Reference Recordings HRx downloads

Ern Dog
Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
edited February 2013 in Going Digital
Just wondering if anybody has listened to one of these hi-res downloads from Reference Recordings: here
They are 176.4 kHz / 24-bit digital masters. I'm sure they sound great, but they are spendy at $45 each. I also wish they had a bigger selection. So far I'm thinking about trying "Britten's Orchestra".
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  • playback
    playback Posts: 101
    edited November 2012
    Ern Dog wrote: »
    Just wondering if anybody has listened to one of these hi-res downloads from Reference Recordings: here
    They are 176.4 kHz / 24-bit digital masters. I'm sure they sound great, but they are spendy at $45 each. I also wish they had a bigger selection. So far I'm thinking about trying "Britten's Orchestra".

    Iv'e downloaded a few from HDTracks and I would personally rate Eiji Oue Rachmaninoff "Symphonic Dances" an one of my top three all time greatest recordings! the dynamics are incredible and breath taking at times, another would be the Dallas Wind Symphony "Crown Imperial". I had planed on adding Britten sooner or later but got side tracked with the addition "Reveriers' which is also Eiji Oue with the Minnesota Orchestra. These are the highest available at hd tracks and all sound stellar. Some are 176/24 and some 96/24 the price was less than $20.

    Hope this helps:smile:
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited November 2012
    Lasareath- My PC rig played at the standard 16/44 sounds better than any of my SACD's played on my Modwright Oppo! How is this possible- installing the Empirical Audio Overdrive dac catapulted my PC to surpass my CDP.

    Playback- I have a couple Reference recording HDCD's already. Like you, my favorite is Rachmaninoff. Reveries is good too. I figured I'd get something I don't already have to test out their HRx. It doesn't sound like you've actually heard the HRx downloads, but you have heard the HDTracks Hi-Res versions. That's all great, but I still don't have any info about the HRx's. I'll have to post a review after I get one.
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited November 2012
    I found this review of some HRx files which was helpful: here.
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  • playback
    playback Posts: 101
    edited November 2012
    Good gravy Man! you mean the RR Rachmaninoff gets better:biggrin: I gotta have it, if i'm not mistaken I read some where Oppo owners save $10 on the downloads from RR's site, I guess I'll have to acquire the sacd and the Hrx files to compare!

    Thanks for the link!
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited November 2012
    Ern Dog- Have you tried J River software? I just downloaded it for my Wife's Pc to give it a try. I'm pleasantly Impressed. The ease of use , the layout , even the skins are way cool. I love how easy it is to rip a CD in or load from a USB stick. Very nice and very polished software.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited November 2012
    No J River here. I use a Macbook Pro laptop as my source (my bad- I called it a PC).

    For software, I started out with Bitperfect which was a great inexpensive entry level player. It did all the basics well. Then I tried Audirvana + and thought it sounded better and had better features. Now just recently, I began a free trial version Amarra which to me sounds the best out of all of the one's I've tried. The music just sounds so much more organic and realistic. It sounds warmer than the other two and seems to complement my rig well.
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  • newrival
    newrival Posts: 2,017
    edited November 2012
    Lasareath wrote: »
    For that price I'll by the SACD and rip it.
    what method do you use for ripping sacd?

    And sacd's can easily cost as much.
    design is where science and art break even.
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  • 98Badger
    98Badger Posts: 317
    edited November 2012
    ^ I'd like to know that myself, especially if it doesn't involve a Playststion. I have few SACDs I would love to play through the computer instead of using my Oppo.
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  • gce
    gce Posts: 2,158
    edited November 2012
    +3 on the answer to this! ^^^ Would be great if I could put my SACD's on my NAS.
    Anaheim Hills CA,
    HT 5.1: Anthem MRX 720 / BDP-Denon DBT1713UD / Polkaudio LSiM703 / W4S mAmp's / Polkaudio LSiM706c / Polkaudio LSiM702F/X's / SVS PC12-NSD / Panasonic TC P55VT30

    2 Channel: Rogue RP-5 / WireWorld Electra power cord / Marantz TT-15S1/ Ortofon - Quintet Black MC / Marantz NA8005 DAC / W4S mAmp's / Synology DS 216+ll-4TB / Polkaudio LSiM703
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,504
    edited November 2012
    SACD includes various copy protection measures. As far as I know only the first two generation of PS3 are capable of reading and bypassing that protection. You also need the right firmware version. Then using the 'software' you can save in DSDIFF. Depends on your DAC if you can playback in DSD or dither down to PCM with foobar or Jriver and send it on.

    Korg has a player that will play SACD and export/convert in multiple formats, but how will you send native DSD to it on your 'puite. With the Korg player, if you don't own an appropriate product to unlock it you have to give them access to your twitter account. I didn't have a twitter account so I had to create one. There the player posts on twitter your every move with it. I found that out when I had to convert some test files with it.

    http://www.korguser.net/audiogate/en/index.html

    Blue Coast Records is one of the fine labels offering exceptional quality hi-res and DSD downloads. (Eevn their standard 44.1 stuff sounds fantastic!) More are following, but all depends on if you like the artists and the music. A minority but a step in the right direction.

    http://audiogate.bluecoastrecords.com/

    http://bluecoastrecords.com/

    I am in a group buy of an Amanero USB to I2S module that will also do 'putie based DSD and will be adding that to my DAC. I already have my Denon 3910 modded to export I2S (PCM) and DSD (SACD) to my DIY DAC so I can handle any hard media in native format.

    sr_fixed.jpg
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • The Sandman
    The Sandman Posts: 15
    edited January 2013
    Ern Dog wrote: »
    Just wondering if anybody has listened to one of these hi-res downloads from Reference Recordings: here
    They are 176.4 kHz / 24-bit digital masters. I'm sure they sound great, but they are spendy at $45 each. I also wish they had a bigger selection. So far I'm thinking about trying "Britten's Orchestra".
    Downloads? You mean the data disks I think - I haven't seen them available for downoad. I purchased one of them (the catalogue is currently very limited - I have the Britten). It sounds amazing!
    Howard
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited February 2013
    Yep, that's what I meant.

    My biggest hesitation with these kinda things is that the music will sound amazing and great for demos, but I'll rarely listen to it because I don't like the music enough for enjoyable listening.
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