44.1/24.The subject and subtefuge is all available to read under the bis thread on sa-cd.net. I was one who reported and questioned this firm directly to no avail. I published this fact on another website that led to another individual eventually getting it stopped.Quite a few emails were exchanged. So,I personally know most of the background and history on this issue including all the attempted cover ups but I was not aware that Chandos had any problems.It may have just been an over reaction as Im sure at one point HDTracks asked their suppliers to confirm each items hirez authenticity. Lets face it nowadays its so easy to make a mistake and even easier to be found out. Could you please let me know the titles that were pulled? It would be a major suprise as Ive checked Most of their sacds which are either DSD origins or 24/96. Suggest you go to Chandos website you can actually search all of their releases and find the original native recording info.Chandos have never used 88.2 but did use 20 bit as far back as the 1990s. If you were ever a member of their forum you will know that their MD (CEO) agonized over which what to go with hirez before opting for sacd.

Dindy(2)Fabulous,Halvosen,Lizst,Elgar,Rozsa,Scott,Smetana,Arnold,with Matthews Herrmann to come possibly with some concertos but due to the even higher cost of buying seperate tracks so Im going to pass on some items I want. Note I am not keen on many choral items.I was very tempted by Debussy Piano works. My funds are being stretched at the moment after trip to the Gewandhaus. As Ive said elsewhere they compare with their sacd sonics and some are a real suprise.ie Arnold ballet music,The Lizst symphonic Poems can wear thin in places but that is the composers faultIMO?. . Generally my standards are considered extreme,ie almost 15 percent of sacds get rejected on sonic grounds alone. I even download to a seperate PC and have my EMU soundcard switched off to reduce noise.Even though its on a seperate power supply for quality reasons. Compared with HDTT they are a dream.No rebalancing or metalic tizz common on the HDTT 192 tracks. I think you can download a sample from the site.Email me if you have a problem. Trollb.

I must confess that I find Dacapo ranges from excellent to dull and grainey. Sorry but I only listen to sacds and give up very quickly on anything that sounds grainy of lacks depth or is CD like.I do have 12 or so Dacapos and sold on a very poor GADE Jealosey disc for the very reason you describe.I have all the LLangaard set which is very mixed in quality even sometime within each disc.Their cost of downloads seems as stupidly expensive as Linn. I do agree that Linn have almost "reversed "from their vinyl sound to a more starker digital sound even on sacds.The Mozart late symphonies in the style of Beethovens 7th just sounds as though it was recorded in a concrete room. The Dacapo Romantic violin concertos maybe is a tad upfront for me. I ceased buying BIS items a few years ago and resold all those flat sounding items but interestingly I put it down to the fact they mix the stereo from the same mics they use for the surround.This is a hot topic at the moment as I do not like surround sound anymore.It seems to me the lack of ultra highs is fairly serious for stereo imagery and not for surround. I do get to listen to lots of items as an ebay/amazon seller.I get the impression that BIS solo artists are technical virtuosos? rather than "authentic"performers.Perhaps this is history repeating itself. Ironically a few BIS concertos of late are considered too much up front centre channel.

I must admit I was part of the volunteers that beta tested the system and tested the files and I did not have a problem on the excellent Mozart tracks. The only thing I really found was some of the pop tracks ie Sousa etc downloaded as hirez when checked the files they all had a 44.1 brickwall signature top end. I reported this back and they did say they would look into it. So Im not sure if it was just a simple error.

I may have be jumping the gun here as Its also know that BIS are going to do HiRez downloads very soon. There is no secrect that their CEO thinks HIS 44.1/24 is as good as anyone elses genuine hirez or DSD.I assumed that going for BIS downloads was part of the intention. I may add that Bis appartly sent sacd discs to an American well know firm and they converted the sacds to either 88.1 or 96hz 24 bit for HDTracks.Again this information was well discussed on www.sa-cd.net.

Recently I noticed Chandos have started releasing 24/96 hi rez downloads on both newish and back catelogue. Up to now Ive converted 10 of these onto DVDAs and compared the sound to several of their SACDs.My system starts with a Denon 3910 heavily modiified and the rest of the system would be considered lunatic fringe designer gear.Not a cheap resistor,diode or cap allowed even in the same room as this 250 watt/passive preamp system. Not suprisingly its very difficult to pick a winner between the two formats. Previously downloads from many sources at 24/96 were quite variable. HDTT in particular mThose obtained privatly (Im not in the USA and would love to get hold of more ) HD Tracks were poor to average plus and in some cases (Bis) only 44.1. As regards 192 v 96khz. My half dozen DVDAs all show a slight smotthness and more detail when I listen carefully.Its certainly better but hardly worth megabucks. Sonically I prefer Live music, then vinyl.Dont ask about how much that side has cost.

It is a well known fact that BIS Only records at 44.1 (CD level) and 24 bit for their higher rez SACDs There has been a long discussion on the www.sa-cd net forum about it and also This is the reason their downloads were removed from HDTracks as they were being misold as 24/96.