What download have you bought?

[cloughie]

Unfortunately, in my experience, Amazon mp3s tend to be restricted to 256kbps VBR, considerably below the audio quality of Radio 3 via the iPlayer at 320kbps AAC-LC, which offers not only a higher data rate but also a superior data compression regime.

That may very well be the case Bryn, but I am happy to have these tracks available in this form at this price when the alternative is not to have them at all.

[Bryn]

Hmm. Strange. I've bought the 16 bit CD quality download, but I will try to see if there's a better quality download at the same price. If there is, I'll pick it up with Qobuz who are excellent at this sort of customer quibble.

Do you have a UK or a French subscription? I note the UK price is a couple of quid or so lower than the French.

[Bryn]

That may very well be the case Bryn, but I am happy to have these tracks available in this form at this price when the alternative is not to have them at all.

Sorry to come back so late on this but I note that QOBUZ have lossless downloads of that Big Beethoven Box for €9.99.

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/big-beethoven-box-various-artists/0099923033028

[Bryn]

Hmm. Strange. I've bought the 16 bit CD quality download, but I will try to see if there's a better quality download at the same price. If there is, I'll pick it up with Qobuz who are excellent at this sort of customer quibble.

Though I will not be downloading the recordings, as a subscriber I find I can download the booklet without further charge, and very comprehensive it is, too, with the first 49 of the 170+ pages being in English, though the first 13 basically comprise the track listing. Useful to have the text in a single document.

[Beef Oven!]

Though I will not be downloading the recordings, as a subscriber I find I can download the booklet without further charge, and very comprehensive it is, too, with the first 49 of the 170+ pages being in English, though the first 13 basically comprise the track listing. Useful to have the text in a single document.

The download comes with a digital booklet, which I suspect is the same one that you refer to. Nineteen CDs equivalent for £19.59 works out to a gnat's-cock over a quid per CD - excellent value!

[Dave2002]

The download comes with a digital booklet, which I suspect is the same one that you refer to. Nineteen CDs equivalent for £19.59 ... excellent value!

It's showing as 9.99 Euros for me - are we discussing the same set? That's for CD quality.

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/big-beethoven-box-various-artists/0099923033028

[Beef Oven!]

It's showing as 9.99 Euros for me - are we discussing the same set? That's for CD quality.

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/bi.../0099923033028

Good price at a gnat's-cock under ten Euros, but I don't think it has the quite the balance between Haydn string quartets and Beethoven compositions that the other one has.

[Dave2002]

Good price at a gnat's-cock under ten Euros, but I don't think it has the quite the balance between Haydn string quartets and Beethoven compositions that the other one has.

I believe I am now more confused. Which set are you discussing? Are there some sets which look similar, but aren't?

[Bryn]

I believe I am now more confused. Which set are you discussing? Are there some sets which look similar, but aren't?

The discussion follows on, replete with quotations, from #459. i.e. it is about the Festetics' Haydn Quartets.

[cloughie]

Sorry to come back so late on this but I note that QOBUZ have lossless downloads of that Big Beethoven Box for €9.99.

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/bi.../0099923033028

Right, I’ve not, to date, gone down the Qobus route, as I don’t do many downloads anyway, but thanks for the lead!

[Dave2002]

The discussion follows on, replete with quotations, from #459. i.e. it is about the Festetics' Haydn Quartets.

I think that explains it. Somewhere those BIG boxes from Bach Guild came into view. I have a few of those - such as the Haydn symphonies, which includes some of the performances which were on CBS (Sony) such as by David Blum - and I thought worth having for those. I'm guessing that the Festetics set would be good, but I have several sets of Haydn quartets already, and don't feel the need to have more immediately.

[Bryn]

OK, not 24 bit (but at least not mp3) but a bit of a bargain:

https://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/jo.../3760195733783

It is worth noting that this set does not include the string quartet version of "The Seven Last Words . . . ". The Festetics Quartet has recorded the work, for Harmonia Mundi, but that recording is not currently available, either on disc or as a download.

[Beef Oven!]

Claude Debussy - La Mer
Les Siecles, Francois Xavier Roth

16 bit CD quality from eClassical.

[mathias broucek]

Kancheli symphonies on Olympia from Qobuz - only £1.44 for 4/5 and 3/6

Can't link as on a US VPN!

[HighlandDougie]

Interesting rather than compulsory Stravinsky but worth an occasional listen, Perséphone in the recent Salonen recording (5 stars from Andrew Clements in the Grauniad - not that that means very much) is cheap(ish) at e.classical at the moment:

http://www.eclassical.com/labels/pentatone/stravinsky-persephone-live.html