This title is the first of possibly many highlighting high resolution recordings not otherwise available on disc (other than CD), available instead for streaming and/or download. No attempt will be made to cover all such digital content as this is well beyond the scope of the site. Rather the aim is to showcase significant recordings, those which the site's reviewers propose for review etc. The level of implementation will depend on interest in having this content available. Any feedback is welcome.

Stephen, thank you for listing a selection of hi-res classical music albums not available on SACD or Blu-Ray audio. I believe that site users will benefit from links, reviews and comments about non-SACD high resolution recordings.

The downward trend of SACD production may be viewed by some audiophiles as a loss, but in a time when economic and logistical challenges to independent classical record labels have driven many to discontinue SACD releases, the turn to downloads and vendor-based streaming services offers viable channels for distributing new recordings and providing exposure to younger artists.

It does not require advanced computer skills to listen to hi-res recordings through dedicated audio systems. SACD collectors who own Marantz, Oppo, and Esoteric disc players that have USB access to the unit’s internal DAC can stream in high resolution by simply connecting a cable from a laptop computer to the back of the SACD player and launching Presto Classical or other streaming services.

Audirvāna Studio 3.0 just released. This is what I use. Here's a free extra month (beyond the trial) for 3 new subscribers only. (I also get a free month for each taker, but given what I've paid out to Audirvāna since 2012 it's only fair I feel!)

Use the code:

PS2ER-9R3QB-YV0J9-QW1L1-BT3WG

https://audirvana.com/try/

I wish to record my objection to this unilateral action by the site owners and its implications for the future of SACD especially as there has been no consulation or discussion with colleagues.

This site should be reseved for physical (SACD & Blu-ray) discs only. FULL STOP

Hi John, I understand your frustration. At the same time, though, we must recognise that times have changed and that whoever wants to stay in business must change with it. NativeDSD takes in almost anything now. Indeed, gone -or nearly gone- are the days of the superior SACD recordings from Pentatone, Challenge Classics (especially those done by Bert van der Wolf), Channel Records, and other prime sources. SACD manufacturing plants have followed suit. ‘Surround’ is on the way out as well. Not your concern, but mine.

Hi Adrian
On what evidence do you base your statement that "surround is on the way out" when labels such as BIS, Eudora, Chandos , Ars, LSO Live and even (occasionally) Pentatone etc. continue to offer surround? I don't think classical surround sound recordings are disappearing, they are just metamorphosing into a dedicated, audiophile ecosystem that’s slowly evolving toward immersive formats. What do you think?

Graham, we must indeed be glad that some labels continue to do ‘surround’. Especially the smaller, new labels like Eudora, Base2Music, and Prelude Classics, all managed by passionate music and surround lovers like you and me. However, saying that “even (some) Pentatone”, once one of the flagships of Super Audio in Surround, are still produced in surround, sounds ominous.

Take Channel Classics. Another flagship. No more physical multi-channel SACDs since April 2024, although more recent recordings (some, but not all) are available in surround as downloads from Native DSD.

Many other labels have turned their backs on SACD altogether, like Challenge Classics (their last ‘multi’ SACD dates from November 2024), Myrios (superior quality but forced out by the market), and a dozen or so more. Some that are still listed, like Exton, Universal and Warner (both Japan), are stereo-only. There are even (and possibly for a good reason) mono hi-res (?) recordings listed on HRAudio. With the decline of Super Audio in its physical format, in favour of downloads & streaming, with its limited resolution, the surround, as we have come to appreciate, disappears as well.

The view that ‘surround’ is slowly evolving into immersive formats may be true, but I wouldn’t call it “metamorphosing into a dedicated, audiophile ecosystem”. I do not see it as an improvement. Perhaps great for a life-like cinema experience, but it would not enhance my listening to a String Quartet, and being in the middle of an orchestral bubble is not my thing either. Let alone having a ceiling with multiple speakers. But that is, of course, a very personal observation. Moreover, Dolby Atmos is (often) produced at the lowest Hi-Res (24/48) level and can, therefore, not compete with the top-of-the-shop SoundMirror’s well-balanced multi-channel recordings.

We cannot stop the wind of change, but more artificial equals less real.