Is 192 kHz necessary for Close to the Edge ? No—96 kHz would capture all analog tape content (max ~30 kHz). However, 192 kHz ensures in modern DACs, pushing the filter’s transition band far out of the audible range. In practice, many listeners find the 2013 24/96 version (often bundled with this 24/192) to be sonically identical but half the file size. If storage is not a concern, the 24/192 remains a definitive digital edition of the original mix.

In the pantheon of progressive rock, few albums stand as tall—or as complex—as Yes’s 1972 masterpiece, Close To The Edge . It is an album that defined a genre, pushing the boundaries of musical composition, studio technology, and sonic ambition. For decades, audiophiles and collectors have chased the definitive version of this album, cycling through original vinyl pressings, Japanese imports, and various CD remasters.

: The "chaos" of the opening title track is untangled, allowing Steve Howe’s frantic guitar volleys and Rick Wakeman’s shimmering organ to exist in their own space without competing.

You will hear the air in the room. You will hear the fade of the Mellotron reels. You will hear nuances in Jon Anderson’s vocal fry that made him sound ethereal rather than thin.

: Jon Anderson’s vocals benefit from a "shimmer" and "holographic" quality that places him center-stage in the listener's room. Technical Excellence: 24/192 FLAC

In an era of lossy portability, Close To The Edge demands resistance. It requires you to sit still, face the speakers, and prepare for a journey. The version is the closest you will get to sitting in the control room at Advision Studios in London, 1972, as Eddie Offord pushed the faders into the red.

Acquiring is step one. Playing it back is step two.

The goal was simple: Go back to the original analog master tapes (or the earliest flat master) and digitize them with zero dynamic processing. No EQ tweaks for car radios. No compression for earbuds. Just pure, 24-bit, 192kHz resolution.

The acoustic guitar intro is the ultimate test for high-frequency roll-off. On standard CD, the string attack can sound like "pfft." On the 2013 24-192, it sounds like steel . You hear the pick texture, the wood of the guitar, the breath of Anderson before he sings "A song..."