FLAC Support Coming to Chrome and Firefox this Month.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Let me share with you, especially with Dr. Drib who actually expressed possible interest in downloading one of the FLAC Rossini albums, some information, mostly what I learned from emailing Naxos. In fact, let me just quote the entire message--it's not long.

>Anna Mhay Saquing (Naxos Customer Service)
Jan 20, 10:03 AM HKT

Dear Mr. xxxxxxxx,

Thank you for your email.

We would like to inform you that the free album should still be available at this time. If you are unable to download the files, kindly let us know which album you chose so we can send you the zip file.

Meanwhile, it is true that there is an expiration on each month's free album offer. However, we provide zipped files to our customers who are unable to download the files even after its expiration (or a month after it expired).

Looking forward to hear from you.

Warmest regards,

Anna Mhay Saquing
Customer Service
Naxos Digital Services Ltd.
Customer.Service@Naxos.com<

Well, I tried getting the webpage with all of the choices and the download buttons for each. I still couldn't get the page (I still got a webpage with the heading, "Sorry, but the link you are trying to access appears to be unavailable."). However, Ms. Saquing says that we can get them, so I believe that we can get them. I don't know how many people on this thread would like any one of them, however. I'm going to making this post on the Media thread, where there are likely more people who would be interested (and hadn't dilly-dallied like I did, and already made their choice of albums).

They're nice folks at Naxos. Give them your business.

I joined their mailing list and recieved two emails. One had a link to the page that allows the download of an album (via a button), but the link is non-operational.

So.....no free album.

ADDED: Additionally, their site map shows nothing regarding a free monthly album.

[drofgnal]

FLAC quality will vary depending upon the source. You can currently buy flac recordings for download that are 192 Khz/24bit, 96/24 , 48/24, or 44/16. 44/16 is the current audio CD standard. You'll hear varying opinions (and see many forum arguments) on whether or not the higher sample frequency and greater bit depths provide any real advantage over the CD standard of 44/16. The Nyquist theorom says that you can completely recreate the original analog wave form of the original if you limit the frequency range to the sample frequency/2. Hence, CDs and players have a brick wall at 22 kHz, rejecting any signal with higher frequencies. For high rez audio, that brick wall is moved further out allowing for more ultrasonic frequency content, but that content is beyond the range of human hearing.

The high rez audio community defends this by noting that every note played on an instrument is not just a single frequency, but a fundamental frequency plus overtones of ever increasing frequency, and that ignoring ultrasonics somehow results in less than a pure tone of that instrument. Mostly true for wind and string instruments, not electronica type music, if at all.
Myself, I'm not sure. I do have several SACDs and FLAC recordings from various sites like HD tracks, 2L, and Linn records. There are many now. One thing I do know, is that much greater care is usually taken by the label in mastering for release and these high rez recordings are generally of better quality, coming from a quality master (192/24 is the usual for studio digital masters unless recorded direct to DSD. The Beatles created 192/24 digitial masters for their 2009 remaster release, but only released a 44/24 FLAC version on the apple thumb drive. You also generally avoid the 'loudness wars' with high rez recordings that is prevelant in modern CDs where dynamic range is lowered (dB difference between lowest and loudest sound.

As far as flac itself for normal cd content 44/16, there is nothing unique about it. To say it's compressed is misleading as it's 'data compressed' not audio compressed. It will play 1:1 true to the original, but so will apple lossless, AIFF, etc. They should all be in the end idential in sound quality.

[Katsunami]

If Xiph.org, the current maintainers of FLAC state that 192/24 audio is useless for playback (and can actually be inferior), thus only wasting space, I tend to believe them.

Good mastering practices, such as not crushing the dynamic range to get the audio to play as loudly as possible, are FAR more important than a high bit depth.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I joined their mailing list and recieved two emails. One had a link to the page that allows the download of an album (via a button), but the link is non-operational.

So.....no free album.

ADDED: Additionally, their site map shows nothing regarding a free monthly album.

The only reason that I can think of that it wouldn't be on the site map is the fact that each webpage with the FLAC album choices, along with a listing of their tracks, and along with buttons to click on in order to download one, has the subscriber's email address embedded in the URL's. So, each subscriber has his/her own, unique URL to see that webpage, and get the information about the tracks on the album and make the request of the album that he/she wants. That's also the reason that I haven't given out the "direct" URL for that webpage--first, it has my email address embedded in it, and second, once I've made my choice, no one else (not even me) would be able to use that webpage again (to do something unethical and against the rules like get more than one album). Oh, I did try cutting out my email address in the URL, but I got the same results that I had gotten before.

I hope that that the above makes sense. I know that I say it a lot, but I am digitally-challenged and I have to work my way slowly through Internet- and computer-related issues, and that's with just the elementary-level stuff, at that!

Based upon her email message yesterday (refer to post #29 of this thread), I have just written Ms Saquig at Naxos and asked her to send me the first Rossini choice (she said that it would be in a zip file) of the three. I also gave her a heads up that there would probably be others from MobileRead who would also be writing her to make a request for one of the albums.

