Topic: On-line Stores & Sellers

[DavidW]

Any tips on using jpc webshop from the experienced users? What's the best way to track their sales and marked down prices?

If you go directly here and scroll down you will see offers.
If you go to the charts commonly great bargains quickly end up on their charts.
Finally look for labels on sale, both their offers and charts will reveal good bargains.  For example CPO is currently having a great sale.

[Artem]

Thank you very much!

[Papy Oli]

Has anybody noticed a sort of warped sound on the samples on the Presto website in the last few days ? I had it on the Roussel edition and on the Holmboe Da Capo  string quartets for instance (actually that's most of them in my wishlist). Maybe something to do with their beta player ? I'll drop them a line in the morning.

[Gurn Blanston]

For the last year, I haven't bought any CD's unless backed into a corner. I buy only FLAC downloads, I'm happy with 16 bit, but really want the booklet (PDF) to go along with.

I have been buying mainly at Presto, but also at eClassical, and sometimes at Chandos.net. However, I am open to buy almost anywhere that offers a reasonable regular price and an occasional sale price. The average I have been paying has been $12-13 USD for a single disk.

Any thoughts on other suppliers? I think everyone here knows my taste, so if they aren't specialists in things that I don't care for, I would be happy to give them a try.

[DavidW]

For the last year, I haven't bought any CD's unless backed into a corner. I buy only FLAC downloads, I'm happy with 16 bit, but really want the booklet (PDF) to go along with.

I have been buying mainly at Presto, but also at eClassical, and sometimes at Chandos.net. However, I am open to buy almost anywhere that offers a reasonable regular price and an occasional sale price. The average I have been paying has been $12-13 USD for a single disk.

Any thoughts on other suppliers? I think everyone here knows my taste, so if they aren't specialists in things that I don't care for, I would be happy to give them a try.

Qobuz regularly has deep discounts.  Like $9 currently for Fischer's Haydn symphonies for example.  Currently Rene Jacobs is on sale for 30% off.  I've regularly bought from 7digital.

[OrchestralNut]

Qobuz regularly has deep discounts.  Like $9 currently for Fischer's Haydn symphonies for example.  Currently Rene Jacobs is on sale for 30% off.  I've regularly bought from 7digital.

I wish we had Qobuz in Canada. 

I think Australia does not have it as well, someone had posted.

[Gurn Blanston]

Qobuz regularly has deep discounts.  Like $9 currently for Fischer's Haydn symphonies for example.  Currently Rene Jacobs is on sale for 30% off.  I've regularly bought from 7digital.

I take it that they meet my admittedly slim criteria? I've never bought from them before so that should make shopping fun.

😎🤠

[DavidW]

I take it that they meet my admittedly slim criteria? I've never bought from them before so that should make shopping fun.

😎🤠

Flac and booklets-- yes (on Qobuz).  Tagging is garbage.  Get rid to roll up your sleeves.

[Gurn Blanston]

Flac and booklets-- yes (on Qobuz).  Tagging is garbage.  Get rid to roll up your sleeves.

No big deal, I have always re-tagged everything anyway, because I like it a certain way and that's that.

When they say "CD", I can take that to mean 16-bit 96 kHz FLAC? I don't bother with Hi Res, it's a waste of time for me. I have the 2nd Brüggen 9th in Hi Res: 3.53 gigs!  

I just did a quick scan, it looks promising. Thanks!

[Que]

For the last year, I haven't bought any CD's unless backed into a corner.

Whaaaat, no more CDs?   

[Daverz]

Qobuz regularly has deep discounts.  Like $9 currently for Fischer's Haydn symphonies for example.  Currently Rene Jacobs is on sale for 30% off.  I've regularly bought from 7digital.

Qobuz has some of the best prices on downloads, so if you download a lot it's probably worth subscribing.  And, of course, you can listen to whole albums before purchase.  They don't have Hyperion, though.  Hyperion's own download service is pretty good.

[Gurn Blanston]

Whaaaat, no more CDs?   

Dude, I'm out of space! Not only that, but I have found that it is so much easier to find an album on my hard drive than on one of my shelves, when I can't even remember what shelf it was on last time I had it!  🤯

As long as I get a pdf of liner notes I'm pretty happy. I still don't stream anything, so I haven't gone completely over to the Dark Side.    😳😃

😎🤠

[Gurn Blanston]

Qobuz has some of the best prices on downloads, so if you download a lot it's probably worth subscribing.  And, of course, you can listen to whole albums before purchase.  They don't have Hyperion, though.  Hyperion's own download service is pretty good.

I hadn't thought about going right to the labels, except that Chandos sells a bunch of them. I have gone to Hyperion to get pdf's of booklets for albums I ripped and didn't feel like scanning. Thanks for reminding me 🙂

😎

[DavidW]

When they say "CD", I can take that to mean 16-bit 96 kHz FLAC?

No CD quality is 16 bit 44.1 kHz, i.e. identical to redbook.  HiRes is usually 24 bit 96 kHz, and mp3 quality is usually 320k.

[Gurn Blanston]

No CD quality is 16 bit 44.1 kHz, i.e. identical to redbook.  HiRes is usually 24 bit 96 kHz, and mp3 quality is usually 320k.

That's all good then. I have neither the equipment nor the hearing to bother with esoteric quality humungo-files. So that will work.

[DavidW]

That's all good then. I have neither the equipment nor the hearing to bother with esoteric quality humungo-files. So that will work.

Since I don't like listening at loud levels I don't even use all 16 bits let alone 24!

[Gurn Blanston]

Since I don't like listening at loud levels I don't even use all 16 bits let alone 24!

Yeah, me too, I suspect. Although who knows?   

[Madiel]

Strange that you can download all kinds of things illegally, but can't buy them legally from Qobuz in Canada and Australia.

It's not strange once you understand that downloads and streaming are actually about giving the companies greater control of the market, not less (despite all the promises about the vast range of music at your fingertips).

I still buy CDs where possible. One reason is because of the number of times I've encountered something that a record company has decided an Australian couldn't possibly want to listen to.

[Gurn Blanston]

It's not strange once you understand that downloads and streaming are actually about giving the companies greater control of the market, not less (despite all the promises about the vast range of music at your fingertips).

I still buy CDs where possible. One reason is because of the number of times I've encountered something that a record company has decided an Australian couldn't possibly want to listen to.

You would be surprised to know how often I feel that way as an American. It's the reason I buy from England so often, CD's too, oftentimes. Many aren't released here, and if they are, it's 6 months after GB/EU have got them. Specifically, you know what my tastes are, mainly small ensemble, Classic Era, always period instrument/HIP (whatever). Apparently the labels don't feel that Americans should have a taste for such arcane esoterica...

[DavidW]

Yeah geo-blocking is stupidly restrictive.  I see it in streaming (video and audio), ebooks and all sorts. 

But that is not the case with Qobuz.  They're not that large of a company (as compared to Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music) and are not in every country.  You can still stream and purchase music from other companies just not Qobuz.  The geo-blocking being discussed here is more like you want to purchase or stream some recording and you can't find it from any distributor simply because of your country... which is not the same thing as not having a service like Qobuz available.  It is entirely different.