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Led Zeppelin in Hi-rez

I have just purchased the three first Led Zeppelin Deluxe Edition albums in Hi-rez (96 KHz/24 bit) from HDTracks and just love them all. I had purchased the 6 first Led Zep albums in the 1994 CD remastered format, which were much better than the first original CD versions. The hi-rez version are better than the 1994 versions.

These new Hi-rez versions have been remastered again to provide the latest technology advances in digital equipment. How do they sound? Just great. Lower background noise, increased low-level resolution and extended bass. There are a lot of additionnal material which varies in interest. The first LZ album has the most interesting additional material (Live recordings in Paris).

Are these versions on par with the latest recording quality? No, but we have to remember that they recorded the 3 first albums between 1968 and 1970. So these hi-rez version do not have the dynamics and transient response of today's recordings, but they are the best digital mastered version available today and worth all the money. I have a Whole Lotta Love for these :-)
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14 responses Add your response
tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
I think you can only squeeze so much good sound out of those recordings.  I don't thing it's about mastering or transferring or even mixing as much as it is the original tracks.
greatwhite11
26 posts
 
I do like them .. but was unimpressed with the quality of sound .. just thought it would have been better than this .. I guess its as good as we can get at this time ..
todd129's avatar
todd129
10 posts
 
I've got all the Zep HDTracks releases. Very happy with the quality of all. Too bad you don't like them. 
greatwhite11
26 posts
 

 I have just purchased Led Zeppelin in Hi-rez (96 KHz/24 bit) from HDTracks.

 I am a bit disappointed as I was hoping that the remastered flac version was going to sound better than what they do.

 Big Zeppelin fan and never miss Get The Led Out when they play here at the Calvin Theater in NoHo MA.  

They are a must see!

blackstonejd
153 posts
 
I agree the high rez files sound great.
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
PG was their pinnacle imho...however, the original was the best sounding Zep release so I'm not losing sleep over it.
berzin
28 posts
 
Anyone know when the release date for Physical Graffiti is?

Now that IV and Houses are out, PG is the one release I can't wait for. I'll purchase the subsequent albums only because I'm an unrepentant completist, but they don't excite me as much as PG does.
wildoats
339 posts
 
My point was that most of today's modern rock recordings are anything but dynamic.
dasign's avatar
dasign OP
201 posts
 
Wildoats,

Agreed that today's run of the mill rock recording quality are most of time very disappointing. However, there are some artists like Smashing Pumpkins (Melloncollie and Infinite Sadness), Dead can Dance (Spiritchaser) and Riverside (Rapid Eye Movement), that take good care of their recordig quality. My point was that the best disc mastering technology available in the 70's will in general not sound as good as the best mastering technology available today.
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
+1 to Wildoats' comments.
wildoats
339 posts
 
Sorry. I had to laugh at your post. "...Are these versions on par with the latest recording quality? No, but we have to remember that they recorded the 3 first albums between 1968 and 1970. So these hi-rez version do not have the dynamics and transient response of today's recordings..."----Today's rock recordings mostly suck big time. Dynamics? There aren't any in modern rock recordings. You do know what compression is right? In fact many of the older recordings from the late 60's, early 70"s have far better dynamics than today's recordings. That being said, technology has improved digitally so these may be better in other ways. So are they dynamically compressed due to being overly loud?
mgattmch
572 posts
 
I also purchased the 24/96 Hi-Rez versions of Led Zeppelin 1 and 2 from HD Tracks. I agree with Dasign, these versions are probably as good as they are ever going to get. Certainly better than anything else I have heard so far.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,488 posts
 
I also own many versions of the Led Zep catalog.
The best versions before the new HiRez download was the Japanese SHM's.
In comparison to the new HiRez downloads the SHM's still are very close.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
That's good news. Aren't HiRez tracks included in the deluxe vinyl set?
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