If you are using a digital setup like I am where do you get your downloads? I have Qobuz and find a lot of great music on there but some music is not available on Qobuz. I used to buy DSD downloads from Acoustic Sounds but they don’t sell downloads any more. HD Tracks offers some DSD downloads but not as much as Acoustic Sounds had. I’ve checked out High Definition Tape Transfers which looks interesting I’m just interested what everyone else prefers? Thanks!
All of my HiRez purchases are from Qobuz. The other site I buy downloads from is bandcamp…
This excellent little studio outside Boulder CO called Octave Records has some fantastic DSD on their site.
I’m a Qobuz Sublime subscriber. Prices are good. I’ve bought a couple things from Bandcamp as someone else already mentioned. I find the CDs on AMZN are sometimes cheaper than the digital download and especially if its not available beyond rebook anyway.
As far as Acoustic Sounds goes… they told users to go to HDtracks and included a discount code in their latest e-mail blast. I need more audiophile grade stuff though… but, there is so much to stream I’m not finding much reason to purchase. I never find a point in my day where I’ve reached the end of the playlist as it is. I know that’s horrible.
Someone recently said I should look through https://www.nativedsd.com They do seem to have a well documented collection of recordings.
I guess I am a “Sublime +” subscriber and I love the prices. I typically only buy if it’s Hirez, otherwise my preference is to buy the vinyl on Bandcamp, download the 16.41 in FLAC, and if no vinyl is available buy the cd. I buy a lot of music. It seems nice.
1- For Classical & Jazz, both hard media and downloads:
Labels - Buy classical and opera recordings | Presto Classical (prestomusic.com)
2- For everything else:
Top 5 Best Hi-Res Audio Music Download Sites | Sony US (HD Tracks has a large collection)
When I signed up to Qobuz in 2013 there were still quite a few labels that did not make their libraries available for streaming, but sold downloads through the Qobuz download store, such as Channel Classics and ECM.
I buy quite a lot of downloads from Hyperion and Linn Records. They are two of the best classical labels and their recordings are not available for streaming.
Many of the top London-based classical performers are signed up to Hyperion, as well as Boulder, Colorado’s world-famous group, The Takacs Quartet.
Linn have a wide array of European Classical and Jazz artists on their roster. Also, in my experience and many others as they win loads of awards, Linn produce the most consistently high quality recordings.
I use a few different sources for digital music files. In no particular order:
Qobuz
HD Tracks
Bandcamp
Bluecoast
Pro Studio Masters
PS Audio
Chesky
CD’s ripped using dBpoweramp
I buy Hi-res downloads from Qobuz as a Sublime subscriber. The discounts are significant, especially on box set releases.
I like that you don’t lose download rights when you buy from Qobuz. Not true with HDtracks and it almost cost me big when I accidentally erased a bunch of HDtracks single tracks. I was able to convince them to let me re-download but it was a long, complicated process.
For me it’s mostly https://www.nativedsd.com
Bandcamp has limited content but I really like it.
Thank you @manueljenkin! Welcome to the forum!
Thank you very much Paul.
+1 for Bandcamp here, most “new” “indie” artists I want seem to be on there.
For older stuff it is usually buy the CD secondhand and rip it.
It annoys me that many major album releases seem to take place via e.g. spotify/apple et al streaming only, and I have to wait for a download purchase from somewhere like 7Digital, or buy the CD and wait and rip it.
I want my instant HD gratification!
Qobuz Sublime mostly for me, the prices are excellent, everything else is Bandcamp.
I think it depends on your taste MJ. I like a lot of electronic/ambient music and have no trouble finding a vast array of content on Bandcamp - can’t speak for other styles tho
Today I saw a Blue Note artist and I was informed the only way to buy their music was downloads from the labels website.
Each step up in quality was a higher price.
DSD 64 $20
DSD 128 $30
DSD 256 $40
DSD 512 $50
Same for FLAC with prices starting at $20. I went to Qobuz and found I could purchase the same album in 24bit 192 Khz FLAC for $14. I will not inform Blue Note of this.
Probably Qobuz buys them wholesale from Blue Note?
Qobuz Sublime members can buy some Blue Note artist Hi-Res download titles for as little as $7.49. The new Charles Lloyd album is a double LP and the download is only $8.99.