Classical Music downloads

[Rinaldo]

Wondering where classical music and jazz fans are getting their audiophile downloads? 

 

Thanks!

[richard kimber]

NativeDSD

[Musicophile]

Qobuz (EU only), eclassical, Presto classical, Hyperion, Linn. 

[Guidof]

What Musicophile said.

[Norton]

Linn, Chandos,  NativeDSD, Presto, HDTT.

But in the main I just buy SACDs and rip.

[Jud]

Jazz and some modern classical, Nonesuch.

[Guidof]

Forgot to mention . . . Highresaudio, HDTapeTransfers

[EuroChamp]

• Qobuz
• NativeDSD
• LinnRecords
• eClassical

and of course

• HighDefinitionTapeTransfer
• PristineClassical

[Bob Stern]

Chandos:  https://www.chandos.net

 

Cedille:  http://www.cedillerecords.org

Only $12; multi-disc albums even cheaper.

Pacifica String Quartet's acclaimed Shostakovich cycle, Jennifer Koh, Wendy Warner, etc.

[PhilipAC]

Although it has been mentioned once, I also recommend Hyperion. They do wonderful series of romantic piano and violin concertos, mostly of lesser well known composers but mostly very enjoyable. And also, of course, HDTT have the advantage of reproducing old classic performances in sparkling hi res.

[Jud]

24 minutes ago, PhilipAC said:

Although it has been mentioned once, I also recommend Hyperion. They do wonderful series of romantic piano and violin concertos, mostly of lesser well known composers but mostly very enjoyable. And also, of course, HDTT have the advantage of reproducing old classic performances in sparkling hi res.

 

Hyperion has a free download sampler of one track from each of its featured new releases each month.

[fheller]

Doesnt HDTT convert old 4 track audio tapes to DSD with Korg recorder? And sell that as DSD?

You can even take some Cassette Tapes and convert them to DSD and sell that as DSD.

 

[mansr]

20 hours ago, Musicophile said:

Qobuz (EU only), eclassical, Presto classical, Hyperion, Linn. 

Primephonic is good for classical as well. Many labels also sell directly.

[crenca]

Some that have not been mentioned:

 

http://www.prostudiomasters.com/  (whom often undercut HDTracks by a little bit)

 

http://bluecoastrecords.com/           (small but you might find something you like)

 

http://www.channelclassics.com/    (perhaps this one has been mentioned)

 

http://www.gubemusic.com/             (don't recall purchasing from them but it is an option)

 

https://bandcamp.com/                    (definitely a "crate digger" site - but you can find a diamond among the rough and the $ goes to the artist via a more direct route)

 

https://us.7digital.com/                   (can often get stuff here not found elsewhere - sometimes only in 16/44 however)

 

 

[mansr]

18 minutes ago, crenca said:

(whom often undercut HDTracks by a little bit)

Almost everybody does, Qobuz usually by 15-20%, which I'd say is more than a little bit.

[crenca]

1 minute ago, mansr said:

Almost everybody does, Qobuz usually by 15-20%, which I'd say is more than a little bit.

 

True, I only purchase from them via coupon/sale, and then the price is still only comparable to most other sites regular price...which means I am being a bit lazy.

[PhilipAC]

2 hours ago, fheller said:

Doesnt HDTT convert old 4 track audio tapes to DSD with Korg recorder? And sell that as DSD?

You can even take some Cassette Tapes and convert them to DSD and sell that as DSD.

 

 

They do convert old analog tapes to DSD, although I do not know what process they adopt. But I find nearly all the conversions are excellent, and crucially it provides me with very good sounding files of historic performances by the likes of Walter, Reiner, Ormandy, Steinberg, Monteux, Szell and others that would simply not be available to me otherwise. I regard these recordings as a treasure chest of many of the finest classical recordings of the 50s and 60s especially, and worth their weight in gold. But each to their own!

[austinpop]

Buy SACDs on Amazon and then rip? Please don't judge me.

 

Oh I see. You said downloads. Carry on.

[fheller]

1 hour ago, PhilipAC said:

 

They do convert old analog tapes to DSD, although I do not know what process they adopt. But I find nearly all the conversions are excellent, and crucially it provides me with very good sounding files of historic performances by the likes of Walter, Reiner, Ormandy, Steinberg, Monteux, Szell and others that would simply not be available to me otherwise. I regard these recordings as a treasure chest of many of the finest classical recordings of the 50s and 60s especially, and worth their weight in gold. But each to their own!

 

Yes, I agree. The Recordings are a treasure. Well worth a listening.

 

Still, their process has nothing to do with DSD production.

You simply can not get DSD out of a 4 track (!!) tape. Many of these where commercially sold in the 1950s.

Their quality was a bit better than the later cassette tapes.

As good as they may sound to you, it is not DSD.

 

[mansr]

23 minutes ago, fheller said:

Yes, I agree. The Recordings are a treasure. Well worth a listening.

 

Still, their process has nothing to do with DSD production.

You simply can not get DSD out of a 4 track (!!) tape. Many of these where commercially sold in the 1950s.

Their quality was a bit better than the later cassette tapes.

As good as they may sound to you, it is not DSD.

DSD is an encoding method, not a quality stamp. Any source, good or bad, can be encoded as DSD.

[fheller]

Yes, they use(d) a Korg 2000 Recorder for that.

I know I can also produce DSD Material with my Korg recorder from analog audio cassettes.

When they used 2 track tapes, the quality was better.

 

[EuroChamp]

4 hours ago, fheller said:

Doesnt HDTT convert old 4 track audio tapes to DSD with Korg recorder? And sell that as DSD?

You can even take some Cassette Tapes and convert them to DSD and sell that as DSD.

 

 

HDTT uses 4-track tapes, 15ips 2-track tapes and vinyl transfers. And maybe more, which I do not know.
At the moment, they try to offer "Pure DSD", their highest quality.
These albums have an extra note like this:
Note for the DSD files: DSD has limited editing capabilities. To keep it pure DSD with no PCM used, We had to allow some blemishes to remain from the original tape source that would be normally edited out in a PCM release.
Sometimes they have to edit the files, in fact they have to convert them to PCM.
Then they offer DXD, and other "smaller" formats. You get what you pay for.
And they write:
OUR DSD RELEASES WHICH ARE MARKED "PURE DSD" ORIGINATE FROM A DSD MASTERING WITH NO PCM EDITING.

Finally I have to say, they offer one of the very best sounding classical downloads.
I'm a little bit kinked when you put their reputation down - what simply is not true.

[fheller]

I really dont want to make their music to be seen in a bad light.

I like that old classical music too.

I listen quite a lot and with pleasure to analog master tape copies, which are only 2 track tapes.

 

But that doesnt change the fact that when I press "record" on that Korg recorder I get that pure DSD super mastering where no pcm is involved.

But that doesnt make the music bad. It is ok that it is safed for us and we can enjoy it.

[Norton]

2 hours ago, EuroChamp said:

 

Finally I have to say, they offer one of the very best sounding classical downloads.
 

 

Agreed.  And as far as I am aware, they use Merging kit for the transfers.

[Jud]

9 hours ago, austinpop said:

Buy SACDs on Amazon and then rip? Please don't judge me.

 

Oh I see. You said downloads. Carry on.

 

BTW, many of those may be available from Presto Classical in the UK, often for a fair amount less.