DT12 available on HD Tracks!

[Dark Castle]

Why can't they just sell the CD with this quality then?

I'm not really an audiophile or anything, but my guess is that this version is primarily mastered for high-end audio systems, whereas the retail version has to sound reasonably good on everything from cheap laptop speakers and stereos etc., and therefore is mastered in a different way?

But I might be totally wrong here 

No, you're right.

[convrge]

Why can't they just sell the CD with this quality then?

I'm not really an audiophile or anything, but my guess is that this version is primarily mastered for high-end audio systems, whereas the retail version has to sound reasonably good on everything from cheap laptop speakers and stereos etc., and therefore is mastered in a different way?

But I might be totally wrong here 

You're basically right. However, the HD Tracks version will still sound good on low-end equipment. You just need to turn up the volume!

[theseoafs]

Ya know, there's something genuinely annoying about being asked to preorder a version of an album on a daily basis, and then going ahead and spending money on it, only to have the superior project flung on everyone for an additional $20 on release day. Just sayin'.

That is the version of the album that I would have bought, if, y'know, I didn't already buy it.

Agreed, this is really annoying.  I would have shelled out a few bucks for an album that isn't extremely loud.

[convrge]

The HD Tracks version is a very respectable DR12.

https://dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=46804

[soulburner]

As much as these numbers cannot be the sole factor describing how an album sounds... it does look beautiful:
https://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=46804
The world is saved, gonna buy this tomorrow

Awaiting opinions from fans who bought it and heard it already. Is posting a longer sample than the ones on HDTracks permitted here?

[chwik]

When reading this have in mind that I am not an audiophile. Just wanted to say that the HD tracks sound great! Mangini sounds much much better and all the neuances in his playing is audible.

[Zydar]

When reading this have in mind that I am not an audiophile. Just wanted to say that the HD tracks sound great! Mangini sounds much much better and all the neuances in his playing is audible.

Yeah it sounds great to my ears. Can't hear any clipping or distortions. There is more punch in the bass and drums. It was most noticeable in The Enemy Inside.

[Thoughtspart3]

Here is the whole DT catalog so you can compare versions.  https://www.dr.loudness-war.info/index.php?search_artist=dream+theater&search_album=   

Yes. You still notice the improvements when you burn it to a CD.  I did it with ADTOE and it sounds much better.   

[chudm]

i burned my hd tracks to cd, and still sounds much better than the reail cd 

[chudm]

btw im outside us, and i paid for the tracks with paypal without problems 

[ariich]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

[chudm]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

thats weird, i added the album to my cart, then i used the paypal option..

BTW i didnt filled any shipping/billing address before on my profile.. maybe thats the problem?

[chwik]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

Hmm, that is weird...I was pretty easy and straightforward.

I just click the red button, then I click the checkout button and choose pay-pal as payment option.

[Flacracker]

So the HD tracks really sounds much better? Very noticeable? What is the best audio format to get?

[Thoughtspart3]

Also, it is not true that the high resolution doesn't make a difference.  CD quality is actually great, but the high resolution files do sound even better.  I can notice it at least.  It is not like going from tape to CD but it does give a more life like feel.

[ethebubbeth]

For stereo, the HDTracks version is the best overall.  I still need to compare to the 5.1 mix downmixed to stereo, however both of those have the same dynamic range.  The only difference would be due to variance in the mix.

If you have a 5.1 system, definitely playback the 5.1 MLP DVD-A.  It doesn't use the rear channels a whole lot but certainly lets you pick out more details give the additional channel width.

[ariich]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

Hmm, that is weird...I was pretty easy and straightforward.

I just click the red button, then I click the checkout button and choose pay-pal as payment option.

Yeah when I click the red button it just tells me that it can't add it as it doesn't sell outside the US.

Which is extremely stupid and unfair, in my opinion.

[IslandInTheMaking]

Also, it is not true that the high resolution doesn't make a difference.  CD quality is actually great, but the high resolution files do sound even better.  I can notice it at least.  It is not like going from tape to CD but it does give a more life like feel.

+1  But count me in on the group that's disappointed that this didn't come with any of the "official" release formats... Still waiting for my boxset to arrive and I'm already buying it for the second time.

[Flacracker]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

Hmm, that is weird...I was pretty easy and straightforward.

I just click the red button, then I click the checkout button and choose pay-pal as payment option.

Yeah when I click the red button it just tells me that it can't add it as it doesn't sell outside the US.

Which is extremely stupid and unfair, in my opinion.

Best country is 'Murica country.

[seasonsinthesky]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

Hmm, that is weird...I was pretty easy and straightforward.

I just click the red button, then I click the checkout button and choose pay-pal as payment option.

Yeah when I click the red button it just tells me that it can't add it as it doesn't sell outside the US.

Which is extremely stupid and unfair, in my opinion.

i got around it by changing my address in my HDtracks profile (not PayPal's) to the US and picking a random state/zipcode.

[Zydar]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

Hmm, that is weird...I was pretty easy and straightforward.

I just click the red button, then I click the checkout button and choose pay-pal as payment option.

Yeah when I click the red button it just tells me that it can't add it as it doesn't sell outside the US.

Which is extremely stupid and unfair, in my opinion.

That's weird. Try some proxy-tricking-stuff like Hola Unblocker for Chrome. It works for that regional content crap that Youtube has anyway.

