What download have you bought?

[Beef Oven!]

Over the last couple of years or so, it feels like many forumistas have grasped the nettle and embraced downloads, I certainly have. But I wasn’t an early-adopter, like some.

Storage space is the main reason, speaking for myself. Amazing sound quality with Hi-Res downloads of course is a major bonus - I can hear the difference with at least 60% of them. One pays a premium, though.

Nowadays, my music buying position is that my first port of call is a download. The only reason why I may opt for a CD version is price - there are some ridiculous bargains on CDs these days, especially for second hand.

So what’s my latest download purchase?

Well, 2017 is the 250th anniversary of Georg Philipp Telemann’s passing, so I could not resist getting Giovanni Antonini/Il Giardino Armonnico’s latest release of this master’s music. It’s downloading as I type (Qobuz, 24 Bits Hi-Res £11.99). I may not be able to listen until tomorrow, it’s quite late and at the moment I have Barenboim’s Bruckner 5, BPO, Warner Classics on the headphones!

What is exciting is Dottore Antonini’s return to his first and foremost instrument as a soloist, the recorder. How many music directors' main instrument is the recorder!!?

Anyone else on here enjoying the benefits of downloading?

[jayne lee wilson]

I think I began in 2011, with 24/96 files from HDTT and TCS... soon gave up iTunes for XBMC.... ever since, I've swung wildly between all-downloads and all-CDs, then mixes of both... if hi-res is available it's usually that - unless I find myself thinking, oh but what would the Krell or Marantz sound like with the disc? Then it might be both or either.... but I keep a number of recordings in both media for various comparative reasons....

I still enjoy actually listening to well-reproduced rebook too much to give it up - the physicality is... enjoyable, but not essential. But I might buy a lossless download on impulse or as tryout for the unknown, if lossless streaming hasn't been good enough SQ-wise... seeking out rare 2ndhand CDs unavailable as files is always a huge pleasure. Nothing makes me happier than that - like finding that Konwitschny Bruckner 2 the other night... never knew it existed before.

So, no rules really. I've said too much before about sound quality optimisation - but briefly - get away from iTunes, get a better-looking, slicker-functioning, better-sounding dedicated player like JRiver or Audirvana for $60 or $70, you'll enjoy the experience more. Or even get the audiophile bug and buy a filter like an Audioquest Jitterbug to improve USB replay, or go even further and get a USB regenerator.... your ears, and your listener's heart, will be grateful to you... so much to say but there's more Bruckner to listen to... and Liverpool kick off early (well early for me) this afternoon...

[cloughie]

I only buy downloads if they are cheap. I very much prefer the CD and usually brun off any downloads to CD. Can't be bothered getting all this stuff to play computer through Hi-fi system. Backwoodsman moi?

[Old Grumpy]

NONE!

If it's not made of shellac, it's not worth listening to.

OG

[teamsaint]

I only buy downloads if they are cheap. I very much prefer the CD and usually brun off any downloads to CD. Can't be bothered getting all this stuff to play computer through Hi-fi system. Backwoodsman moi?

Not really.

Buy it, put it in the machine, listen. rip and load onto portable player if required. Easy. There is more than enough physical media that I would like at decent prices, to make downloads pretty much " bargains only" territory. Obviously if something you really want is download only, or much better value , then it makes sense.

I'm not buying into the Apple walled garden, and honestly, downloads do seem to require an inordinate amount of managing, that require more time than I am prepared to give, or have available. I guess the more you are download savvy, the easier the management is though.

[Bryn]

I only buy downloads if they are cheap. I very much prefer the CD and usually brun off any downloads to CD. Can't be bothered getting all this stuff to play computer through Hi-fi system. Backwoodsman moi?

I also have a penchant for optical disc media but rather than downgrading to CD quality I keep an old Widows XP laptop to run Audio DVD Creator on. With that I can burn up to 96/24 stereo the DVD recordable in DVD Video format playable on standard DVD players. Unfortunately, Audio DVD Creator fails to run properly under later versions of Windows than XP.

[Richard Barrett]

I still buy CDs (heck, I still make them!) and I still like the physical format with artwork and booklet etc. but my CD player doesn't get much use these days as I rip the discs immediately. These days I travel around with a 2TB hard drive that contains everything in the CD collection I think I'm likely to want to hear, plus my downloads. The contents get played back either through the computer (using an external audio interface of course), or through the iBasso DX50 which contains a rotating selection from the hard drive (also for travelling) through the Linn/NAD system in the living room, or the small powered monitors in the studio, or the bigger ones in the rehearsal room, or the portable system in the kitchen.

As of today I'm poised over the order button for the Sit Fast recording of Purcell's Fantasias as recommended by Silvestrione on the baroque music thread. I hadn't come across that Telemann though, that looks like a must also.

What I would be interested to know about is which retail outlets people like to use for downloads. I've been getting them from here and there fairly arbitrarily so far.

