Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions High Resolution Audio

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/blu-ray-p...ere-sacd-failed

Anyone heard of this and or bought music in High Resolution Audio?

I've got this one and it is EXCELLENT, IMO. admittedly I think this isn't quite what that article was referring to, as this is simply Blu Ray Audio(DTS-HD). I fail to see the reason behind this separate BR audio designation. All any of them need to do is produce it in any of the HD audio formats they choose and anyone with a Bluray player now has access, wait now I see what they are up to, Sony must be funding this, even more licensing rights.

I still say 99% of the time the problem is in the recording/mastering process, not the formats we currently have available to us.

In my short experience with capable equipment I'd say you're right.
I'm looking forward to the PS4 launch. I've got a feeling we'll all want 2 real soon.

Without a doubt, the single biggest issue is the actual recording/mastering process, there are good, even great recordings but sadly there seems to be more mediocre/bad recordings than of the good/great.

I have been re-ripping a number of my old CD's and then trying them out on the Axioms and I have sadly rediscovered why I don't listen to many of them anymore.

I think Ian needs to develop a device that diminishes the sound quality of our speakers. That way, when we want, we'd be able to listen to crappy recordings without our ears bleeding.
Sorry. I've had too much wine tonight and I apologize.

The opposite would be ideal.
I'd pay (alot) to be able to listen to any audio signal.
There has to be a way...

I have bought a lot of music from https://www.hdtracks.com. They offer high quality digital music in FLAC with high bit rates. More importantly, many of the recordings are remasters from originals which is the single most important factor.

To get the best playback you will need a digital interface from the PC to your amp (I use HDMI) and proper software. I use JRiver MC18 in "WASAPI Event Style" mode which completely bypasses the Windows mixer to deliver a clean digital stream to HMDI.

It all sounds pretty awesome with my Denon (pre-amp outs) to my ADA1000 and M80s.

I was poking around there, and I saw that Nevermind by Nirvana was in the top 25 albums. There's just something wrong about remastered grunge rock...

Then again, maybe not.


Ooh, I didn't realize they sold in formats other than FLAC, including ALAC. Cool. This could get expensive.

HDtracks is not cheap but they do have promotions quite often and it's common to save 15%. It's not much but it does add up. I am however very selective with what I get in order to keep costs down.

I don't much listen to music any more at home, my equipment is primarily for movie watching but I do have a nice small selection of mostly Jazz that I like to play from time to time and it is awesome to listen to.

Another great place for high quality digital recordings is http://www.chesky.com. I have picked up a few from there.

Can you reccomend some Jazz for listeners who don't?

Jazz is a huge genre with styles ranging from big band sounds of the 30's to contemporary stuff. I listen to contemporary stuff say 50's and later and more specifically I stick to the sound of smaller bands (trios, quartets) with bass, one maybe two horns, vocals and drums. I do not listen to big bands. I especially like women vocalists. This is my taste and along those lines here are some stuff to listen too.

- The Bill Evans Trio. The Waltz For Debby album on HDtracks is wonderful and sounds awesome.
- Miles Davis. Kind Of Blue and Milestones in particular. Many consider Kind Of Blue one of the best Jazz albums ever.
- Melody Gardot. I just discovered her and new The Absence album. Very distinctive vocals and sound.
- Diana Krall. Lots of stuff. Some of my favorite songs are Temptation, Cry Me A River, The Look Of Love, So Nice.
- Norah Jones. I have Come Away With Me and Little Broken Hearts albums.
- Branford Marsalis. He is just awesome. Eternal is one of my favorite albums.
- Madeleine Peyroux. Very distinctive vocals. I love her early stuff, albums Dreamland and Careless Love in particular. When I first discovered her I was totaly smitten.
- Holly Cole. She has a lot of good stuff, songs like Too Darn Hot and Hum Drum Blues.
- Stan Getz. Samba sounds of the 60s. Tenor Sax at its best. Albums Getz For Lovers, Getz/Gilberto, Jazz Samba are some examples.
- Finally not jazz but I'll just toss in Regina Spektor and her new What We Saw From The Cheap Seats album. Man this girl has talent. Again, a very distinctive sound.

Finally there is a local Jazz station here in Toronto that you can listen too online at jazz.fm. It's heavily donor supported and has minimal commercials. I have been listening to it for years and donate quite often. This is the station that turned me on to Jazz several years ago.

Definitely a fun album. While perhaps not strictly jazz, if you haven't heard it, you should check out her first album, 11:11, since it has a stronger jazz feel than anything since. While it's the one I listen to the least, it has some truly great moments, and it's nice to hear her when she was younger and less refined.

I haven't heard 11:11 but I do have Far. Her vocal style and the way she plays with words (for lack of a better description) is amazing. Of course her piano work is also top rate.

One of my favorite tracks on Cheap Seats is All the Rowboats. It took me a while to figure out what she was singing about.

Thanks.
Once my internet is back up (writing on my note) I will check out jazz.fm.
Everywhere I look I see people talking about Diana Krall. Think I'll give her a listen too.

