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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
dbtom2
382 posts
 
There is software you can download -Musicscope, for example - that will analyze the track and provide a visual summary of the ultrasonic - high-res - content of the file. There are others, I am sure.

I dont hesitate to purchase hires tracks from the growing number of reputable and visible sites who sell them. Whether I am able to actually tell the difference between a high-res file and a standard redbook version is another thing entirely. Recently produced music (last ten years or so) can sound very good in standard resolution. 

HDTracks has a free hires sampler that will help you decide if hires is for you. 

I am not associated with them. Just a customer sometimes.  



ahendler
416 posts
 
You can stream the new Norah Jones album on Tidal  16/44 and it sounds excellent. I have found Hirez to be very over rated
Alan
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
You have a right to be concerned.

The providence (original source of recording) is "hidden" in many cases from the buyer. It is a "shell" game IMO!

However, there are very good recordings in the plain CD format, and crappy high-rez recordings as well.

You have forums like these, to "call out" the fraud, if you can detect it.


milpai's avatar
milpai OP
2,321 posts
 
Thank You for the thoughts folks. I am not yet ready for Tidal. For now, it looks like the CD is the best option for me.
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