Hi Resolution download - question on authencity of the files


Hello all,
I have never downloaded a hi-rez album till date.
I recently heard samples of Norah Jones Day Breaks album and was thinking of purchasing the hi-rez album via acousticsounds.com or hdtracks.com or prostudiomasters.com. Question is - are these REAL hi-rez files or are these just up-sampled CD version? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I am currently listening to "Celtic Woman - A New Journey" and the recording on this CD is superb. I wondered how much the "quality" of such a nicely recorded album can be improved. Hence the question. I am not sure if the FLAC 96kHz/24bit version is a real one that I would be able to distinguish from a CD 16/44 version.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
128x128milpai

Showing 2 responses by skoczylas

I have purchased about 15 high res from hdtraks. I frankly do not like any of them and a few compare unfavorably to my ripped files from cd - for example, two rem albums. it could be me or my system but thats my experience. 
Correct - the downloaded high res files are very etched sounding and hard to listen to. also they seem to lack bass. i purchased them all from known online companies. 

I use macbook - audirvanna - a rega dac and also a halide hd dac, to hegel h200 to tannoy hpd speakers or tekton lore s speakers.

the files i compared to my ripped cds to are: u2 joshua tree, u2 october, rem automatic for the people, rem document, miles davis kind of blue and two van morrison albums.