Why are HD downloads so expensive?

Thanks Neal....I agree.
Levy03.....I don't quite agree with the analogy about the Porsche.
With one of those you can see there are many reasons it costs more than a Ford. If the Ford performed as well as the Porsche would you be happy paying Porsche price knowing the materials, build quality etc are not as good. Of course you wouldn't.
But in the case of HD downloads all you can do is hear a performance difference. That should not cost any more to store, sell and deliver than a track on iTunes. Hell, they don't give you liner notes or cover art on much of the HD downloads! (eg...the stuff you get with a Porsche)

Pricey is a fair way to put it. Worth is in the eye of the buyer.

In the end if people are happy spending the money far be it for my to pass judgement. I just think it's unnecessarily expensive and nothing you supporters say will change my opinion.

Oh and BTW...what about the HD releases that are nothing more than low res copies or worse still....up-samples? That's not a rip off?

Thanks but I'll spend my money on physical media until I see a better value in these HD (sic) downloads.

I'm happy with most of the downloads I've gotten from HD tracks, but I do have one suggestion. Please tell us what new releases are coming up, especially with new recordings. In most (but not all) cases I prefer HD downloads to CD versions. But I find it maddening to be notified that HD tracks is releasing an HD version of a CD I just purchases -- Paul Simon, Wilco, Ray Davies, are just a few examples of music I would have bought in HD download format instead of CD if only I had known they were going to be available the week after the CD release. Maybe I'm missing something and there is some way of finding out about this, but I think there really should be. This would probably ultimately work in HD tracks favor by leading many to to choose their version over the CD. If this happened it might even lead to more HD releases in SACD or other physical formats. I get it that the music industry has decided to try to resell music as many times as possible, but alot of us just don't want multiple copies of new music.

TPY, Are you getting their weekly emails?

Yes. But it usually turns out that the announcements about new releases material coming out in HD come a couple weeks after the CD release (which in the case of Paul Simon & Wilco) I'd already purchased. I'm just saying it would be good to know in advance of release what they're going to be having on offer.

Should it not be atleast somewhat cheaper simply because there is no printing, package or shipping involved? Thats gotta account for a sizeable portion of cost and seeing how not only has those costs been negated so has all cost associated with them. Even something considered "premium" should reflect that savings, now maybe its a few bucks but it shoukd be there.
They are selling less than ever but making more than ever on it.