Nevermind, remastered, 96kHz/24bit

[MajorFubar]

As for the dubious legality...I don't care. It's HDTracks breaking their terms, not the buyer doing anything wrong.

That's not quite true. Exploiting a loophole to do something you really shouldn't do, and you know is wrong, doesn't make it right.

You very clearly can't (or at least, shouldn't) go onto e.g.: Adobe's US website and buy Photoshop CS5 for the sterling equivalent of its current 'special offer' US price of $490 (~£313). Its current UK price is more than double that: £663.08 if you download (bizarrely some £5.48 more than if you ask them to send you the software in a box, but that's a different story).

It's no different. I know it sounds like I'm pishing on your birthday cake but it's really not something which should be advertised and advocated. In fact, frankly I'm surprised WHF S&V allow people to so freely advocate the website's use on a UK-based forum.

 

[Anonymous]

As for the dubious legality...I don't care. It's HDTracks breaking their terms, not the buyer doing anything wrong.

That's not quite true. Exploiting a loophole to do something you really shouldn't do, and you know is wrong, doesn't make it right.

You very clearly can't (or at least, shouldn't) go onto e.g.: Adobe's US website and buy Photoshop CS5 for the sterling equivalent of its current 'special offer' US price of $490 (~£313). Its current UK price is more than double that: £663.08 if you download (bizarrely some £5.48 more than if you ask them to send you the software in a box, but that's a different story).

It's no different. I know it sounds like I'm pishing on your birthday cake but it's really not something which should be advertised and advocated. In fact, frankly I'm surprised WHF S&V allow people to so freely advocate the website's use on a UK-based forum.

I imagine they allow it, because what I said is correct. There is no law being broken by the buyer. Only the retailer is breaking rules.

And in the end it's bloody silly, especially when it comes to music downloads.

*edit. And the Adobe analogy is irrelevant. That's Adobe's pricing structure...nothing to do with licensing deals.

And if I could get CS5 for the US price with a loophole, I would. and I would forego the support. But I've tried it, and it doesn't play fair

 

[MajorFubar]

There is no law being broken by the buyer. Only the retailer is breaking rules.

You're wrong, but I see no point in trying to re-word what I wrote to try to make you understand. The Adobe reference is very relevant. They have a UK subsidiary which is obliged to pay EU taxes. Part of the difference in price on their UK website is because of that. HDTracks does not, and purchasing from it in the UK, using the PayPal loophole, bypasses paying the correct taxes and fees. There really is no debate.

I will however look forward to buying Nevermind from a UK-legal HD outlet.

 

[6th.replicant]

So, a UK-based purchaser, when downloading from HDTracks, is effectively bypassing UK taxes but the artists are still getting their cut?

I think I can live with that (while there's no UK outlet offering a 24/96 of Nevermind...) :shifty:

 

[MajorFubar]

That's the crux of it I guess

 

[6th.replicant]

Grrrrr! A fella on a well-known 'computer-based hi-fi forum' has published the wave and spectral graph thingys of the remastered Smells Like Teen Spirit 24/96 and iTunes AAC 256kbps, the remastered MoFi CD and the original CD. Quel surpirse! The latter two have no compression, whereas the former duo have been crushed to ... |(

Seems that HDTracks has been supplied another 'loudness war' remaster :wall:

 

[ReValveiT]

Grrrrr! A fella on a well-known 'computer-based hi-fi forum' has published the wave and spectral graph thingys of the remastered Smells Like Teen Spirit 24/96 and iTunes AAC 256kbps, the remastered MoFi CD and the original CD. Quel surpirse! The latter two have no compression, whereas the former duo have been crushed to ... |(

Seems that HDTracks has been supplied another 'loudness war' remaster :wall:

Just as I suspected. Another classic album completely destroyed. I'll stick with the CD.

 

[matengawhat]

i bought it on vinyl and think it sounds pretty good tbh, i did buy the pics disks that unfort have a lot of surface noise but once the music starts it rocks

 

[6th.replicant]

i bought it on vinyl and think it sounds pretty good tbh, i did buy the pics disks that unfort have a lot of surface noise but once the music starts it rocks

Is your vinyl copy a remaster?

 

[MajorFubar]

Grrrrr! A fella on a well-known 'computer-based hi-fi forum' has published the wave and spectral graph thingys of the remastered Smells Like Teen Spirit 24/96 and iTunes AAC 256kbps, the remastered MoFi CD and the original CD. Quel surpirse! The latter two have no compression, whereas the former duo have been crushed to ... |(

Seems that HDTracks has been supplied another 'loudness war' remaster :wall:

Thanks for the heads up. I'll stick with what I've got then.

