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New Naxos classicsonlinehd.com Streaming Service

For the past week or so I have been playing around with the new Naxos HD streaming service. I first read about it over at sa-cd.net and found the iOS and Android apps and downloaded them to my new iPod Touch (5th generation) and my Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. The app works quit well on the Galaxy except for a bug that cuts off the last four seconds of the last track of an album (same problem on the iPod). They're working on that. The bad news for me was that the app was designed in the iOS world for the iPhone and iPad, not the iPod. It seems that while the newer iPhones have 1G of RAM, the iPod didn't get an upgrade from 512M when the 5th generation came out. Therefore, playing HD content on the iPod is iffy at best. You can play the CD quality lossless albums just fine which at least puts it ahead of Spotify. I can play HD content on my Samsung, but it just doesn't sound as good as the iPod playing through the headphone jack.

Anyway, I was quite intrigued with the sound and the library, so I pressed on to the PC web-based application. When you activate the web-based version (I have an older Dell Windows 7 Core i3 computer) you have to download a player that runs in the background. Something about the fact that HD isn't supported straight from the browser, I think. I bought a close-out Meridian Explorer from Audio Advisor and installed its driver on my PC, hooked up my Creek OBH-11 Headphone Amp and my Sennheiser HD-600 headphones and started playing "drop the needle".

As Ivan303 sometimes says, "I'm listening to Colin Davis' LSO Holst Planets in glorious 24/96 HD as I type this." I don't know if I'm getting all of the bits, but the "96" light is lit on the Explorer.

Of course, Naxos does not have any of the big labels (Sony, DGG, Decca, Warner), but they do have Chandos, CPO, Genuin, BIS, BBC Legends, and many others. The advanced search feature includes a label search, alphabetical sort along with other options like latest, popular, and other filters.

They've only been up for a few weeks, and they're adding new albums all of the time. Most of the content is 16/44.1, but the HD stuff will grow, too. They usually have a lossless version to go with the HD version. The cost is $14.99 per month payable via PayPal, and you can quit anytime. I believe you get a 14-day free trial before the first payment goes through so you can check it out for free. The web-based version runs on both the Mac and PC platforms. Those of you who already have their computer connected into their main systems can really give it a test drive quality-wise. I wonder if I could run an optical cable 40 or so feet to my system.....

By the way, I have had several email conversations with the support folks, and they are knowledgeable, pleasant, and helpful.


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Atma-Sphere Music Systems, Inc.  


Topic - New Naxos classicsonlinehd.com Streaming Service - srl1 17:47:13 01/20/15 (4)

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