Best Hi-Res Audiophile Downloads Top 3

Here is one more;
Bach On The Lute

The first in a series of four must-have recordings exploring the lute music of J.S. Bach.

The benchmark against which other Baroque lute recordings are measured, this Nigel North's Bach series remains popular. North applies his encyclopaedic knowledge and instinctive flair for the lute, to the transcriptions and arrangements of works for violin and cello by J.S. Bach, a practice started by the composer himself who frequently re-scored existing pieces if a work for lute was required. The Violin Sonatas and Partitas, renowned for their technical difficulties and requirement for depth of musical expression, are beautifully rediscovered. North sensitively presents a distinctive orchestration of these pieces which intriguingly emphasizes the subtle Italian influence of these works.

https://www.linnrecords.com/recording-bach-lute-volume-1

Superb review of "https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php/536-sound-liaison-dxd-music-sampler "'
by Gary Galo from AUDIO EXPRESS
https://audioxpress.com/article/recording-review-taking-a-listen-to-sound-liaison-s-dxd-music-sampler

The Verdict

There are some audio enthusiasts who claim that high-resolution digital recordings offer no audible improvement over conventional Red Book CDs. I could not disagree more, but what about 96 kHz vs. DXD at 352.8 kHz? I found the 96 kHz files to be excellent, but by comparison the 352.8 kHz originals have a bit more air and space in the sound, even with my OPPO player down-sampling them to 176.4 kHz. The DSD comparisons are interesting. I found the DSD files to be a bit “warmer” but I could not help wondering if there’s some sort of euphonic coloration going in the conversion process. At times, I felt that the DSD files had a slightly larger and more precise stereo image. That may seem strange, but I can only report what I heard. It’s possible that my reactions to the warmth and the imaging are due to the simpler analog filtering in DSD playback.

Sound Liason’s DXD sampler, The Visual Sound, offers some of the most realistic sounding recordings I’ve heard, in enjoyable selections performed by excellent musicians. Most of the music on this sampler is decidedly laid-back, and audiophiles looking for an in-your-face sonic spectacular will likely miss the point. For engineer Frans de Rond and the excellent musicians heard on these recordings, it’s all about subtlety and refinement. Musically perceptive listeners will appreciate the efforts of all involved in making these fine recordings. aX


This article was originally published in audioXpress, August 2020.

Talking about Sound Liaison getting good reviews. Check this one!
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/sound-liaison-one-mic-recording-r957/

This is some of the best sounding drum sound I have ever heard on a recording. Very dynamic and not reserved. The sound of the double bass is full, rich and powerful where needed but with no hint of bloat. And the guitar.....It is clear and reverberant. Naturally, not with added reverb. Of course, the vocals are captured beautifully. Carmen is right there in front of you. This recording doesn’t take you to the recording studio. Even better, it brings the recording studio to your listening room. Very few studio recordings do this. The drums to the left, Carmen in the middle in front of the instruments and the bass just to the right of her and the guitar to the right side of the soundstage. The sound is totally three dimensional. You almost feel like you can reach out and touch everyone. The sound is totally open with natural decay and depth. It is stunning. It really is. No hyperbole.

The album is on introduction sale for few days more;
https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php/677-up-jumped-the-devil-carmen-gomes-inc

Sound Liaison are having a stacking sale at the moment. Great chance to ad to the collection. Tip start with the ''One Mic" recordings. 

The new Carmen Gomes download Ray! is really very very good, music as well as sound.  Following the Arch Manifest, (wherever that came from, but nonetheless quite an interesting concept); 

Each recording starts and ends with the main artist alone in the hall the only interplay being the acoustics of the hall and his own mind. No audience is present except the ghosts from the past. When the band enters the music must create an Arch, going from the single instrument performance  to the more complex band performance and back to the last solo performance. The same principle goes for the engineering; each recording starts out with only one microphone (stereo). As the music gains in complexity more microphones may be deployed, the only limit being the imagination and technical skills of the recording engineer.

The new   Patricia Barber album; Clique, is really well recorded and played. Highly recommended.

I have heard that Eagles album on practical every audio show I have gone to. So there must be something there.