You might ask: Weren’t there other remasters? Yes. The 1991 Rykodisc CD, the 1999 EMI 24-bit remaster, and the 2014 "Harry Maslin" remixes all exist. However, the 2017 remaster is unique.
Released as part of the A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) box set, this remaster was overseen by original producer Tony Visconti. For the first time in the digital domain, Visconti went back to the original flat master tapes (not safety copies) with the express goal of preserving the raw dynamic range of the 1977 vinyl cut.
Previous digital versions suffered from "loudness war" compression—boosting low-level signals to make the album sound louder on earbuds. The 2017 remaster rejects that entirely. Visconti famously stated: "I made the 2017 remaster sound like the vinyl I heard in the cutting room in '77."
Let’s be practical. The David Bowie – Low – 2017 – FLAC 24-192 album takes up approximately 1.8 GB of storage. A standard CD rip is ~300 MB. Is 1.5 GB extra worth it?
Yes, if:
No, if:
For the serious listener, this version of Low is hallucinatory. The 192kHz sample rate eliminates "ringing" artifacts in the ultrasonic filter, making cymbals on "Sound and Vision" sound liquid rather than splashy. David Bowie - Low -2017- -FLAC 24-192-
Before analyzing the file specs, we must appreciate the source material. Recorded following the "Station to Station" cocaine-fueled madness in Los Angeles, Bowie fled to the Château d'Hérouville in France and then to Hansa Studios in West Berlin. Low was a radical left turn.
Side A (now Tracks 1-6) featured fragmented, staccato rock songs. Side B (Tracks 7-11) was almost entirely instrumental ambient pieces, heavily influenced by German "krautrock" bands like Kraftwerk, Neu!, and Tangerine Dream. This side was a collaboration with Brian Eno, utilizing tape loops, synthesizers, and the EMS VCS 3.
The sonic texture of Low is defined by space, decay, and texture. Tony Visconti’s production is famously thin—not as an insult, but by design. The drums are dry and gated; the bass is melodic but non-intrusive; Bowie’s vocals are often buried in reverb. This is not a "rock band in a room" album. It is a collage. This very quality makes it perfect for 24-192 FLAC.
A FLAC 24-192 album runs about 1.5GB to 2.5GB. Low is only 38 minutes long, so the file size is roughly 1.8GB. For the average smartphone user: overkill. For the serious listener with a 2TB drive: essential.
The David Bowie - Low -2017- -FLAC 24-192- file is not just a nostalgia trip. It is a forensic audio document. It captures a moment in 1977 when Bowie was barely sane, surrounded by broken gear in a rented chateau, inventing the future. The high resolution allows you to hear the electricity in the transformers, the decay of the piano strings, and the emptiness of Berlin.
In an era of lossy streaming, owning this file is an act of reverence. Crank "Breaking Glass" until your woofers shake. Drift away to "Subterraneans." This is David Bowie at his most broken and most beautiful—digitized perfectly. You might ask: Weren’t there other remasters
Search Suggestion: If you are a collector, pair this album with "Heroes" (2017 24-192) and The Idiot (2017 24-192) for the complete Berlin triptych experience.
Disclaimer: Always support the estate of David Bowie by purchasing official high-resolution downloads. The sonic characteristics described assume a high-fidelity playback system.
The story of David Bowie is a tale of survival, sonic invention, and a "New Career in a New Town." By 1976, Bowie was "bottoming out" in Los Angeles—physically exhausted and mentally fractured by a severe cocaine addiction. Seeking asylum, he fled the "coke center of the world" for Europe, eventually settling in West Berlin with his friend The Sound of the Future
While often called the first part of the "Berlin Trilogy," most of was actually recorded at the Château d’Hérouville in France.
David Bowie's 1977 album Low, a pivotal work in his Berlin Trilogy
(2017 Remaster) David Bowie FLAC 24-bit / 192kHz (High-Resolution Audio) Experience David Bowie’s 1977 masterpiece, No, if:
, in its most pristine digital form. This 2017 remaster, originally part of the A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982) box set, is available as a high-resolution 24-bit/192kHz PCM download Why Listen to This Remaster? Unrivaled Clarity:
The 24-192 FLAC format captures the intricate nuances of the Eventide H910 Harmonizer
used by producer Tony Visconti to create the album's legendary, pitch-shifted drum sound. The "Berlin Trilogy" Genesis: Revisit the first of Bowie’s collaborations with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti
, featuring the jagged avant-pop of "Sound and Vision" and the haunting, ambient soundscapes of "Warszawa". Audiophile Standard:
Transferred from the original analogue master sources, this version provides the depth and separation required to appreciate the synths and deep bass that defined 1970s art rock. Speed of Life Breaking Glass What in the World Sound and Vision Always Crashing in the Same Car Be My Wife A New Career in a New Town Art Decade Weeping Wall Subterraneans You can find the high-resolution digital version at ProStudioMasters or the physical 2017 remaster on vinyl and CD at Rhino Records Berlin Trilogy