Audio sommeliers rejoice – the new NIN album’s on its way, and there’s a free audiophile remastering for the taking. The idea apparently came from Trent Reznor (rumor says the frontman may be looking for his audience’s sophisticated side), and may be an unprecedented bonus for buyers. Details below.

There’s been a wee bit of buzz around Hesitation Marks, NIN’s next album, due out September 3. Revealed cover art, and a slew of streamed songs has helped build the hype. Can’t wait for the full release? Fine, be impatient, and listen to “The Eater of Dreams”, “Find My Way”, “Everything”, and “Copy of A”. See? Slew. Told you. The band’s recent appearance at the Outside Lands festival also helped, check out the stream if you missed it.

Now, on to the audiophile version. What, you may be asking, is an audiophile version? For the vast majority of listeners, the answer is “nothing much”, but folks with an upscale system and a discerning ear may have just hit the jackpot. The remastered version tones down the loudness of the album, sacrificing impact to retain subtler tones. To quote album mixer Alan Moulder:

“It is a fact that when listening back-to-back, loud records will come across more impressively, although in the long run what you sacrifice for that level can be quality and fidelity.”

Mastering engineer Tom Baker further explains:

“The Audiophile Mastered Version highlights the mixes as they are without compromising the dynamics and low end, and not being concerned about how “loud” the album would be. The goal was to simply allow the mixes to retain the spatial relationship between instruments and the robust, grandiose sound.”

In short, this isn’t for everyone. But hey, it’s free, the version is available as a download when you buy the album through the band’s webstore. Those of you who have already ordered it, fear not, you’ll be able to access the download come September 3.