![\"itrax_options_blocks\"](\"http:\/\/www.realhd-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/itrax_options_blocks.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFigure 1 – The postcard that I will be handing out at the CES 2014 show in Vegas announcing the new iTrax.com <\/p>\n
As I’ve looked around at the competition, I’m disappointed that customers are purchasing tracks that are advertised as “high-resolution or higher fidelity”, when in fact it’s hit or miss whether the fidelity will be any better than a standard CD. After all, why would anyone spend upwards of $30 on a retread of an older album that sounds identical to the version you already have on your shelf?<\/p>\n
As I’ve contemplated how to improve and expand iTrax, it became clear that iTrax could join the club and become the kind of site that offers the same content files from the major labels and others OR double down on quality and focus on better quality, accurate information and format choices. I’d rather not be just one more site selling overpriced, upconverted classic records. Maintaining the current path in downloadable high-resolution has already resulted in customer blowback and dissatisfaction. The business will ultimately disappear when customers burn out on broken promises of “ultimate quality downloads” just like they did when CDs were advertised as “perfect sound forever”.<\/p>\n
Beginning in the first quarter of this year, iTrax will have a new an improved user interface. The site will allow users to read about the provenance of each album or track, view spectragrams, learn about the technical processes used to create the files, make available high-resolution samples for pre-purchase review and even provide physical media such as Blu-rays, CD-Rs, DVD-ROM, SACDs and even analog tape copies.<\/p>\n