The decay of the cymbals and the snap of the snare drum feel physically present in the room. Track-by-Track Sonic Analysis
It was a crisp autumn evening in 2013 when I first laid ears on the remastered FLAC 24-192 version of Yes's iconic album, "Close to the Edge". I had always been a fan of the progressive rock band, but I had never heard their masterpiece quite like this before.
[Original 1972 Multi-Tracks] ➔ [Digital Transfer at 24-bit/192kHz] ➔ [Steven Wilson Level/EQ Balancing] ➔ [Final 2013 Stereo FLAC Master]
For a purely digital purchase, high-resolution audio stores like and Qobuz offer the album for purchase as a direct download in 24-bit/192kHz FLAC files. Yes - Close To The Edge -2013- -FLAC 24-192-
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Pristine separation; backup harmonies spread across the soundstage. Warm but bleeding slightly into the low-mids. Tight, punchy, distinct Rickenbacker growl preserved. High Frequencies Rolled off or overly bright on early CD transfers. Silky, extended top-end with realistic cymbal decay. Hardware Requirements for Playback
Unlike the 1994 “Expanded Edition” (brickwalled), the 2013 high-res version retains the original dynamic range. Analysis tools like the DR (Dynamic Range) Database often rate this 24-192 transfer with scores of DR12 or higher, whereas most CDs hover around DR8. That means the quiet parts are quiet, the loud parts are pristine , and the music has room to breathe. The decay of the cymbals and the snap
What the 2013 24/192 FLAC release offers
Released in September 1972, Yes's fifth studio album, Close to the Edge , is widely considered the band's magnum opus and a defining moment for progressive rock. The album consists of just three sprawling tracks—the 18-minute title suite "Close to the Edge," "And You and I," and "Siberian Khatru"—yet within this 38-minute runtime, the band crafted a universe of sound, delivering a snapshot of an adventurous rock band at the peak of its powers, daring to push itself musically, both as individuals and as a unit. Steven Wilson, the acclaimed producer who would later remix the album, called it "a bona-fide A-level masterpiece".
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Standard CDs resolve audio at 16-bit, offering 96 dB of dynamic range. Upgrading to 24-bit expands this range to 144 dB . For Close to the Edge , this is critical; it ensures that the quietest ambient birdsong intros and the most explosive Church Organ crescendos coexist without artificial digital noise truncation.
Sampling at 192,000 times per second captures ultra-high frequencies well beyond human hearing. Its true utility lies in the elimination of phase distortion and the deployment of gentle anti-aliasing filters. The result is an incredibly realistic soundstage where instruments have physical space.
