Acoustic Sounds Launches DSD Download Site

[bmoura]

According to an article from USA Today, Acoustic Sounds is now selling Direct Stream Digital (DSD) music downloads.
A few quotes from the story:

"We sell more SACDs than anyone else in the world," says founder Chad Kassem. "It's closer to the sound of a vinyl analog (album). Our customers like the warm sound … (and) are begging for DSD (Direct Stream Digital) downloads."

The first DSD downloadable albums on SuperHiRez.com will include A Love Supreme by John Coltrane, August and Everything After by Counting Crows, Come Away with Me by Norah Jones, Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens and Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits. (Prices are about $25 per album.)

Acoustic Sounds, which is in talks with major labels to license mainstream music and has already closed a deal with Universal Music Group, expects to have between 30 and 40 titles in multiple formats at launch with more to come very soon.

"To date we've resisted downloads because there was too much quality sacrificed," says company COO Marc Sheforgen. "But now, finally, the technology is available where the customer can enjoy an alternative to iTunes and finally enjoy the convenience of downloads without sacrificing any of the quality. In fact, they can enjoy the highest quality."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...unds-high-resolution-music-downloads/2710783/
http://store.acousticsounds.com/superhirez

 

[ABMickey]

there is nothing written that these DSD Downloads are also available as multichannel (the first Nora Jones was in MCH)...and on the market only the Oppo Players 103/105 could play that files at the moment ...These are two reasons for me that this will be small portion of the market

 

[kap'n krunch]

Wow...what companies will do to keep from manufacturing the PHYSICAL disc....

As it is , a DSD download is basically IMPOSSIBLE to play in a huge percentage of households...

What a copout!
(shaking my head!)

Thanks for pointing this out bmoura!

 

[fredblue]

Acoustic Sounds, which is in talks with major labels to license mainstream music and has already closed a deal with Universal Music Group, expects to have between 30 and 40 titles in multiple formats at launch with more to come very soon.

intriguing...

 

[user 4725]

"It's closer to the sound of a vinyl analog (album). Our customers like the warm sound … (and) are begging for DSD (Direct Stream Digital) downloads."

Hmm.

"To date we've resisted downloads because there was too much quality sacrificed," says company COO Marc Sheforgen. "But now, finally, the technology is available where the customer can enjoy an alternative to iTunes and finally enjoy the convenience of downloads without sacrificing any of the quality. In fact, they can enjoy the highest quality."

Double hmm.

 

[cupboy]

$25? And worth $0 on the used market. I like buying 'em (SACDs) for around $25 and selling for around $50 or so.

 

[bmoura]

$25? And worth $0 on the used market. I like buying 'em for around $25 and selling for around $50 or so.

Used downloads from HD Tracks and others? Not sure how those get sold on eBay...

 

[bmoura]

there is nothing written that these DSD Downloads are also available as multichannel (the first Nora Jones was in MCH)...and on the market only the Oppo Players 103/105 could play that files at the moment ...These are two reasons for me that this will be small portion of the market

Actually Ted B from QQ is involved with some of the DSD File Downloads. And he says some of the Channel Classics releases are indeed Multichannel DSD Files!
Apparently the Nat King Cole albums are Stereo and Mono DSD Files at the moment. But 3 Channel versions of some of these may also be coming as downloads.
Very interesting.

See his review at http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/539-exasound-e28-multichannel-usb-dac-review/

 

[leevitalone1]

keep that phisical media-it's going to be valuable someday

 

[grill]

...and on the market only the Oppo Players 103/105 could play that files at the moment ...

FYI
A few modern receivers support DSD file playback. Not sure about multichannel though.

 

[bmoura]

FYI
A few modern receivers support DSD file playback. Not sure about multichannel though.

Ted's really one of the pioneers here. Great that he is available on QQ for advice.
The JRiver + ExaSound Model e20, 8 channel DSD DAC sounds like a very compelling choice for Surround Sound fans.

