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Post by fabtastique on Jun 9, 2021 0:59:34 GMT -5
With Apple jumping on the bandwagon now offering HiRes lossless music at no extra cost audiophiles using Tidal, Qobuz and other similar providers have some choices to make - continue paying a premium or look to Apple.
I’ve tried Qobuz and Tidal and I can honestly say that the albums by Linda that are offered in a HiRes format do sound wonderful if you listen through decent equipment.
On some tracks it sounds like she’s in the room with you.
However it’s brought about some interesting anomalies.
Many of the remastered albums recently released are only still available in standard CD format - CdmP, Mas Canciones, Frenesi, Trio releases in particular.
However there are bundled 70s and 80s collections - featuring select albums from each period offered at HiRes.
I hope that we see more improved quality versions - Apple are promising to more than triple the HiRes offering by the end of the year 🤞🏻
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Post by rick on Jun 9, 2021 2:51:34 GMT -5
Fab, thank you for this.
A friend in Australia emailed about it and he said, re: Linda: " It appears almost all of the albums and compilations have been upgraded to Lossless or High Resolution Lossless format. None are remixed (yet) in Dolby Atmos."
I asked him about "Canciones de Mi Padre," "Mas Canciones," "Frenesi," and the Trio releases and he replied: "In Australia, all those are available in Lossless or HighRes Lossless format. "
Just an FYI, he added: " One of the Dolby Atmos mixes being used to promote the new format is Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. Listening to the new mix with headphones is amazing. "
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2021 7:44:16 GMT -5
My solution has been to buy the audiophile CDs or LPs, which are remastered.
DCC GH1 & GH2
Audio Fidelity & MFSL; HLAW
MFSL; DCN, PID, HDTW, SD.
Japanese "What's New?" on SACD & DVD-A.
I find the Japanese mini-LPs; TSP, EG2, HSHG, SP, LR, DCN, PID, HDTW, SD, LITUSA all very good audio quality.
They are expensive, but its Linda premium, and remastering has improved their audio, especially on Linda's earlier albums, DCN in particular. 3D soundstaging is important to bring out Linda's singing in the earlier albums, the originals were compressed & early CDs sounded worse than vinyl LPs & even cassette tape.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2021 7:46:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2021 15:46:45 GMT -5
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Post by fabtastique on Jun 11, 2021 2:01:39 GMT -5
I've heard some of the spatial audio tracks ..... I guess it takes some getting used to and it sounds quite strange to hear. I'm not sure I get the appeal of having music move from L-R, or vice versa as you turn your head! Tidal and QoBuz display the resolution of albums and tracks as badges next to the album cover or name so you know what you are getting, on Apple Music you have to dig around a little to find it. Tidal has MQA as its highest quality which is supposed to be Master Quality from the original album masters. Apple has thrown its own label into the ring now adopting Apple Digital Master but I am unsure so far what that standard is, along with Lossless and HiRes Lossless there are seemingly a lot of options. With Spotify and Amazon joining the HiRes pool soon I'm sure it will grow. CdmP, Mas Canciones, Frenesi and Complete Trio are all lossless releases. However CdmP is also part of the Linda 80s boxset and is shown as HiRes lossless which is interesting. None of Linda's 90s albums are yet in HiRes. CLARHLTW is not currently available as a solo album, only part of the 80s set so its described as HiRes but to my ears its muffled and quieter, less clear than CdmP. I don't think CLARHLTW was ever remastered though so its probably from the original 80s master? I slightly insulted George Massensburg trying to persuade him to get involved with pushing Linda and John Boylan to do a 30 year remastered edition of CLARHLTW back in 2019, adding in some bonus tracks to aide sales. I'm sure he took my praise the wrong way initially - I said this was a great album when it came out but on other newer releases the sound is cleared and brighter, more powerful ..... he replied and said "it still is a great album.... but I lets hope he took my explanation !  Fab, thank you for this. A friend in Australia emailed about it and he said, re: Linda: " It appears almost all of the albums and compilations have been upgraded to Lossless or High Resolution Lossless format. None are remixed (yet) in Dolby Atmos." I asked him about "Canciones de Mi Padre," "Mas Canciones," "Frenesi," and the Trio releases and he replied: "In Australia, all those are available in Lossless or HighRes Lossless format. " Just an FYI, he added: " One of the Dolby Atmos mixes being used to promote the new format is Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. Listening to the new mix with headphones is amazing. " |
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2022 18:00:34 GMT -5
I was looking at Quobuz with a view to a Sublime subscription, but its not certain enough yet.