I'm not even sure what a remaster from something so 'recent' would achieve anyway. If it was recorded digitally, then its master is probably 16/44 to start with, so remastering to 24/96 from that will achieve...not very much. If it was recorded in analogue, then maybe there would be some benefit from a new 24/96 master, but how much is debatable. They were getting damn good at digital transfers by then, so it would probably be just a '16/44 vs 24/96' difference as opposed to it being re-digitized by hugely better equipment than they had then.

 

[Anonymous]

There is no law being broken by the buyer. Only the retailer is breaking rules.

You're wrong, but I see no point in trying to re-word what I wrote to try to make you understand. The Adobe reference is very relevant. They have a UK subsidiary which is obliged to pay EU taxes. Part of the difference in price on their UK website is because of that. HDTracks does not, and purchasing from it in the UK, using the PayPal loophole, bypasses paying the correct taxes and fees. There really is no debate.

I will however look forward to buying Nevermind from a UK-legal HD outlet.

I understand fully, that you have it wrong.

The tax will be paid in the US, the artist will still be paid. As I said, I was even unaware of it up until the point where I (thankfully decided to wait), as I hadn't a clue they were breaking any rules.

The Adobe analogy is irrelevant when buying straight from "Adobe".

But aside from all that, isn't it about time (with downloads) that the world became a market? If I choose a suppkier from the UK, then they get the profit, if it's from the US or China or Denmark etc, then they do.

No difference in taxes can account for the differnce in price (of Adobe products) from US -> UK -> Western Europe -> Scandinavia etc. There is a difference of over 400% if you look around.

 

[matengawhat]

yeah its the 4 disc 20th anniversary version - also from memory i think on the cd version there are 2 remaster one done by dave grohl and one done by someone in the know, which version did they use for comparison

might have imagined that as can't now find article but thought read somewhere!

 

[MajorFubar]

The tax will be paid in the US

Exactly. Bingo. Hammer->Nailhead.

With regards to one world one market though..I can't agree more. But while we still have different taxations/fees/dues, it won't happen. So certainly not in my time! Also there isn't the commercial desire to make it happen; in fact there's often the opposite: look at how DVD regions were invented to control the worldwide distribution of films.

 

[staggerlee]

I honestly don't see the point of remastering it. It was great the first time round - so why bother fixing it. just a gimmick to get us to buy the cd again

 

[Anonymous]

The tax will be paid in the US

Exactly. Bingo. Hammer->Nailhead.

With regards to one world one market though..I can't agree more. But while we still have different taxations/fees/dues, it won't happen. So certainly not in my time! Also there isn't the commercial desire to make it happen; in fact there's often the opposite: look at how DVD regions were invented to control the worldwide distribution of films.

And look how quickly every DVD player had multiregion capability.

So long as the artist gets paid, then I'm not worried.

As for a world market... It will happen for downloads, and unless you're in ypur 90's, in your time.

 

[Anonymous]

I honestly don't see the point of remastering it. It was great the first time round - so why bother fixing it. just a gimmick to get us to buy the cd again

+1

 

[El Hefe]

IMHO, its not a question whether HDtracks contents are truly hi-res or not. I believe they are based on bit rates and frequency as flac players and DAC are showing that the files are actually 96/24....but the question is more on how good did the remastering process was done.

 

[6th.replicant]

IMHO, its not a question whether HDtracks contents are truly hi-res or not. I believe they are based on bit rates and frequency as flac players and DAC are showing that the files are actually 96/24....but the question is more on how good did the remastering process was done.

Seems that a knowledge of gizmos that analyze files might be needed to be certain?

A few months ago, I downloaded Frampton Comes Alive! (FCA) from HDTracks, which, at the time, listed the album as a "96kHz/24bit".

Indeed, when I click on my iTunes 'Get Info', it states that Frampton Comes Alive! is 24-bit and 96kHz.

However, HDTracks is now listing its version of Frampton Comes Alive! as a "48kHz/24bit".

Why? Google 'Scandal Brewing in High Resolution Downloads?' for an explanation, which also includes allegations re some Linn Records and High Definition Tape Transfers' (aka HDTT) hi-res downloads...

