Starting 2017, the Reference Recordings website will also offer 176.4 kHz/24 bit downloads of many titles. These files are the same as the files on our HRx Discs. You have a choice to buy discs or download files! Links showing available formats will be on the page describing each title.
Technical Overview
We supply files that have exact copies of digital data from our master recordings. These are loaded to a computer or server that has been set up with player software and a special sound card to provide precisely timed signals to operate an external high quality digital to analog converter (or DAC). Our releases are two channel, 24 bit high-resolution copies that are sampled at 176.4 kHz, the same PCM formats that have been used by the professional industry for many years.
Merits of the System
For the first time, listeners are at the top of the food chain. They will experience clarity, resolution, and a seductive ease of listening – the same presentation production people, like ourselves, hear at sessions and from masters. Older release formats had filters, tape recorders, record cutters, and coding devices further down the chain that obscured or veiled this experiential connection or collective consciousness.
Advances in the Art
High-speed data handling and powerful processing are fundamental to contemporary media. Technology is replacing old methods, which had to compromise sound in order to fit the recording to the early release formats. Consumer High Fidelity began in the 1950’s with professional equipment that was state of art for its time. High-resolution systems are emerging from a similar development path.
Typical Equipment
When we first made HRx discs available, we used a simple Dell computer with Microsoft XP operating system for playback. We downloaded and set up Media Monkey as its player. A Lynx AES 16 card was installed to provide a re-clocked ultra low jitter professional AES signal. A single cable routed this signal to an outboard digital to analog converter unit. We like the Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC, which can drive a power amplifier directly and eliminate preamplifiers and cables from the system. Programs are loaded from DVD recorded optical discs and the data becomes WAV files to the player. These are presented as a track list that can be played from mouse or remote control commands. This early computer music system still works fine, though there are many other high resolution playback options available now, including multi-format disc players such as the OPPO.
FAQ’s
What is HRx?
Why did Reference Recordings decide to make HRx?
Will Reference Recordings stop making CDs or SACDs?
Will Reference Recordings make all its titles on HRx?
Are there differences between HRx discs and 176.4 kHz/24 bit downloads available starting 2017on the RR website?
Will Reference Recordings make all its titles on HRx?
What does HRx cost?
What is the resolution of HRx discs?
What is the advantage of HRx and high resolution download files?
This is a substantial increase in the resolution and bandwidth of the recording. The situation is similar to a printed photo: the more dots per square inch, the better the clarity of the photo. With 176.4/24, the depth and texture of the music will be more apparent. The realism of the music will offer you a more relaxed, effortless listening experience. You will hear extreme high-frequency extension and purity, as well as exciting dynamic contrast. You can really hear the difference!
How do you use HRx discs?
Do you need an internet connection for HRx discs?
Can you play HRx on DVD, CD or SACD players?
You should check with the manufacturer for any special information about your player. In general, universal players will NOT play our HRx discs. HRx 176.4 kHz / 24 bit DVD-R Data Discs are burned on DVD-R media, but they contain computer data, not a specific format like Compact Disc, DVD-Audio or SACD. It would be like asking your CD player to play a computer CD-R disc that contains Word or Excel files. Some have asked if our discs are “Finalized.” That is the last process in making a CD, DVD, or SACD master which puts the track listing, timings, etc. into a header on the disc. Our HRx discs contain .WAV files, used in the music industry for master recordings, and do not have that kind of header. Track names and timings and cover images will not automatically be entered into your library, they must be manually copied.