WRT to Cry..Howl, has anyone seen any tracks remastered in collections apart from Linda's duets with Aaron Neville? The latter, especially grammy winners, are on "Duets", and "Just One Look" but none other.
I would really like all Linda in lossless.
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Post by jay15206 on May 23, 2022 12:55:09 GMT -5
I burned all my CDs to iTunes in Apple Lossless (ALAC) format years ago, and for years, I have enjoyed this sound quality more than that of CD. I got tinnitus in 1998 and it never went away. I came to enjoy listening nearfield, i.e., computer speakers on my desktop made by Bowers & Wilkins, which led me to ALAC.
I bought a pair of extremely revealing Bowers & Wilkins Matrix speakers in the mid-'90s, and found I could not stand the sound of Linda (among many others) on CD. Horrid glassy / metallic sound. Unlistenable. I ended up buying a new turntable and listening to my old LPs from the '70s. Same speakers, same amp, lovely sound.
It was the mid-'00s when I started burning my CDs to iTunes. The Apple Lossless sound was such an improvement over CD. I still liked the sound of LP more, too, but the tinnitus made listening to anything from 8 feet away annoying, as if the hiss took over the entire space between the speaker and my brain.
Right now, I've been listening to CDs again—I have 700+ of them—on a much less revealing system (Sony CD player, AMC integrated, Paradigm Monitor SE Atom (latest edition in 2022), and the sound is just fine. My hearing is never going to be perfect, but I am enjoying my Linda. Hasten down the Wind is on now, my favorite record of all time by anyone. Period.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2022 13:39:44 GMT -5
Bravo jay15206! For me too, finding the right components & right release of Linda are very important. What needle & cartridge do you use?
I prefer Cry..Howl and Mad Love on vinyl over CD, though a better DAC helps CDs.
HDTW is in my top 3, I have bought a Mobile Fidelity LP for my birthday, though the CD version remaster is very good. So far I have 3 180g Linda LPs.
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Post by jay15206 on May 23, 2022 22:12:47 GMT -5
Bravo jay15206! For me too, finding the right components & right release of Linda are very important. What needle & cartridge do you use? I prefer Cry..Howl and Mad Love on vinyl over CD, though a better DAC helps CDs. HDTW is in my top 3, I have bought a Mobile Fidelity LP for my birthday, though the CD version remaster is very good. So far I have 3 180g Linda LPs. Well, heartbreaker, about ten years ago, I sold all my analog equipment and my record collection. Someone offered me so much money for the records, I felt I couldn't turn it down. I hadn't listened to my "real" stereo in a few years at that point because of the tinnitus.
But, I had a Rega P3 with a Dynavector 10x4-ii, and then a Rega Elys cartridge that was blue rather than purple. I liked its sound more than I'd liked the purple.
That's it. Overall, my preferences are (1) records; (2) HiRes lossless; (3) CD (but not with super-revealing speakers).
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 9:02:10 GMT -5
Today I bought another amp, an Audiolab 6000A (black), that has Bluetooth. Its meant to be good from reviews, so will see how it does & also for vinyl & CDs too.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2022 10:11:20 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2022 11:19:03 GMT -5
There is also an audio DVD of What's New album, very good as well  |
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