Does FLAC files originated from SHM CD sounds like the original cd or they need the SHM support to play different?
SHM is not a special sound ‘process’ such as SACD, HDCD, or DVD-Audio but simply a material and manufacturing process. It is about the materials and has nothing to to with the mastering, mixing or processing. So the short answer is that a SHM-CD imported as a FLAC file is no different than a FLAC file imported by a standard manufactured CD. Again, it is a material manufacturing process and not a audio coding or decoding process. "Super High Material (SHM-CD); a Compact Disc manufacturing process for some pre-recorded compact discs since 2006 in Japan only that is claimed to have improved sound."
SHM is just the material the CD is made of, it's not a different format. Same 1's and 0's as the regular remaster usually. Unless it's a unique mastering, SHM CDs are not worth the money.
SHM-cd's are only interesting if you're playing them through cd-players. Most of the shm-cd's use the latest UK or US remaster. E.g. Eagles, Paul McCartney's "Band on the run". "Hotel California" shm-cd flac-rip will exactly sound the same through your pc, as the 5€ European / US standard cd. SHM-SACD's are mostly "flat transfers", so those will sound different because they don't use the latest mastering. Only playable on sacd-players, and you can't rip them ... Some titles have outstanding soundquality.
Has no-one worked out how to properly rip an SACD yet? It's just data on a disc isn't it. If you can rip a DVD you should be able to do a SACD.
It kind of can be done with an converted Oppo SACD player. But it is only PCM you end up with. First, you have to solder in a circuit board that will extract the DSD from an Oppo player, convert it to PCM, and send it out via a coax connection to your DAC or computer for recording. You would really need to be into this music to have to go through this. Just buy another copy of the SACD.
Infact, I hear that paper discs have better sound quality because the 1's and 0's are on natural materials
There's a guy out there who does this, which is the only thing that makes this "exclusives on SHM-SACD" phenomenon even remotely bearable.
Well I don't know ... Quality of cd material is really bad in Europe and USA today. Compare the old West-German Dire Straits with new cd releases ... The old ones were far more solid, just like "shm". I have bought a few cd's recently which had "read errors" before they have been played once! I wasn't even able to rip one of them! My 1985-Dire Straits copy still does this perfectly! European and USA majors, just want to grab as much as they can. They don't care about soundquality, quality of carriers,... at all. Maybe that's why "physical carriers" in Japan still are popular?