[GtrsRGr8]

Again, based upon her email message yesterday (refer to post #29 of this thread), I have just written Ms Saquig at Naxos and asked her to send me the first Rossini choice (she said that it would be in a zip file) of the three. I also gave her a heads up that there probably would be others from MobileRead who would also be writing her to make a request for one of the albums.

The only way that I know of to see the choices now of FLAC albums, from Naxos from this month's promo, is to navigate to a webpage like this one. Drop down nearly all the way to the bottom of the webpage. You should see the heading, "This month's free albums." Underneath that heading, you should see your three choices. On my computer, with its present settings, the images of the album covers, as well as the text, is very small, however. If you can't see the names of the albums, here they are:
- Rossini: Complete Overtures, Vol. 2
- Rossini: Piano Music, Vol. 2
- Rossini: The Barber of Seville (Highlights)

I think that you can use simply the titles above to let Ms Saquig know which album that you want.

Ms Saquigo's contact information is on the copy of the message that she sent to me, that I placed in post #29 of this thread.

[grumbles]

Ahhh... the whine of the 15.734 kHz horizontal flyback transformers. The sound of cheap video terminals. When I was much younger, like 50 years ago I had no trouble hearing sounds up to at least 19kHz. At those frequencies, they add no information to sound but they can still add colour to it. Alas, now my hearing aids block everything above about 7.5 kHz.

While there is probably little practical reason for sampling frequencies greater than 48 kHz, I think that a case can be made for 24 bit samples just to give greater dynamic range. The reason we still have 16 bit samples now is that when the CD standards were specified in the early 80's, 16 bits was really pushing the state of the art. I was working in remote sensing at the time and anything greater than 12 bits was considered very exotic (and very expensive).

Several years ago I realized that my CD collection had far exceded any accessible space so I ripped them all to flac images with cue sheets. With those two files I can recreate an exact copy of the CD. These images are then stored on both hard drives and bluray discs. I then split the images into tracks and I have these on an external drive that is connected to an old netbook computer. The netbook is also connected to an external usb D/A that is connected to the hifi. Now I have immeadiate access to my entire music collection. The audio quality is that of the original CD.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

The only reason that I can think of that it wouldn't be on the site map is the fact that each webpage with the FLAC album choices, along with a listing of their tracks, and along with buttons to click on in order to download one, has the subscriber's email address embedded in the URL's. So, each subscriber has his/her own, unique URL to see that webpage, and get the information about the tracks on the album and make the request of the album that he/she wants. That's also the reason that I haven't given out the "direct" URL for that webpage--first, it has my email address embedded in it, and second, once I've made my choice, no one else (not even me) would be able to use that webpage again (to do something unethical and against the rules like get more than one album). Oh, I did try cutting out my email address in the URL, but I got the same results that I had gotten before.

I hope that that the above makes sense. I know that I say it a lot, but I am digitally-challenged and I have to work my way slowly through Internet- and computer-related issues, and that's with just the elementary-level stuff, at that!

Based upon her email message yesterday (refer to post #29 of this thread), I have just written Ms Saquig at Naxos and asked her to send me the first Rossini choice (she said that it would be in a zip file) of the three. I also gave her a heads up that there would probably be others from MobileRead who would also be writing her to make a request for one of the albums.

Your explanation absolutely does make sense.

I'll write her, as well.

When I had a huge vinyl collection (over 3,000 items, and mostly jazz - ummmmm), I knew about Naxos. It's a shame, however, that they can't dig through this themselves and work out the problem.

We live in dark times, indeed, when it comes to promotional gimmickry and creative shenanigans.

Well, as mentioned, I'll email her so that I can get a hi-rez file, one which will put to shame those little 44.1 files that sit on my DAP like newborn babies.

By the way, I failed to mention that I have an Astell & Kern AK100 II for my digital files - which is all I could afford at the time. It's a wonderful-sounding DAP. I'm very happy with the on-board DAC. (The next model up, the AK120, has two DACs.) I have it connected to my McIntosh MA1000 Integrated Amplifier. The combination sounds great: tight bass with a forward extension, as if one is sitting on the front row of a concert. The mid-range is sweet. Listening to Paul Desmond is like rising skyward on a cloud. His music is soft and gentle, yet right there, perfect for reading or for listening.

[GtrsRGr8]

If you are planning to email Naxos, please hold off for a while.

Koland, who posts on the Media Deals (non-eBook/non-audiobook) thread (and where the below quote from her comes), and also other threads (I don't know about this one) made this suggestion: "You might try clearing the cache on that page and disabling adblock (and enable flash)." She then made a post letting us know that she tried that, and it worked--she got the album that she wanted.

Let me give that a try, myself, on my browser. If it works or doesn't work, either way, I'll let you guys know and you can proceed from there.

[GtrsRGr8]

Okay. Tried Koland's suggestions, which worked for her. They didn't work for me. Even tried some other things that sometimes clear up problems like this. No success.

I use the Chrome browser. I emailed her to see if she uses a different browser, thinking that I might try her suggestions with it. But, I've never had to use a different browser before in order to get any of Naxos' freebies, which makes me believe that a glitch has appeared in their system. She said that she is using Chrome.