Now we just need more Multichannel DSD File releases. In the meantime, check:
Channel Classics - Multichannel DSD File Downloads at http://www.channelclassics.com/native-dsd-multichannel.html
High Resolution Audio - Multichannel DSD File Downloads at http://www.highresaudio.com/studio_master.php?fids=47%A248%A235%A236%A268&cr=Surround

 

[bmoura]

there is nothing written that these DSD Downloads are also available as multichannel (the first Nora Jones was in MCH)...and on the market only the Oppo Players 103/105 could play that files at the moment ...These are two reasons for me that this will be small portion of the market

So far, Channel Classics and High Resolution Audio are the pioneers with Multichannel DSD downloads. But more will be coming from additional sources - stay tuned.
We'll see what the Acoustic Sounds folks have to say on this soon. Ted's comments may be from some inside info.

 

[cupboy]

They'd love to go all vinyl and stick us with downloads for anything else. That's the plan. I'm pretty sure of it. No downloads for me. Ever.

 

[bmoura]

They'd love to go all vinyl and stick us with downloads for anything else. That's the plan. I'm pretty sure of it. No downloads for me. Ever.

I doubt that.

What I've heard from many in the audio industry for years is the desire to move towards selling the music direct - via downloads, memory cards, whatever so they can get past the
limits of optical drives, turntables, etc. Many headaches there.

So the move towards music servers - with no moving parts that can fail, break and generate service calls and complaints - is very understandable.
If anything, I'm surprised the move in this direction has taken this long to really get moving.

 

[wavelength]

If anything, I'm surprised the move in this direction has taken this long to really get moving.

Isn't bandwidth a major stumbling block? Downloads need to be very reliable and very fast (ideally instantaneous) for people to buy in.

 

[bmoura]

Isn't bandwidth a major stumbling block? Downloads need to be very reliable and very fast (ideally instantaneous) for people to buy in.

Bandwidth used to be a big worry. But with the Cable Operators providing ever faster download speeds each year, it seems to be fading as a concern.

 

[fredblue]

BT Dial Up just got switched off! GB is now a Broadband nation!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23877364

roll on the Hi-Rez Surround music downloads! :banana:

 

[bmoura]

BT Dial Up just got switched off! GB is now a Broadband nation!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23877364

roll on the Hi-Rez Surround music downloads! :banana:

Interesting. In the U.S., the phone companies have not only dumped dial-up but are looking to dump DSL as well so that they can focus on Wireless LTE and Smartphones - leaving Internet service to the cable operators.

 

[horndynamics]

As a music lover (not an Ebay flipper) I welcome hi-res downloads. My USB DAC will play DSD 2-channel and sounds fantastic doing so.

I know 2-channel DSD via computer playback has taken off with a lot of audiophiles that think it sounds superior to SACD disc. If this continues to get more popular maybe some of those expensive out of print surround SACDs will be available for download.

 

[bmoura]

As a music lover (not an Ebay flipper) I welcome hi-res downloads. My USB DAC will play DSD 2-channel and sounds fantastic doing so.

I know 2-channel DSD via computer playback has taken off with a lot of audiophiles that think it sounds superior to SACD disc. If this continues to get more popular maybe some of those expensive out of print surround SACDs will be available for download.

An eBay flipper? I like that!

I'm not sure that a DSD download would necessarily sound better than the SACD disc version. Unless a) the quality of the DSD DAC was better than the person's Oppo disc player or b) the music was available for download was at twice the SACD resolution (DSD128 vs. DSD64).

It reminds me of Vinyl fans touting Vinyl over SACD on an album where the record company folks smiled and told me that the Vinyl LP source was in fact the DSD master tape - not an Analog master tape! Hmm....

I agree that the new interest in 2 Channel DSD downloads is encouraging. And the early availability of Multichannel DSD downloads from Channel Classics shows the out of print Surround SACDs could indeed re-appear as Multichannel DSD downloads.

It's going to be interesting to watch!