Good to know. I think the SACD version is not bad but I will the Redux. Thanks.
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Rimsky-Korsakov Music - Ernest Ansermet, LāOrchestre De La Suisse Romande. HDTT 1956 2024 (DSD256, DXD) HERE
Transferred from an original Decca Wide Band Pressing. this is another example of the excellent sound quality Bob Witrak is achieving in this ongoing Vinyl Record Restoration Series. If Iād not been told, I could never have told you this was a transfer from an LP. It is utterly quiet, clean and highly resolved while retaining the virtues of warmth, tonality and immense naturalness for which these original Decca LPs are highly prized. And the the sound of the orchestra epitomizes the imaging and soundstage which was the hallmark of these early Decca minimally miked recordings. Ansermet just nails the timing and emotional content inherent in these Rimsky-Korsakov tidbits. Where drama unfolds, Ansermet inexorably draws it forth. And when wit and charm is the game, he and the members of LāOrchestre De La Suisse Romande are all in.
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Hi RP and classical music lovers.
A second vote for this one. I downloaded the DSD 128 version.
Admittedly, this is my first copy of this work, so I have nothing else to compare it to.
And this is only my second classical purchase from HDTT, but wow!
- A wonderful work by Bartok. A must have classical music recording.
- A most pleasurable release by HDTT. You can really hear the quiet parts and when it gets busy, it can be exhilarating.
I am very pleased with my purchase from HDTT and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
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And again, for those who follow HDTTās releases and may have an interest, hereās summary of thoughts about their most recent 11 or so releases:
High Definition Tape Transfers continues on its roll of great releases. Just recently I wrote about HDTTās superb reissue of Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section. Now we have the famous Fritz Reiner recording of Bartokās Concerto for Orchestra, and The Weavers Reunion At Carnegie Hall, and Ella and Basie!, and much more.
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As always, thank you Rushton.
ļ»æBut this is āNotesā 23. Where is 22?
Ah, thanks for catching that. No. 22 is coming. It will be about several newly released Pure DSD256 recordings available from NativeDSD. No HDTT content.
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Not new, but playing it now and am amazed how good this recording is. Iām talking about the HDTT DSD256 John Coltrane āLive at the Village Vanguardā. I have the FLAC 24bit 192k version also, and while it sounds not too shabby, the DSD256 version runs circles around it. The 192k version sounds flat and congested next to the DSD256 version. Of course different mastering as the HDTT version has hands clapping before each track and FLAC version doesnāt, but the DSD256ās liveness and transparency really shows just how far digital has come.
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Hey, I decided, based on your review and another listing of this, to try this recording from HDTT (CaribĆ© - The Latin Jazz Quintet + Eric Dolphy). Iām a huge Eric Dolphy fan, so it wasnāt a difficult buy, but I was amazed right off the bat how rich the sound is. Iām a 96/24 guy and limited on budget & equipment, but to my ears, this is heaven. Very spacious, very balanced, fantastic deep capture of instruments, wonderful realistic soundstage. Itās interesting to me that you used the word āflatterā in your description - Iām assuming you must mean the same as how I use the word ābalancedā to where all frequency ranges are where they should be (?). Part of the reason Iām pointing to this is I decided to compare it to what I could stream on Qobuz. I donāt usually get too emotional about this, but hearing the two back-to-back was like hearing different musicians. The Qobuz version is brazen and very flat in terms of soundstage depth. It lacks the level of overall musical finesse that the HDTT version features so well. Iām not kidding when I say that had I heard the Q version only, I would have said they played poorly, didnāt listen to each other, but the HDTT version displayed everything I read about the session - that itās an odd mix of musicians, but works together well for some reason. I really donāt think that āreasonā would have been nearly as clear to me had I not heard what was really recorded.
I also downloaded the Sarah Vaughan 1961 "After Hours" recording and only had time to sample a few tracks so far, but itās already revealing a lot that wasnāt there in the version I had before - vocal presence, very subtle āmistakesā in her voice that I know are deliberate on her part to add color. Even on my āmodestā system using āmodestā resolution, I am hearing far more in these renderings. I am sure Mr. Van Gelder would have been thrilled to hear this, and Iām not always a big fan of his vocal recordings.
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I know your reply was not directed to me, but curious about your DAC and digital purchases.
First of all, i am in the same limitation boat.
But I was a bit lucky, I guess, that when I purchased my receiver, the model that I originally wanted was out of stock and the next model up was ājust a little moreā, but came with some really good features, at the time.
Anyway, are you saying that for all of your digital purchases your playback capability is maxed out at 96/24?
And are you also saying that even at āonlyā 96/24, the HDTT files are worth it? At least for the albums that you have purchased?
Everyoneās going to hate me for saying this, but there is a Panasonic 4k blu ray disc player for $1100 (I can sense the hate flowing, LOL) that accepts usb flash drives that have dsd256 files on them. It converts the music to analog and sends them over your choice of XLR or RCA connectors.
But one needs a tv to connect to for selecting music.
I purchase and download the hi-res files onto my computer, then transfer them to a USB flash drive.
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And, a TV !?!?!
It works and you are happyā¦
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Coincidentally, this album (DSD 256 version) is next in my play queueā¦
I think that itās a wonderful transfer by HDTT. Iām so glad that I bought it.
If you like the samples, just wait until you hear the downloaded versionā¦
Simply sublime!
No doubt he would.
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My reply was directed at anyone dumb enough to notice me. 
Iām not really maxed out at 96/24, unless youāre talking about my ears. Try as I might, I canāt discern any difference above that and even 96/24 is pushing it. My Schiit Multi-bit DAC can do up to 192/24; I feed it with a Mac via USB (all my DAC takes, but Iāve done what I can to clean up the USB). And my system isnāt really THAT mediocre - I have an old Convergent Audio tube pre-amp, a PS Audio Stellar M1200 set of mono blocks, and Vandersteen IIce speakers. Decent cables. My one pride and joy is my dedicated listening room that is detached isolated and loaded with internal treatments I built myself (that actually work) and dedicated, unimpeded AC power. I honestly think itās close to being the top of what my ears can hear, and I definitely hear a difference over whatās come before.
As for whether HDTT at 96/24 is worth it, thatās exactly what I wrote about. Yes, yes and yes. At least compared to my previous 96/24 files and Qobuz at 96/24.
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I get that this will PLAY this media, but whatās the level of DAC capability built into the Panasonic? Or can you use the Panasonic to output the digital signals into a DAC of your choice?
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The sound quality of the DAC is significantly better than all of my previous players. A retailer has claimed it is better than the discontinued Oppo. I borrowed an Eversolo DMP-A6 and the dsd files sound very similar on the Panasonic and the DMP-A6.
The digital output is limited on this device. By limited, I mean no dsd output and no dsd over pcm (DoP). The digital outputs are pcm only. But the internal DAC is nice.
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I guess that makes me the dumb-dumb? 
āAnd my system isnāt really THAT mediocreā¦ā
I see that you are not giving up on the understatementsā¦
Neat that you have the space and that you did some DIY with it.
This may be more dumbness on my part, but, it is safe to assume that you also use the player for actual blu-ray movies too?
I mean, not just for the DAC for audio, orā¦?
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and dvdās/blu-rays of music performances recorded live.
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But the DSD256 music sounds fantastic, as you know some of my previously posted recommendations from highdeftapetransfers.ca
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Yes sir!
It was you that turned me on to the HDTT version of Ben Webster Live in Copenhagen.
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