# Websites to buy/download lossless classical music



## Ken Cohen (Apr 10, 2015)

I'd appreciate recommendations for websites that sell lossless / high-res classical music downloads. Not interested in copyright violation.


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2015)

For 320 kbps, try ClassicsOnline, eClassical, 7digital, Presto Classical, ArkivMusic, and ClassicalArchives. Also many record labels sell direct from their websites, often in hi-res.

I'm pretty sure you're asking for higher res than 320 kbps, which many of these sites also offer. But since I don't buy higher res I can't offer you more precise advice.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

The Classical Shop http://www.theclassicalshop.net/ is owned by the Chandos label but they carry recordings from a lot of other labels and they offer both MP3 and lossless FLAC.


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## Baregrass (Feb 16, 2015)

Here are a few sites:

http://www.linnrecords.com/linn-formats.aspx

http://www.eclassical.com/pages/24-bit-faq.html

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/hd_downloads.php

I'm sure there are more.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

A few more:

http://www.classicsonlinehd.com/
Recently launched, it's owned by the Naxos label but the have recordings from many other labels as well.
They still manage the old classiconline.com for MP3 downloads.

http://www.qobuz.com
A wide catalog of hi-res downloads (lossless and 24bit only, no MP3) of classical music recordings, but also other genres - jazz, rock, etc...
Not available everywere.

https://www.pristineclassical.com/
A gold mine for historical recordings, remastered by means of a (proprietary?) technology.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

HD Tracks I think is the largest seller of High Res downloads.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

HD Tracks is the most popular but I prefer iTunes for my downloadable purchasing.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Albert7 said:


> HD Tracks is the most popular but I prefer iTunes for my downloadable purchasing.


I think you have that reversed. itunes no doubt sells 10000 times more revenue than HDTracks. HDTracks specializes in High Resolution Downloads (although they do offer 320 bps), something that it tunes doesn't carry.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Triplets said:


> I think you have that reversed. itunes no doubt sells 10000 times more revenue than HDTracks. HDTracks specializes in High Resolution Downloads (although they do offer 320 bps), something that it tunes doesn't carry.


Yes... HD Tracks offers ALAC but then it comes to huge box sets, iTunes is the winner. And lossless versus 256 kbps AAC files have very little discernable differences.

iTunes also scores very well for obscure classical albums whereas HD Tracks sticks to the huge labels mostly.


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## JosefinaHW (Nov 21, 2015)

Anyone else having problems loading ClassOnlineHD right now (Sat., Mar. 19, 9:08 EST)? Also, is this the thread to ask this kind of question? Thank you very much.

The website answered my question. FYI: it is experiencing problems.


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## dsphipps100 (Jan 10, 2016)

I have had excellent luck with PrestoClassical.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/

I especially like their nested-browsing feature.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I have downloaded mostly from HD Tracks.

I have a few samples from High Definition Tape Transfers, and they sound great!

They specialize in hi rez downloads directly off of original master tapes of famous and exceptional performances, and recording quality. All classical!

They also have a limited, but growing number, of pure DSD! These sound amazing.

http://www.highdeftapetransfers.com/

Acoustic Sounds is another good source. A bit similar to HD Tracks.

http://store.acousticsounds.com/superhirez

Native DSD is a bit more eclectic. They only sell DSD.

Great sounding stuff, but you have to have a DAC that plays DSD.

https://www.nativedsd.com/



Albert7 said:


> And lossless versus 256 kbps AAC files have very little discernable differences.


To me, "very little discernable difference" is a big difference!

Music is way to important to me to have any lossy formats.

I recently took part in a pretty well run, blind test comparing 44.1, vs 24/192 and 24/96, vs double DSD, and I was able to tell the difference at a quite high percentage. Well above chance. Especially on classical and acoustic jazz.


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## Baregrass (Feb 16, 2015)

Simon Moon said:


> I have downloaded mostly from HD Tracks.
> 
> I have a few samples from High Definition Tape Transfers, and they sound great!
> 
> ...


Thanks for the links. It is basically through forums like this that we can get this kind of information. The Highdef site has a very large inventory. I will have to do a lot of rummaging around there!


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