Download Roundup (TAS 221)

U2: Achtung Baby. (44.1/24) HDtracks.com

This is an album that, with all the heavily processed vocals and guitars, makes it impossible to know how it is “supposed” to sound. Within that context, I can safely say that the download bests the CD in a few areas. Both versions, and the LP, have crushing, fuzz-drenched bass, but the download has better low-end pitch definition than the CD. In addition, the CD tends to congeal these incredibly dense mixes, whereas the download allows each layer to come through more clearly. Finally, when an acoustic instrument makes a rare appearance, its sound is more natural on the download. Overall, the HDtracks release very closely resembles the LP. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to sound. Alan Taffel

Fleetwood Mac: Rumours. (96/24) HDtracks.com

Like the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac was blessed with three strong songwriters who could also sing or harmonize with equal skill. Add in Lindsay Buckingham’s brilliant guitar work and the crack rhythm section and it’s no wonder Fleetwood Mac was the pop band of its era. Even now, Rumours flies high on the wings of its energizing material and passionate performances. The original CD is a pale reflection of the LP—dynamically squashed and tonally thin. The 2004 re-master is far more successful; its instruments and voices prove nearly the equal of the LP. The DVD-Audio offers punchier bass, but also edgy vocals that make the whole enterprise rather off-putting. Thankfully, the HDtracks release is not similarly marred. Still, my favorite digital version remains the remastered CD. Surprised? Then consider that despite their “hi-res” claims, neither the DVD-A nor the download contain any information above 22kHz. That means that all of these digital formats were derived from lowly 44.1kHz data. AT

Seal: Best 1991-2004. (48/24) HDtracks.com

There are three digital versions of this greatest hits collection, and the differences between them are mighty subtle. All three sound very good, with the main advantage offered by the high(er)-res DVD-A and download formats being cleaner bass. Seal was never one to skimp on the bottom end, but the vigorous thumping on the CD is slightly bloated and smeared. Other than that, though, you can take your pick. I have a slight preference for the DVD-A because it’s slightly smoother and airier, but that format isn’t readily available. You really can’t go wrong with this download. AT

Hanson: Symphony No. 1, “Nordic.” Symphony No. 2, “Romantic.” Song of Democracy. Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, Howard Hanson. (176/24) HDtracks. com

After a performance of Howard Hanson’s First Symphony in Rochester, Kodak multi-millionaire George Eastman hired the 28-year-old composer as director of his recently founded Conservatory. Hanson remained in charge for 40 years, becoming a powerful force in the American musical establishment. His Sibelius-influenced compositional style was out of vogue for much of his career but, in retrospect, he was a pioneer of the “Neo-Romantic” movement decades before musicians like David del Tredici, John Corigliano, and Christopher Rouse would make this approach “respectable.” Hanson’s gloriously melodic Symphony No. 2, written for the 50th anniversary season of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is his best-known piece, and the composer’s description is apt: “Young in spirit, Romantic in temperament, and direct in expression.” The ethos is very American in its freshness and optimism, which also holds for Hanson’s setting of Walt Whitman texts for Song of Democracy. These composer-led performances, dating from 1957 and 1958, are typical for Mercury—up-front, bright, detailed, and highly involving, but light in the bass. Sonically there’s little difference between the 176/24 download and the SACD iteration. (Though Hanson’s renderings of his own symphonies are authoritative, they are not necessarily the last word on them; check out Gerard Schwarz’s more luxuriant recordings on Delos if you like the music.) Andrew Quint

Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas. (96/24 and 192/24) HDtracks.com

Imagine my delight when HDtracks released not one but two hi-res versions of one of my all-time favorite albums. But before I tell you how they fare, let me put in a word for the CD. This format tends to work well for small jazz combos, and here the Vince Guaraldi Trio sounds natural and airy. The bare bones, unprocessed treatment afforded the children’s chorus is refreshing and charming. But as good as the CD is, the downloads are in a different league. Guaraldi’s piano is so much more dynamic, it’s as if someone raised the lid. The difference is audible within the first half dozen notes of “Linus and Lucy.” Moreover, the entire presentation is more spacious, and the chorus sounds even more natural, with individual singers easy to discern. The 192/24 version dispenses with the very subtle digital patina that coats the 96/24’s piano, and the chorus is clearer still. However, the less crisp 96/24 version is also mellower and more forgiving. The choice is a matter of preference, but I can’t imagine anyone being less than thrilled—musically and sonically—with either of these downloads. AT