Yes - Close To The Edge -2013- -flac 24-192- [2021] 🚀 👑

You won’t hear the difference.

The problem for digital archivists has always been translation. Early CD pressings (mid-80s) were bright, brittle, and lacked the deep, round low-end that gave the album its visceral power. Later remasters (like the 2003 Rhino version) smoothed edges but sometimes introduced compression, squashing the dynamic range that makes prog rock breathe.

Enter the 2013 high-resolution release. To the uninitiated, “FLAC 24-192” looks like technical gibberish. To an audiophile, it is a promise. Let’s break down why this applies perfectly to Close to the Edge : Yes - Close To The Edge -2013- -FLAC 24-192-

For fans who have memorized every note, this 2013 high-resolution release offers a fresh revelation: the sound of five virtuosos at their absolute peak, preserved in a digital container worthy of their ambition. You won’t hear the difference

When you see , you are looking at a transfer that respects the original analog master tapes at a resolution exceeding even SACD. The 2013 date is crucial: this was not a simple upsampling. It was a flat transfer from the original analog master tapes (presumably the same source as the 2003 remaster but without the limiting). The Listening Experience: Track by Track in 24/192 What changes when you actually listen to the 2013 FLAC 24-192 version via a good DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) and headphones or speakers? Everything. 1. “Close to the Edge” – The Solid Time of Change The track opens with the sound of flowing water (a field recording of a English creek) before Jon Anderson’s ethereal “A seasoned witch...” In standard MP3 or CD, this water sound can feel like a flat noise floor. In 24-192 , you hear the texture of the water—the separation of droplets, the spatial positioning across the soundstage.

Download it, light a candle, and get up, get down—all the way to the solid time of change. Word count: ~1,250. For the collector: Pair this FLAC with a good tube headphone amplifier to soften the transient peaks, and you’ll hear why 1972 was prog’s annus mirabilis. Later remasters (like the 2003 Rhino version) smoothed

When the band crashes in at 1:45, the lower bitrates tend to compress the attack. Here, Chris Squire’s Rickenbacker bass hits with a percussive, growling thud that vibrates through your chest. The high frequencies of Steve Howe’s steel guitar have shimmer, not sibilance. This pastoral section lives or dies by dynamic range. In the 2013 FLAC, the transition from the gentle 12-string guitar intro to the powerful “And you and I climb...” section is breathtaking. You can hear the room ambience around Jon Anderson’s voice—the natural reverb of the studio, not a digital add-on. The 24-bit depth means the quiet passages (the organ drone before the “Eclipse” section) are utterly black and silent, while the crescendos don’t distort. 3. “Siberian Khatru” The ultimate test. The frantic guitar/bass interplay and Bill Bruford’s jazz-influenced drumming require high resolution to decode. On the 192 kHz sampling rate, the transient attack of Bruford’s hi-hat and snare rimshots is razor-sharp but natural. The complex stereo panning of the backing vocals (the “To be able to love...” round) is vividly disentangled. In lower resolutions, this section turns into a wall of noise. In 24-192 , it is a kaleidoscopic ballet. Why 2013? The “Steven Wilson” Connection (and why it matters) A common question: Isn't the 2013 edition just a re-issue? While Steven Wilson’s famous 5.1 surround remix of Close to the Edge came later (2014), the 2013 stereo FLAC 24-192 release coincided with a broader industry shift toward “audiophile-grade” catalog downloads. It is often sourced from a fresh, high-resolution transfer done by engineer Isao Kikuchi (for the Japanese SHM-SACD release) or directly from the Atlantic master tapes.