Is acoustic sounds legit?

Thinking about buying this one but never heard of it before so thought I'd check here first

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/113965/Vanessa_Fernandez-Use_Me-FLAC_48kHz24Bit_Download

 

• http://www.bbb.org/wichita/business...rds-retail/acoustic-sounds-in-salina-ks-15966
  
• https://www.yelp.com/biz/acoustic-sounds-salina
  
• https://www.facebook.com/AcousticSoundsInc/

 

They're "legit" (badly reviewed customer service, but they do sell licensed HD downloads).

HOWEVER: I'd try to research the quality of the download pretty closely before pulling the trigger. I picked up their Jackson Browne, Running on Empty 24/96 and the version they sell had (very like the HDTracks version) a substantially reduced DR.

Original 1987 CD release: DR13 (11 min/15 max)
Acoustic Sounds Release: ...well, see for yourself...



The difference bears out in subjective listening as well. If you're not 100% sure of the master they're selling - and they almost certainly won't tell you - you could be pissing away money.

 

Thanks guys. I'll just buy the original CD and rip it then.

 

This looks like more the SACD version at least:

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/113964/Vanessa_Fernandez-Use_Me-FLAC_176kHz24bit_Download

I have it on vinyl 45rpm, really enjoyable... was worried it would be a boring audiophile album. On the back it talks about being straight from 30ips 1/4" master tape.

you never know... the CD might have the "loudness" cranked you'd have to research it

 

Yes they are 100% legit.

Acoustic sounds is owned by Chad Kassem. They run the Analogue Productions audiophile label which is responsible for a significant chunk of the amazing AAA re-issues that have happened over the past few years. They also run the Blue Heaven recording studio which is on site. Their physical location is one of the largest and best record pressing plants in the world and Chad has been responsible for pushing the quality of the pressings forward by implementing digital controls (heat, pressure etc) onto older lathes to get the best quality possible. Chad is also a major figure in the ongoing attempt to bring R2R tape back as a real pro-sumer audiophile format. In short he really cares about good sound.

I can't comment on the customer service thing but I suspect they do a LOT of business so you are going to have some small percentage that go bad and end up on yelp etc... I place about 1 $500 order/year (it's super expensive in Canada) and all of them have been perfect other then one slightly noisy AP pressing from 2014 (Living Stereo/Reiner Scheherazade) that wasn't bad enough for me to want to return it.

 

Yes. http://www.analogplanet.com/search/node/"acoustic sounds" type:story

 

I see. Perhaps I should order it in 48/24 since that theorectily is better than 41.1/16 right? And it's cheaper than buying the CD.

 

That all depends on the master.

Look here: http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=vanessa+fernandez&album=use+me. The DR values are the same for the vinyl and for the CD, but if you click on the CD you'll note that the user that ripped it and uploaded the DR values actually ripped the CD layer of the SACD. Discogs shows only those two formats too. Who knows what the actual CD or FLAC album is like.

It's a crapshoot based on the information I could find whether the 24/48 FLAC or the 16/44.1 CD is "better." I'd order the SACD myself, but it could be a worthwhile educational exercise to order the FLAC and run the DR analysis yourself to see.

 

Yeah that's true. Also just found this: https://www.7digital.com/artist/vanessa-fernandez/release/use-me-5221050

Even cheaper 44.1/16

 

Apparently I can't buy from them because I don't live in the US.. great. Gonna buy the 16/44.1 one instead then.

 

100% legit business. I've purchased stuff from them before. It's run by Chad Stelly (I think I'm spelling that right) and they're really into analog. If I remember correctly they recently purchased some vinyl pressing gear. They're also a distributor for some audio brands.

 

Have bought a bunch of stuff from them, all of it's been good so far.

Prostudio Masters is one for fellow Canadians that I use and they have info about the masters of each they sell. Given the exchange and weekly 15% off discount code, it's a slightly cheaper option albeit much smaller library selection.

 

Chad Kassem got his start buying MFSL LPs cheap, back when distributors were trying to unload them (because the market was shifting to CD). Chad sold them and made enough to branch out into buying LPs from whatever labels that would appeal to audiophiles. He was doing this from his Mother's house.

I remember calling Acoustic Sounds back when "their" exposure to the public was classified ads in the back of TAS/Stereophile magazines. It was in the late 1980s on a Sunday morning about 10AM. He sounded like I woke him up. I asked for a list of records that he had for sale. He said that he had no list, and asked what I was looking for. I was not expecting this and nothing was coming to mind. I told him that and he said "Well, I don't have any Japanese pressings of Badfinger - Straight Up or Thunderclap Newman [Hollywood Dream] if that's what you're looking for!" He must have had numerous requests for these. The conversation kind of fizzled out after this. (It's funny the things that stick in my mind.)

I just thought this might be an interesting little story to some. From those humble beginnings to the audiophile empire that @Chris F described is a really cool success story in our hobby.

 

OK now I can comment on the customer service. After Mofi screwed Chad (and everybody else) on filling pre-orders for the one step Santana Abraxas I got a call directly from him apologizing for something he had no control over. Total class move and definitely not something your average CEO would do.

So yeah, two big thumbs up for Chad and Acoustic Sounds.