HiRes only on Pure Audio Blu-rays

Audio Gear Talk MQA
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Given the recent release of much of Sony’s catalogue in MQA, this may seem churlish, ungrateful, but not for the first time, today, have I seen a highly prized recording released in HiRes, but with no download or streaming equivalent. I refer to a new box set of the Decca and Philips Recordings of Karl Böhm which contains Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen also on Blu-ray Audio 24bit / 96kHz

Previously Pure Audio releases from Universal would also appear as downloads and on Tidal and Qobuz, and usually with an MQA version. However, this seemed to stop with the Paul McCreesh ‘Messiah’, and I have noticed others e.g ‘Olias of Sunhillow’ and possibly ‘Year of the Cat’.

I am loathe to start buying and ripping discs again, and questions of provenance/upsampling and possible future downloads don’t help. I also appreciate this is a familiar record company manoeuvre, of getting us to buy yet another version of a favourite album. But I would be keen to hear Böhm’s ‘Ring’ in HiRes.

Anyone else struggling with this dilemma?

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Quite honestly, no. But I get your point and we always need to be aware just how little streaming pays. It is that which forces people into ‘exclusive’ physical releases and at least the chance of decent profit if the product is desirable enough. I can’t say I blame them either.

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