Where do you download your hifi music files?

Robert94

Robert94

Audioholic Intern
As the thread asks, where do you download your high quality audio files from (FLAC etc)?

I struggle to find a site for the UK that provides hifi downloads of new albums all of it is mp3 rubbish. HD tracks is talked about a lot but don't seem to have a wide selection of albums. Or will I have to continue to purchase CDs and do my own ripping..

*edited*
 
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slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
As the thread asks, where do you download your high quality audio files from (FLAC etc)?

I struggle to find a site for the UK that provides hifi downloads of new albums all of it is mp3 rubbish. HD tracks is talked about a lot but don't seem to have a wide selection of albums. Or for things that I can't find a free download for will I have to continue to purchase CDs and do my own ripping..
Personally, I prefer to purchase CD and rip myself using EAC. I prefer to have the physical copy too.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
@Robert94 Please refrain in future to discuss "free" music downloads, with exception of content made legally free online.

Best value right now is with streaming music services like Spotify - they don't stream lossless, but high quality lossy tracks, which I doubt you could tell the difference anyhow.
 
Robert94

Robert94

Audioholic Intern
Apologies.

Surely it can't be much more expensive for a company to offer a lossless download alongside an mp3 download - but obviously there is a reason for them not doing it, demand perhaps. And if you spend money on a good hifi set up (and as everyone seems to agree source is the most important thing to see a noticeable improvement in sound quality) then it defeats the whole object listening to lossy files..? The reason I posed the question was because I do notice a difference (albeit not always very large but that's beside the point).

Although it is nice having a CD I don't own a CD player so a good digital download would be good and possibly 30%. Anyway I only started the thread to see what other people used/do. :)
 
djreef

djreef

Audioholic Chief
AIFF downloads through HDTracks and ProStudioMasters.

DJ
 
S

sterling shoote

Audioholic Field Marshall
I have experimented with downloads from iTunes at 256k and same albums from HDTracks at the highest file size my system will process, 24/96. I've gotta tell ya, so far, I have not been able to distinguish for better or worse any difference in sound/musicality between downloaded formats, so, at this point, I'm thinking what's the point of HDTracks, except for the convenience of getting CD quality from the ease of my recliner. Now, one thing for sure, I can distinguish between 128k and 16/44.1;and, therefore, I am inclined to just keep buying CD's. After all, they're perfect sound, perfect forever, right. At any rate, I like the idea of owning it and not loosing it in the cloud or wherever. I can also sell/trade my CD's and buy 'em used at a few stores where I live. I can't do that with downloads.
 
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djreef

djreef

Audioholic Chief
I have experimented with downloads from iTunes at 256k and same albums from HDTracks at the highest file size my system will process, 24/96. I've gotta tell ya, so far, I have not been able to distinguish for better or worse any difference in sound/musicality between downloaded formats, so, at this point, I'm thinking what's the point of HDTracks, except for the convenience of getting CD quality from the ease of my recliner. Now, one thing for sure, I can distinguish between 128k and 16/44.1;and, therefore, I am inclined to just keep buying CD's. After all, they're perfect sound, perfect forever, right. At any rate, I like the idea of owning it and not loosing it in the cloud or wherever. I can also sell/trade my CD's and buy 'em used at a few stores where I live. I can't do that with downloads.
If given a choice, I ALWAYS choose the physical medium price notwithstanding, like with the new Steven Wilson Blu-Ray Audio. I like to actually own the purchase.

DJ
 
Goodband

Goodband

Audioholic
If given a choice, I ALWAYS choose the physical medium price notwithstanding, like with the new Steven Wilson Blu-Ray Audio. I like to actually own the purchase.

DJ
Same here

Envoyé de mon SGH-I337M en utilisant Tapatalk
 
Robert94

Robert94

Audioholic Intern
Now, one thing for sure, I can distinguish between 128k and 16/44.1;and, therefore, I am inclined to just keep buying CD's. After all, they're perfect sound, perfect forever, right. At any rate, I like the idea of owning it and not loosing it in the cloud or wherever. I can also sell/trade my CD's and buy 'em used at a few stores where I live. I can't do that with downloads.
I've been keeping an eye out for a CD player that I want on eBay for the last few weeks hoping to get a good second hand deal partly for the reason on owning a physical copy. Get this though, I live in the UK and it's quite often cheaper for me to order a CD from a company in America via Amazon and wait a couple of weeks for delivery than it is to walk into town where I live and buy one from the shop! (just a point of interest really).
 
Robert94

Robert94

Audioholic Intern
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-TAS-CDRW901MKII?SRC=D1307BNGHAMS0000&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=72846095&utm_content=TAS+CDRW901MKII

Consider the Tascam CDRW901MKII CD Recorder. In addition to being an excellent CD Player it also records. You can use it to copy LP's and divide tracks to get onto your computer.
Looks like an impressive bit of kit but I doubt i'd use half of the features it has. Think I'll stick with chasing a Cambridge Azur 640c which will match my amp as well. Thanks for the suggestion though!
 
Johnny2Bad

Johnny2Bad

Audioholic Chief
I think HighResAudio dotcom (Germany) has licenses for distribution in the UK.

The reason you might have problems finding digital downloads is all due to copyright licensing; a US site doesn't have the legal right to sell music to a UK resident, for example. As strange as that sounds, it's Piracy since someone in the UK has the exclusive right to sell you that file.

HighResAudio usually secures EU-wide licenses so you should be good for a year or two ;-)

You could eMail them and ask.

info [at] highresaudio dotcom
 
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Johnny2Bad

Johnny2Bad

Audioholic Chief
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-TAS-CDRW901MKII?SRC=D1307BNGHAMS0000&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=72846095&utm_content=TAS+CDRW901MKII

Consider the Tascam CDRW901MKII CD Recorder. In addition to being an excellent CD Player it also records. You can use it to copy LP's and divide tracks to get onto your computer.
TASCAM makes a number of excellent CD players in the CD-200x series. The CD-200 just plays disks (and can serve as a transport with an external DAC), the CD-200SB adds support for USB and Flash media, the CD-iL includes a iPod/iPhone dock, while the CD-200BT has Bluetooth connectivity.

They all use TASCAM's transport designed exclusively for audio, and if you're a musician, pitch control. Little known fact ... radio stations use pitch control to speed up playback (and pitch and tempo) of the music they play.

Not expensive, UKP 235 or so for the basic CD-200.

Stereophile review:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/fifth-element-86
 
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