[rauschwerk]

What I would be interested to know about is which retail outlets people like to use for downloads. I've been getting them from here and there fairly arbitrarily so far.

Presto is my default option - they offer an extremely wide range of labels. After that it's Chandos's Classicalshop.

[Richard Barrett]

Presto is my default option

I think I've used them so far more often than others, to be sure.

Management of the material requires a bit of time and effort, but actually it's no different from managing any other kind of file. I stay clear of iTunes or any such nonsense and have on the hard drive a folder for each composer (plus chronological periods for compilations, regions of the world for world music, a "NEW" folder for stuff that hasn't been sorted yet, etc.) within which I dump everything to do with that composer, in many cases pdf scores as well as audio, with each album in a folder of its own. Playing back just requires a double click which (as a user preference) opens the Vox software; and when an album folder is transferred to the iBasso (which, along with its SD card, appears on the Mac desktop just like another hard drive) it appears there in more or less the same format.

[Nick Armstrong]

Presto is my default option - they offer an extremely wide range of labels. After that it's Chandos's Classicalshop.

Ditto

[gurnemanz]

I am still attached to the concept of an album. Epecially where careful attention has been given to design, graphics, sleeve notes, presentation of lyrics etc I will always prefer the physical CD. E.g. I've just bought Néere from Véronique Gens on Alpha. Where presentation is not a factor and price is lower I will happily download and will usually prefer to do so from the label's own site, as with Hyperion. Shelf space also comes into consideration.

My latest download has been the marvellous Maureen Forrester collection from Audite which I bought when it came out and mentioned on another thread. It has just won the ICMA Historical award.. Download price is 12.99 Euro from Audite site. Presto are charging £23.97 for download, more expensive than CDs.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

NONE!

If it's not made of shellac, it's not worth listening to.

OG

What's wrong with foil cylinders?

I only buy downloads when there's absolutely no choice, for a performance I really want, and even then, I make a CD from it.

[jayne lee wilson]

I still buy CDs (heck, I still make them!) and I still like the physical format with artwork and booklet etc. but my CD player doesn't get much use these days as I rip the discs immediately. These days I travel around with a 2TB hard drive that contains everything in the CD collection I think I'm likely to want to hear, plus my downloads. The contents get played back either through the computer (using an external audio interface of course), or through the iBasso DX50 which contains a rotating selection from the hard drive (also for travelling) through the Linn/NAD system in the living room, or the small powered monitors in the studio, or the bigger ones in the rehearsal room, or the portable system in the kitchen.

As of today I'm poised over the order button for the Sit Fast recording of Purcell's Fantasias as recommended by Silvestrione on the baroque music thread. I hadn't come across that Telemann though, that looks like a must also.

What I would be interested to know about is which retail outlets people like to use for downloads. I've been getting them from here and there fairly arbitrarily so far.

Qobuz is self-evidently the market leader, followed closely by eclassical (run by BIS - Von Bahr etc., so...) - both offer a wide choice of labels, slick and quick user interface/download managers, frequent discounts on new releases (sign up for their newsletters, it's worth it). Prices seem pretty fair all round.
Qobuz offers the full range of formats (ALAC, WAV etc.) if you don't want to convert them yourself, and their HiFi/Sublime streaming services interface beautifully with Audirvana+.
TCS (Chandos) have reduced their label list recently but finally improved their download manager, once so absurdly complicated...
DA Capo often worth a look, own-label only strong on Danish contemporary rep., (Gundmundsen-Holmgreen, Per Nørgård etc), but again works very well. (Customer services a bit slow if you need them...).

Those are the main ones I use, Qobuz by far the most often. Still a frustrating lack of booklets with some releases, better than it was, you can sometimes find them online at the record label websites....

[Richard Barrett]

interface beautifully with Audirvana+

I did check that out when you mentioned it a while ago but it doesn't run on the antiquated version of Mac OS I need to run Sibelius 5. However, next week I'm going to get myself a new laptop on account of apparently having paid too much tax last year (YES!!!!) so I'll be going back to check it out again.

[Beef Oven!]

Qobuz is my first port of call for the reasons that Jayne sets out in post #13. But I will also check Presto at the same time because sometimes they might have the same item a bit cheaper, but not often.

Hyperion is definitely worth a regular look-in, especially if you are a Bob Simpson fan. All his string quartets are available (while the CDs are not, anymore), for between £6.99-£7.99 a pop. I rang Hyperion and asked them if they have plans to issue a box set of Bob’s string quartets. They said they have no plans and advised me that this question is put to them often!

They have lots of Hi-Res titles and plenty of special offers (always changing). There is also a nice discount scheme based (obviously) on the more you spend, but it’s quite good.

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All my Venzago Bruckner Qobuz downloads came with a booklet, except #2 If anyone knows how I can access said booklet, it’d be appreciated.