Hi-rez downloads - Elton John, Dave Brubeck...

[AlmaataKZ]

these have just appeared on hdtracks in 24/96.

I am so happy to see big names showing up in hi-rez downloads (admittedly still very thin). Hopefully many more to follow!

 

[Anonymous]

Very encouraging that their catalogue is expanding in this way

 

[Alec]

Sorry to hijack and digress (but evidently not that sorry), but ive always been confused as to wahts needed to get the benefit of these hi res files...?

 

[AlmaataKZ]

any player that can play it (to analog output) e.g. squeezebox touch, sonos or

any streamer or computer (to digital output) + dac e.g. macmini + arcam rdac, or

any integrated thing (to speaker outputs) e.g. naim uinityqute, linn majik dsi.

as long as the chain can do the desired resolution (24/96, 24/192 etc) that is all that is needed and there is quite a choice for a huge variety of budgets.

and any decent speaker set, of cause. Key word being 'decent', so they can realize the benefits as well as the rest of the system

Edit: I see you have a pc optical out to avi adm speakers, assuming they can do 24/96 all you need is some free software: download a hi-rez file e.g. in flac and play it in a (free) software palyer. If it is itunes, convert flac to alac using a convereter e.g. max (also free). no additional hardware or paid software! Enjoy!

 

[Alec]

Not sure my AVIs (see sig) with inbuilt DAC can do it via optical. Could be wrong. Heard someting once, or thought i did, about how they can do it via the optional coax connection tho which i dont have.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

just checked - avi's web site says the dac in the speakers is 24/192, so you are ready to go! Get on hdtracks site, browse to 'best sellers', pick an album or two to your taste, pay with paypal if you are not in US, download (they are a bit slow), convert and hit 'play'.

Edit: according to avi web-ste they (Edit: 9T model at least) can do 24/96 from optical. so, (edit) likely, you are ready to go. 24/96 is fantastic quality and you do not need to worry about 24/192 if you cannot play it. 24/96 is almost as good as it gets and there is very little practical difference in stepping up to 192, especially knowing that there is hardly any content available at this sample rate.

 

[AL13N]

AVI ADM9.1 and ADM9T can take 24bit/96kHz via the optical inputs.

When ordering you can opt for coaxial inputs instead for £50 extra. This allows you to send 24bit/192kHz.

Agree with AlmaataKZ regarding 96kHz vs 192kHz. The latter also takes up a lot more HDD space.

 

[Alec]

AlmaataKZ:convert

Many thanks, but what and how and why do I need to convert?

 

[Alec]

AL13N:AVI ADM9.1 and ADM9T can take 24bit/96kHz via the optical inputs.

When ordering you can opt for coaxial inputs instead for £50 extra. This allows you to send 24bit/192kHz.

Ahhh. Thats what I was half remembering.

 

[AL13N]

al7478:AlmaataKZ:convertMany thanks, but what and how and why do I need to convert?
Seeing as you're not using a Mac you don't.

Unless you use iTunes. In which case you need to convert FLAC to ALAC. A popular (and excellent) free program is Max, but it's only available for OSX.

All down to Apple's insistence on not supporting FLAC.

FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec
ALAC: Apple Lossless Audio Codec

 

[Alec]

Blast. Had not thought of that. I use WMP with WMA Lossless.

 

[AL13N]

al7478:Blast. Had not thought of that. I use WMP with WMA Lossless.
http://www.pristineclassical.com/More/WMP-FLAC.html

 

[Alec]

AL13N:al7478:Blast. Had not thought of that. I use WMP with WMA Lossless.
http://www.pristineclassical.com/More/WMP-FLAC.html

Thanks. I did something similar a whiel ago but don't remember the details and ive changed a lot about the way i do things since. would it be just as well to convert to WMA Lossless?

 

[AL13N]

al7478:would it be just as well to convert to WMA Lossless?
Yes. Should work just fine.

Look here for more info on Lossless codecs.

 

[Alec]

Thanks again.