Dave1210
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Vyokyong...I think you make an excellent point about the master file. With a lot of these Hi Rez tracks, it seems as if the better sounding tracks were remastered specifically for Hi Rez (e.g. Kind of Blue). They may or may not have applied the same mastering to the lower resolution files and it makes the comparison difficult (Hi Rez vs. Redbok). It really is buyer beware if you ask me (and I have bought my share of high rez).
LR...distributing non-compressed digital files for most artists these days (even indie artists, which I listen to a lot of as well) should be a non-issue. I think most artists are recording to digital (vs. analog tape because they can't afford it), so a high res master should exist (most are probably recording 24/96 or higher).
It should be easier than ever for artists to have digital downloads of their music in at least Redbook quality. That said, there are too many formats (MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, DSD) and I suspect it is confusing to most consumers (maybe even the artists) so they probably offer what most people are buying (on iTunes), and that is compressed. I don't think most people want to read a dissertation on what file (or bit depth or sampling rate) they need or that sounds best. They really just want to listen to music.
Also, my initial thought about Pono was that it would be a terrible idea if they held to the same pricing structure that High Rez music currently demands. High Rez files are expensive, period, and most probably don’t have a system resolving enough to tell the difference. That said, if Pono gets people to move away from MP3, then that is certainly a step in the right direction. In addition, who really wants to carry around multiple devices...that's why the iPhone (or equivalent) is so brilliant.
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