 

[Lee H]

The tax will be paid in the US

It's nothing to do with tax, it's distribution rights. It's the same reason that Spotify isn't available globally. The supplier needs to have the rights to distribute in that territory.

 

[El Hefe]

IMHO, its not a question whether HDtracks contents are truly hi-res or not. I believe they are based on bit rates and frequency as flac players and DAC are showing that the files are actually 96/24....but the question is more on how good did the remastering process was done.

Seems that a knowledge of gizmos that analyze files might be needed to be certain?

A few months ago, I downloaded Frampton Comes Alive! (FCA) from HDTracks, which, at the time, listed the album as a "96kHz/24bit".

Indeed, when I click on my iTunes 'Get Info', it states that Frampton Comes Alive! is 24-bit and 96kHz.

However, HDTracks is now listing its version of Frampton Comes Alive! as a "48kHz/24bit".

Why? Google 'Scandal Brewing in High Resolution Downloads?' for an explanation, which also includes allegations re some Linn Records and High Definition Tape Transfers' (aka HDTT) hi-res downloads...

Interesting article...but all these comapnies admitted the error and corrected it. Which is good of them.

How did you check the hi-res file on iTunes? Did you download as MP3? I download as FLAC, so I dont think iTunes can check it.

 

[6th.replicant]

IMHO, its not a question whether HDtracks contents are truly hi-res or not. I believe they are based on bit rates and frequency as flac players and DAC are showing that the files are actually 96/24....but the question is more on how good did the remastering process was done.

Seems that a knowledge of gizmos that analyze files might be needed to be certain?

A few months ago, I downloaded Frampton Comes Alive! (FCA) from HDTracks, which, at the time, listed the album as a "96kHz/24bit".

Indeed, when I click on my iTunes 'Get Info', it states that Frampton Comes Alive! is 24-bit and 96kHz.

However, HDTracks is now listing its version of Frampton Comes Alive! as a "48kHz/24bit".

Why? Google 'Scandal Brewing in High Resolution Downloads?' for an explanation, which also includes allegations re some Linn Records and High Definition Tape Transfers' (aka HDTT) hi-res downloads...

Interesting article...but all these comapnies admitted the error and corrected it. Which is good of them.

How did you check the hi-res file on iTunes? Did you download as MP3? I download as FLAC, so I dont think iTunes can check it.

I download HDTracks FLACs; convert FLACs to AIFF, using SBooth's Max, on desktop; import AIFF version into iTunes; highlight a track in iTunes, right-click, scroll down to 'Get Info', click, open window, then select the 'Summary' tab...

 

[MajorFubar]

I download HDTracks FLACs; convert FLACs to AIFF, using SBooth's Max, on desktop; import AIFF version into iTunes; highlight a track in iTunes, right-click, scroll down to 'Get Info', click, open window, then select the 'Summary' tab...

Good Lord! No wonder I stick to buying a CD and sticking it in a player lol! How much time do you fellas spend actually listening to music as opposed to comparing bitrates and filetypes and ripping and converting

 

[Lee H]

Good Lord! No wonder I stick to buying a CD and sticking it in a player lol! How much time do you fellas spend actually listening to music as opposed to comparing bitrates and filetypes and ripping and converting

None! Buy, rip, listen. This is why I don't like people asking for A/B/X tests, posting graphs and charts and so on.

Isn't it enough to look at a painting and like it without having to do a spectographic analysis of the paint?

 

[hammill]

Good Lord! No wonder I stick to buying a CD and sticking it in a player lol! How much time do you fellas spend actually listening to music as opposed to comparing bitrates and filetypes and ripping and converting

None! Buy, rip, listen. This is why I don't like people asking for A/B/X tests, posting graphs and charts and so on.

Isn't it enough to look at a painting and like it without having to do a spectographic analysis of the paint?

I guess that remasters etc are a special case. If you already have a copy, you don't want to buy another copy unless you have a reasonable expectation it will sound better.

 

[dannycanham]

Good Lord! No wonder I stick to buying a CD and sticking it in a player lol! How much time do you fellas spend actually listening to music as opposed to comparing bitrates and filetypes and ripping and converting

None! Buy, rip, listen. This is why I don't like people asking for A/B/X tests, posting graphs and charts and so on.

Isn't it enough to look at a painting and like it without having to do a spectographic analysis of the paint?

In the case of a previously bought album and how easy it is to recreate an album at a higher bit rate I am glad others take the time out to question the value.

Then again some people are just mugs for advertising and hype.