I've been an electric blues guy for the longest time & still am; however, since I bought a SACD player last summer, I've branched out into jazz as it is so widely available on SACD. I really like fusion (modern?) such as Spyro Gyra whose SACDs are some of the finest, fullest sounding recordings that I've ever experienced.

Similarly, through my Shortwave listening - Cuba, Brazil, etc, - I've come to like latin jazz (samba, mambo, salsa) with their wonderful percussion sections. I have some big band stuff as well & it is quite impressive; however, I find that they tend to overdo the amount of vocal tunes as I prefer mostly instrumentals.

An interesting recent jazz release (DVD & CD combo) is Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton 'play the blues'. Wonderful live concert that demonstrates the prowess of both players plus Wynton's great band.

The only female singer that I follow is 'Sade' - I never tire of her first 3 albums of 20 years ago - but her newer stuff not as much. I don't know if her music can be classified as jazz, but it sure is a unique & wonderful sound that has been superbly recorded. Unfortunately, I find Krall & Jones to be rather boring - just not my taste I guess...

TAM

I quite enjoy most of Sade's Soldier of Love. Great voice.

I've only ever bought SACDs with multi-channel content, so that limited the purchases somewhat.

Sade is totally awesome, I have always loved her myself and I do have several of her songs in my Jazz collection. On a KLM flight to Amsterdam a couple of years ago there was a documentary of Sade doing many of her famous songs. I watched it twice. She is beautiful and has a voice to die for. I hardly ever come across anyone who knows her music though. I didn't even know she has more recent stuff.

SADE (ADU) was a huge name in the mid 1980s; however, she then took 10 years off & faded from the scene. For me, her first 3 albums - 'Diamond Life' (1985), 'Promise' (1985) & 'Stronger than Pride' (1988) - really are her best works that easily stand the test of time.

'Lover's Rock' in 2000 (then another LOA) & 'Soldier of Love' in 2010 both have some good moments, but not to the extent of the original 3 where every track was good. Her backup band is absolutely tight & top notch & are a big part of her unique sound. Their skillful infusion of African rhythms in the first albums set her music apart from the general mediocrity of the normal fare at that time

There are 2 live concert DVDs & 1 BD available - 'Sade Live' (DVD - SD) in 1994, 'Lovers Live' (DVD - SD) in 2002 & finally her latest world tour 'Bring Me Home Live 2011 (BD - HD) in 2012. All are well worth owning as a lot of her original works are included in all three videos. The overall sound quality is good to excellent. The genuine appreciation that the audiences have for her is amply evident throughout.

And yes, she still goes barefoot on stage that was her trademark way back when. She still looks as good as she did almost 30 years ago & continues to be just a wonderful, humble & classy lady who remains a cut above the latest crop of female entertainers IMHO.

I've now seen Clapton & Santana live - SADE is the last one on my bucket list but it is doubtful that it will ever happen, sniff...

TAM

Tam, I also share your appreciation for Sade. Lovely voice, and for me she was, when I first heard her, just a unique talent. I still listen to her early albums, and have the concert "Lovers Live" DVD. She really does connect with her audiences. Jeff

She played Rogers Arena in here in Vancouver back in August 2011. Wish that I could have been there for it, but it just wasn't in the cards at the time.

Ha ha, yeah, I love the lyrics on that one. That's one of her older songs that finally made it onto an album. I fell in love with the live version I had. Not the best sound quality, and of course the studio version is a lot more polished, but you can tell how much fun she has with the audience when she's singing it.

Kruncher:

Most SACDs are hybrids now & have CD Layer, 2CH layer & Multi Channel Layer.

I play mine in only 2 CH mode through my tube amp to my M2s & EP-400 using the Speaker (high Level) Inputs on the sub.

The quality varies depending on the mix & original recording medium, but overall SACDs are generally very good to stunning...

TAM

TAM, since you like Blues try and catch the jazz.fm Blues show with Danny Marks on Saturdays at 2000 EST. He is a great host and knows, plays and loves the stuff.

If you love the blues,ya gotta listen to Saturday Night Blues with Holgar Peterson. Holgar runs an Indie blues label, Stony Plain Records and does this Saturday night program. He has interviewed all the greats and you just don't know what you are going to get from one show to the next.

I usually end up tuning into that by chance if I'm driving somewhere on a Saturday. You're right though, it's very good.

That's how I started out Murph. I love that he covers such a range of artists from the up and coming to the classics. The guy seems to have access to anybody he cares to interview and those are as enjoyable as the music he covers.

We went to a concert featuring all three of these ladies on the same bill and it was terrific. It was in a park with a small pond in front of the stage. A couple a ducks landed and started quacking in the middle of one of Dianna Kraal's songs. She stopped playing and said "Do you mind I'm trying to work here".

Jack's heart rate just increased a little!

A concert with Melody, Diana and Madeleine!? WOW!

I especially love Madeleine songs Dance Me To The End Of Love, You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, Dreamland, I´m gonna sit right down... to name a few

I wish I could have been there.

We went especially to see Melody Gardot, but she was only on for about 20 minutes Diana Kraal was the main act. We enjoyed all of them.