Pink Floyd and David Gilmour New Hi Res Releases

**Soc Prof** · 10-19-2021

For any Pink Floyd fans into hi res, HDtracks just announced a huge number of releases. Other hi res download and streaming services like Qobuz will presumably follow. I was just hoping that Animals in hi res would see the light of day. I was never expecting this:

https://www.hdtracks.com/#/artist/Pink%20Floyd
https://www.hdtracks.com/#/artist/David%20Gilmour

**mozo-pg** · 10-19-2021

Thanks for posting.

**progmatist** · 10-19-2021

And they're priced similarly to the vinyl reissues. The difference being with the vinyl, one gets something to hold.

**Soc Prof** · 10-19-2021

Originally Posted by mozo-pg

Thanks for posting.

You're welcome. I sure wish Genesis would do this, but Tony Banks doesn't seem to be a hi res enthusiast. He did the SACDs earlier mainly for the surround sound.

**Soc Prof** · 10-19-2021

Originally Posted by progmatist

And they're priced similarly to the vinyl reissues. The difference being with the vinyl, one gets something to hold.

I certainly appreciate the appeal of physical media. The advantage of the download is that it will offer the very best sound quality. If you get the 192khz versions, you're essentially getting the digital master behind the vinyl.

**ca1ore** · 10-19-2021

Nice ….

**floyd umma gumma** · 10-19-2021

I will likely purchase a lot of these offerings from HD Tracks
I keep all of my HD tracks on a computer, and move selections of music on and then off of my phone. No phone has adequate memory to store my FLAC library. I need to look into a dedicated player such as a hifi man or similar. Any recommendations?

**stickman393** · 10-20-2021

We store flacs on a synology NAS (Diskstation) and access music via DLNA (UPnP) using FlacBox app.

**ca1ore** · 10-20-2021

I often used to joke that I’m descended from hunter-gatherers not hunter-downloaders …. that was before downloads became the primary source for hirez recordings.

**Soc Prof** · 10-21-2021

Downloading is declining and being replaced by streaming. But I still prefer the former because I like to have a music collection, even if some of it is in the form of files instead of discs.

**2 Sheds** · 10-21-2021

Originally Posted by stickman393

We store flacs on a synology NAS (Diskstation) and access music via DLNA (UPnP) using FlacBox app.

Only English spoken here

**progmatist** · 10-21-2021

Originally Posted by Soc Prof

I certainly appreciate the appeal of physical media. The advantage of the download is that it will offer the very best sound quality. If you get the 192khz versions, you're essentially getting the digital master behind the vinyl.

Without the expense of producing, distributing and storing physical media, there's no reason a download should cost as much as a vinyl record. Just one guy's lousy opinion.

**Nearfest2** · 10-21-2021

Originally Posted by progmatist

Without the expense of producing, distributing and storing physical media, there's no reason a download should cost as much as a vinyl record. Just one guy's lousy opinion.

Just because it's a download doesn't mean the band, manager, producer, record label, etc. shouldn't get paid.

**progmatist** · 10-22-2021

Originally Posted by Nearfest2

Just because it's a download doesn't mean the band, manager, producer, record label, etc. shouldn't get paid.

I doubt the band makes any more from saving the production cost of physical product. That's not the way the music industry works these days.

**stickman393** · 10-22-2021

Originally Posted by progmatist

I doubt the band makes any more from saving the production cost of physical product.

I make less negative money. Does that count?

**progmatist** · 10-22-2021

^^ You're signed to a major label are you? It's only the major labels doing this on HDTracks.

I've easily spent thousands on HDTracks alone over the past few years. But a digital photo of the Mona Lisa should not cost as much as the actual Mona Lisa. That's ridiculous. That's where I draw the line.

EDIT...
Consider this: pressing vinyl today is the most expensive way to produce music. Once upon a time, it was the least expensive. One couldn't swing a cat without hitting a vinyl press. When vinyl fell out of favor in the late 80s, most of those presses were scrapped. The ones remaining became a valuable and expensive commodity. A digital file today is by far the least expensive way to produce music. I would argue a Hi-Res file is less expensive to produce than a CD quality file. The latter requires the extra step of downsampling the original without making it sound like s***. When the major labels price the least expensive medium the same as the most expensive, I'm sorry, but I find that outrageous.

**progmatist** · 10-23-2021

Whether or not you elect to purchase these downloads, please complain to HDTracks about this entire practice. And urge your friends to do the same. I already have in no uncertain terms. The major labels are no doubt charging as much as they think they can get away with. If the smaller labels see them getting away with it, they're sure to follow suit.

**stickman393** · 10-23-2021

Originally Posted by progmatist

^^ You're signed to a major label are you? It's only the major labels doing this on HDTracks.

Well.. okay if by Music Industry you are not counting all the independents like myself. I'd like to think I was still in the business of selling my art. I spend exactly the same amount of money, time, and sweat creating music whether it is released as a CD or a download, and I'm not going to spend extra on producing physical media any more. Is my art less valuable? No, I don't think so. That said, I'm never going to make a living from it so why charge anything? Why not give it away? Because, dammit, it's worth something.

That said, I don't disagree with your main point.

Originally Posted by progmatist

Consider this: pressing vinyl today is the most expensive way to produce music.

To get off-topic even further, vinyl is also the most toxic of distribution methods.. It's tragic that it is seeing a resurgence.

**ca1ore** · 10-23-2021

I’ve actually spent next to nothing with HDTracks. In part because I think their asking prices are a rip and partly because most of my favorite bands have released their music in hirez/surround on physical discs. Just had my Meridian 800 rebuilt with a new drive and other misc. parts so I can play all those surround DVD-A/D discs for another couple of decades LOL. Oppo 203 handles all the SACD and Blu-ray. Having said that, I am tempted by the Wall in hirez. The version I bought many years ago turned out to be a well made fake. I’ll wait for the semi-confirmed Animals in surround.