Is DSD download already an extinct format?

Dasign, I don't know what Sony is thinking either. We've been promised high-res downloads for many years now and finally about a year ago Sony tells us, "Here comes the big push! We're going to have servers and tons of downloads everywhere!" And then...nothing!

As you said, same old albums but priced even higher, when all they have to do is electronically send files to the resellers. They won't even tell us what the source for the file is.

What are they thinking? That they're going to get the free Mp3 crowd to buy into high-res downloads, not even a physical product, at $25 an album?

I haven't given up all hope yet, but I'm not buying in until the server and download situation improves significantly. I have enough music so that I can listen to a variety of great music if I never buy another Lp, Cd, Sacd or download again and I'm sure that there are a lot of other people in the same position.

I think that this is their last chance to get it right or the major music groups are going to be sitting on huge worthless catalogs of music for a long time.

Tape isn't hi Rez

Stuck with vinyl, for the most part skipped CDs. But what I had bought, I ripped to a music server and sold back to a used cd store. Down load now. Wait for sales, 10, 15 sometimes 20% off. Mostly HD tracks. Tried DSD heard no real advantage. Don't be mad at the music industry. Nobody held a gun to your head. Just think before you buy. Buy a used tt set up or just stick to on sale downloads. Music soothes the soul. So listen, enjoy, be happy.

You might want to drop by NativeDSD and PentaTone. Between them they have over 500 Multichannel & Stereo DSD Downloads, all natively recorded in DSD.

Bmoura, thanks for the tip. I was not aware of the Pentatone DSD offerings. I will monitor this site in the future. I do like much of the Pentatone catalogue. As it turns out, have already purchased SACD versions of almost everything they had to offer that interests me. Titles that I have not yet purchased were for the most part not available as DSD files. A couple that perked my interest were available for 26.5 Euro. Ouch!

The labels have to understand they are competing against themselves. Because of access to their titles at a deep discount, I suspect the DSD download initiative is going to fail. I will certainly pay a premium for DSD over physical media, but I will not pay 3,4, or 5x the cost of a CD except under very rare circumstances.

I guess we have to hope that the music industry executives aren't all a bunch of dolts, and that ultimately they will price their offerings at what the market will bear. This buyer won't pay 26.5 e or even 25 USD.