Someone mentioned having success using the link from their newsletter, instead of the link in my initial post of the promo (which was on the Media (non-eBook/non-audiobook thread). That didn't work, either.

Please continue to hold off, for a while more, before emailing Naxos. I think that they're closed for the weekend, anyway. But, if they're in Hong Kong, as I think that they are, they should be back to work in a little over a day's time (if I've got that International Date Line thing straight).

Naxos has been very reliable in the 9 months or so that I've taken advantage of their free offers. For that, and other reasons, if you do end up emailing them, I ask that you please not be harsh (if you want to be harsh with some audio companies, I do have some suggestions for you, however. ha). Maybe with only the last email that I sent them, they can clear up the problem.

[GtrsRGr8]

For those who are not subscribers to Naxos. The word that I get is that if you're not on the mailing list for their newsletter, but sign up for it, you will get this month's newsletter in your email on the same day. There will be a unique code or URL or something for a free album in the newsletter. It may not work immediately after you get it, but it should work for you by the following day. Since the link didn't work for me after the first time that I used it this month (and I used it to view the selection only, I didn't select one of the albums), this might only work the first time that you access the webpage.

Again, the main benefits of membership are that you can get two free albums each month. The first one will be an MP3. There is no choice; there is only one album offered. The next free album offered is a choice of one of three albums, all in FLAC (sorry, but I haven't checked or read anywhere yet what the bit-rate(s) are). If you are interested, you can sign up on this webpage. The benefits that I described come with the free membership--you do not have to sign up for the premium membership.

[GA Russell]

Gtrs, Fifteen years ago, Naxos made many jazz albums. Are they sometimes offered for free?

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Gtrs, Fifteen years ago, Naxos made many jazz albums. Are they sometimes offered for free?

I haven't seen any, but I've only been aware of their giveaways for about 9 months now.

I think that all of the albums in the second promo (choose one album from three) of the month will probably be classical. At least, I have that in my head for some reason.

The first promo of the month (choose one album, from three choices) would be the one most likely to have jazz. This month's is/was definitely not what I would call classical--it is/was fife and drums playing some old American patriotic/military songs. The first promo of the month is always an MP3.

If you're interested in jazz, I'd say to just make sure to check the first Naxos giveaway of the month, for sure. It occurs right after the first of the month--the 2nd, 3rd, maybe even the 1st day of the month.

Also, if the libraries where you have borrowing privileges subscribe to FreeGal, you can download up to 5 tracks per week free from them. They've got a cornucopia of music genres--everything from easy listening to hard rock. I think--check that, I know--that they have some jazz, although what I remember seeing is the old stuff from the first half of the 20th century.

I make a point to hunt for free music offers, and I'll try to focus on jazz the next few times and see what I can come up with. There's got to be some company, somewhere, that gives away at least a track every now and then.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Okay. Tried Koland's suggestions, which worked for her. They didn't work for me. Even tried some other things that sometimes clear up problems like this. No success.

I use the Chrome browser. I emailed her to see if she uses a different browser, thinking that I might try her suggestions with it. But, I've never had to use a different browser before in order to get any of Naxos' freebies, which makes me believe that a glitch has appeared in their system. She said that she is using Chrome.

Someone mentioned having success using the link from their newsletter, instead of the link in my initial post of the promo (which was on the Media (non-eBook/non-audiobook thread). That didn't work, either.

Please continue to hold off, for a while more, before emailing Naxos. I think that they're closed for the weekend, anyway. But, if they're in Hong Kong, as I think that they are, they should be back to work in a little over a day's time (if I've got that International Date Line thing straight).

Naxos has been very reliable in the 9 months or so that I've taken advantage of their free offers. For that, and other reasons, if you do end up emailing them, I ask that you please not be harsh (if you want to be harsh with some audio companies, I do have some suggestions for you, however. ha). Maybe with only the last email that I sent them, they can clear up the problem.

No problem. I'll hold off emailing her and will also try the suggestions you list. I use Firefox on my Mac Pro - without Flash - so I'll try a few things. I'll also try Safari.

I'm only harsh with serial spammers and over-sized image-posting lay-abouts - you know, the ones here at Mobileread!

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

No problem. I'll hold off emailing her and will also try the suggestions you list. I use Firefox on my Mac Pro - without Flash - so I'll try a few things. I'll also try Safari.

I'm only harsh with serial spammers and over-sized image-posting lay-abouts - you know, the ones here at Mobileread!

The current time in Hong Kong is just after 5:30 a.m. Monday, so I hope that I will get an email from Naxos within the next few hours regarding the album giveaway issue.

Please continue to be harsh with those people that you mentioned (especially if they didn't know any better, it was their first time breaking the rule, etc.)!

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

The current time in Hong Kong is just after 5:30 a.m. Monday, so I hope that I will get an email from Naxos within the next few hours regarding the album giveaway issue.

Please continue to be harsh with those people that you mentioned (especially if they didn't know any better, it was their first time breaking the rule, etc.)!

Yes, sir!