PentaTone Multichannel Downloads - Now Available !

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bmoura

2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Since 2002/2003
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The long-awaited downloads store from PentaTone Music is now available. It features downloadable versions of some of their top albums in 3 formats:
  • High Quality (WAV format)
  • Premium Quality (FLAC, Stereo or Surround)
  • Master Quality (DSD, Stereo and Surround)
PentaTone was formed at the start of the Super Audio CD launch by employees of Decca Classics when that label was sold by Philips. The PentaTone catalog is a mix of unreleased Decca Classics 4 Channel Recordings from the 1970s (created when Decca/London was exploring but then failed to enter the Quad disc market) and new Direct Stream Digital (DSD) recordings. They remain one of the biggest issuers of Super Audio CDs to this day.

To sweeten the launch announcement, PentaTone is offering a 5 Euro discount on all downloads from the site through the end of April. Use the offer code PENTAGIFT at checkout to get the discount.

On the Multichannel files, in the FLAC format you are asked to select either the Stereo or Surround edition. For the DSD format, you get both Stereo and Surround Sound in the same download in the form of an ISO image file. You can either play the ISO file directly (using a program like JRiver Media Center), or you can create individual DSF or DFF files for each track with an app like ISO2DSD - a popular donation-ware program for Windows and Mac from Sonore. (See http://www.sonore.us/apps2.html)

The downloads section is still being enhanced. So the initial downloads can take quite a long time. They also have yet to post a list of the downloadable titles. So you do have to search through the site to find them. But like their Hybrid Multichannel SACDs, the music and surround is excellent! Definitely worth the adventure.

PentaGift.png
http://www.pentatonemusic.com/pentagift
 
sacd,iso is quite a surprise. Btw, the latest standalone Pioneer BDP players with custom firmware support it.
 
sacd,iso is quite a surprise. Btw, the latest standalone Pioneer BDP players with custom firmware support it.

You're right. It's an interesting approach. I haven't seen this with any other download site so far.
It does let PentaTone speed the addition of new titles since they post the entire ISO vs. slicing up the album into multiple tracks for each song/selection.

Also, note that PentaTone makes you choose Stereo or Surround with the FLAC downloads. While you get both Stereo and Surround with the DSD ISO downloads.
Since you can play ISOs on JRiver and some players - not to mention slicing them up with ISO2DSD, I'm fine with more ISOs!
 
Oppo should re-instate their ISO playback on the 103/5 so they can support this format also! :eek:
 
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