[ethebubbeth]

I picked up the HDTracks and it sounds worlds better than the CD.  Unfortunately I'm at work so I'll have to wait until I'm home to blast it on a real system.

What pisses me off is that this SHOULD have been the 2.0 Stereo MLP on the DVD-A.  It blows my mind that the 2.0 stereo DVD-A is LOUDER than the CD.

[Prog Snob]

Also, it is not true that the high resolution doesn't make a difference.  CD quality is actually great, but the high resolution files do sound even better.  I can notice it at least.  It is not like going from tape to CD but it does give a more life like feel.

Agreed.  There is definitely a more lifelike sound with HD Audio. I was always skeptical at first because of some negative reviews regarding HD Audio but I suppose like everything else, it is relative.  Maybe some people don't have the ear to notice any kind of real difference.

[MetalJens]

I just had to get these HD tracks to see what it's all about, and I can say right away this sounds a lot better than the retail version to my ears (Grado headset) 

Somehow it all just sounds a lot clearer, less sharp and muddy in a way. Also it's not so "exhausting" to listen to at high volumes. Wont go back to listening to the retail version for sure

[krands85]

Why can't they just sell the CD with this quality then?

I'm not really an audiophile or anything, but my guess is that this version is primarily mastered for high-end audio systems, whereas the retail version has to sound reasonably good on everything from cheap laptop speakers and stereos etc., and therefore is mastered in a different way?

But I might be totally wrong here 

You're basically right. However, the HD Tracks version will still sound good on low-end equipment. You just need to turn up the volume!

So will listening to these through my PC (with 2.1 Logitech speakers or my Sennheiser headphones) or through my phone with an average pair of Panasonic earphones show a noticeable difference? Obviously nobody can tell how good my ear is  But there's little point in me buying this if it's only noticeable to most people on high end systems.

[Lowdz]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

Yeah, that's how I managed to get it.

How do you manage to pay with paypal? The red button doesn't let me 

Yeah me too.

[7StringedBeast]

So just listening to their samples of the songs compared to the album on spotify there is a HUGE difference in the dynamic range.  It's not brickwalled!!  I'm buying the album through HD and I won't be buying the retail version now unfortunately.  I do want the disc to have, but it's not worth it because it is an inferior product. 

I can't even believe they would sell the crap brickwalled version.  And I only say crap because in comparison to the non crushed dynamics of the HD tracks, the retail master is crap.

[soulburner]

The fact that HDTracks releases of Dream Theater sound noticeably better than CD-Audio is thanks to being mastered differently. Being 24 bit and 96kHz or more doesn't really help - sure, I believe there are people who can hear a difference between that and 44.1kHz/16-bit, but there is *no* technical reason why the HDTracks master was not put on the CD (downsampled with noise shaping and stuff like that - the current CD version also existed with a high bit and sample rate at some point). It would sound pretty much the same as the HDTracks version and everybody would be happy. People who can't tell the difference between dynamic and overcompressed... well, wouldn't notice and wouldn't care. People who do - would be overjoyed.

So will listening to these through my PC (with 2.1 Logitech speakers or my Sennheiser headphones) or through my phone with an average pair of Panasonic earphones show a noticeable difference? Obviously nobody can tell how good my ear is  But there's little point in me buying this if it's only noticeable to most people on high end systems.

Yes, even on cheap stereo system you should be able to hear the difference. I can hear it on my current Logitech X-530 setup and Koss Porta Pro headphones

[Implode]

HDTracks just released a 10% off code: SEPTSALE

[ariich]

Seems like you can get it outside US by paying with paypal 

How? I'd happily do that but when I click add it won't even let me add it to my basket.

Hmm, that is weird...I was pretty easy and straightforward.

I just click the red button, then I click the checkout button and choose pay-pal as payment option.

Yeah when I click the red button it just tells me that it can't add it as it doesn't sell outside the US.

Which is extremely stupid and unfair, in my opinion.

That's weird. Try some proxy-tricking-stuff like Hola Unblocker for Chrome. It works for that regional content crap that Youtube has anyway.

I've tried using Hola and the site won't load properly, and I've tried a couple of other things that refuse to work as well.

I AM ANGER

[goo-goo]

@arrich

first log off the hd tracks website. then delete all the cookies you have in your browser. then pay with paypal after doing this. see if this works

[Zydar]

HDTracks just released a 10% off code: SEPTSALE

Yeah I didn't see that until after I had paid and started downloading. Oh well.

[Nihil-Morari]

This should've been a part of the deal if you bought the boxset. I party bought the boxset because of getting the best audio quality possible (vinyl, cd, FLAC, 5.1), but now there's something else.

[wasteland]

Downloading now. I didn't have any problem, but maybe that's because I was using the account I created when I purchased ADTOE two years ago. Maybe default settings or policies have changed with new accounts?

[krands85]

So will listening to these through my PC (with 2.1 Logitech speakers or my Sennheiser headphones) or through my phone with an average pair of Panasonic earphones show a noticeable difference? Obviously nobody can tell how good my ear is  But there's little point in me buying this if it's only noticeable to most people on high end systems.

Yes, even on cheap stereo system you should be able to hear the difference. I can hear it on my current Logitech X-530 setup and Koss Porta Pro headphones

Thanks. Unfortunately I'm in the UK and I can't get it to work either