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Positive Feedback ISSUE 71
Robinson's Updated DSD Download Site List: February, 2014 [Cartoon by Bruce Walker]
Chad Kassem's Super Hirez site has an excellent and growing collection of DSD downloads from major labels (Sony Music, Universal Music Group), as well as from smaller/indie labels (Analogue Productions, Reference Recordings, David Elias) at http://store.acousticsounds.com. Chad's helpful documentation about all aspects of DSD hardware and software is the best I've seen, and really helps the person who is new to DSD to make the transition to successful computer-based audio. This site is top o' the heap, amigos…you must be here if you're into DSD! Jared Sacks' Channel Classics remains a great and growing model for DSD. It features the superb Channel Classics recordings in DSD as the master format, with a graduated price structure based upon the resolution of the format selected… smart! See http://www.channelclassics.com for general access, and http://www.channelclassics.com/dsd.html for their stereo DSD catalog. Note that Channel Classics is breaking new ground, by also providing multichannel DSD recordings. Those of you equipped for multichannel will want to check out this section of Channel Classics at http://www.channelclassics.com If you don't have any of Jared's splendid DSD recordings…well, what are you waiting for?! Jared Sacks of Channel Classics has also launched a new portal and download site, currently in Beta, named Native DSD Music (https://www.nativedsd.com). Jared's new portal is a multi-label home for recordings from various companies that have been recorded in pure DSD format. Four companies are aboard already; Jared is working to add more DSD labels as time goes by. Jan-Eric Persson, well known to audiophiles around the world, is taking his very fine Opus3 Records catalog to Single and Double DSD. His site for DSD downloads is called DSDfile, and can be found at http://shop.dsdfile.com. It already has a very good initial offering of DSD downloads, painstakingly produced by Jan-Eric and his team. These are all sine qua non for DSD lovers, as far as I'm concerned. Bob Wittrak over at High Definition Tape Transfers (http://www.highdeftapetransfers.com) is producing a really extraordinary set of Single and Double DSD downloads from lesser-known recordings/companies. I have been extremely impressed by the quality of his transfers to DSD, and believe that you'll find true reference-grade DSD recordings here…ones that will educate your sensibilities, and bless your soul! Note that not every recording listed is in DSD, so you'll have to check to make sure that the title you're interested in has the DSD logo displayed, and states that it is in DSD. Morten Lindberg and company at 2L have a nice set of DSD downloads at http://www.2l.no. Check their "Hires download: test bench" section, and scroll down for their sample DSD files. I continue to strongly encourage Morten Lindberg at 2L to expand their DSD download sections to include entire titles from their great SACD titles. DSD lovers should note that 2L recordings are made in DXD PCM at 352.8kHz. It's certainly a better format for PCM, and Morten does exceptional work, but the DSD files (and his SACDs) have been transferred to DSD from DXD. Just so you know… Cookie Marenco and friends at Blue Coast have really been pressing ahead with their DSD downloads (and SACDs)! Check out http://bluecoastrecords.com to see what's available currently…sign up for her newsletter, too! Note that Cookie has some good sample DSD files at DSD-Guide…check out http://dsd-guide.com/free-downloads for some samples, especially if you're new to DSD. Cybele Records, a German site, does have both stereo and multichannel DSD downloads available. For stereo DSD, see http://www.cybele.de. The multichannel download catalog is at http://www.cybele.de/catalogsearch. Note that the default language of this site is German; you'll have to select English, or your preferred language, from the drop-down menu above. HDKlassik is another German site that has DSD downloads. Frankly, it looks like a superset/portal, using the same system that Cybele does. Once again, you'll have to select your language, if it isn't the default of German. The stereo DSD downloads are at http://www.hd-klassik.com, while the multichannel DSD recordings are at http://www.hd-klassik.com/catalogsearch. Check the PS3 SACD site for more interesting links for things DSD: http://www.ps3sacd.com/dsd for a collection of DSD downloads eOnkyo has been selling DSD online in Japan for a while. You can go to the raw Japanese page at http://music.e-onkyo.com/artist/m101210_R.asp, and then check the Google translation page to English at http://translate.google.com. I'd like to see much more of this… in English! Also in Japan is http://ototoy.jp/feature/index.php. Same comments as for eOnkyo… let's have some language choices! The group Wheatus is offering sales of their music in DSD direct to the public for a very reasonable donation of $5.00 (or more) for each of two EPs. Browse over to http://wheatus.com for the details. David Elias has done some wonderful stuff on DSD, and now has both stereo and multichannel DSD downloads of several albums available at his site, David Elias. David's music is really smashing, mellow acoustical folk; I love every one of his albums…and every one of his songs! Check out albums like The Window and Crossing, and Acoustic Trio DSD Sessions, at www.davidelias.com. David also has some videos, and some of the best blog files on DSD in existence. Those are "must-have"… highly recommended! (Some of them have been re-published here at PFO… that means they're great!) Downloads Now! is a general-purpose site where various artists and labels offer high resolution recordings for download, including DSD: http://downloadsnow.net. There's some interesting stuff here…check it out! But make sure that you select the tracks that have the "DSD" tag on them. Another German DSD download site that's new to me is High Res Audio. This site has music in various formats, but you can find their DSD selections at http://www.highresaudio.com. You will have to switch to English if you don't speak German, but the switchover is pretty clean. I'll update this list periodically, as necessary, to help you find the DSD download sites that you need. Enjoy!
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