Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain are just divine. Sketches was probably the biggest upgrade for me of the series thus far and I really, really hope they do the other Gil Evans/Davis titles. KOB is a very impressive, probably because I (we all) know it so intimately and to hear everything on that record sound so warm, clean and perfectly focused and balanced -- it really surprised me, I guess. Regarding 'Round About Midnight, I just played the MFSL the other day and I absolutely loved it. It's always been one of my most cherished Miles (and jazz) albums but I'll have to do some comparisions, based on what others are hearing. But I've always loved the MFSL, that I know. The harmon mute is a brutal thing, and the MFSL handles it no problem.
Finally some critical comments on that. People went mad in this forum when I called the Milestones SACD an earbleeder. Bitches Brew, Nefertiti, The Sorcerer, Filles de Kilimanjaro sound fantastic. Remastered by Shawn R. Britton. No comparison to the the legacy edition/Mark Wilders stuff. The MSFLs are more balanced, warmer and detailed.
I think the Milestones SACD sounds pretty good, I just don't like Round About Midnight. As for the rest, the MFSL SACDs are original stereo mixes, while the Wilder masters are stereo remixes so not a fair comparison.
That's just what a harmon mute does....sound harsh. Unless you tame the treble (and thereby reduce detail and spatial depth (on a mono recording such as Round About Midnight)) you won't get the harmon mute to sound less piercing. In short, this has nothing to do with bright mastering such as deliberately boosting the treble. Even transferring a recording flat with harmon mute played in the way Miles does will result in this particular harsh sound.
I agree. The CD-layer of the 'Round About Midnight MFSL SACD sounds fine on my system (Naim and KEF).
Understood, but it hurts my ears and I wish that they cut back on the treble to make it more listenable IMO.
I agree 100%. I've been buying the reissues on vinyl but picked up the SACD of KOB and it is fantastic.
comon guys ever heard a trumpet in real life? there's a hell of a bite to it! even violins can sound strident when played in the same room as you. This is what instruments SOUND like! ...the snap of a snare.... these things have "presence."
I go regularly to a Jazzclub here in Frankfurt called "Jazzkeller", oldest Jazzclub in Europe. That there is "a hell of a bite to" the sound of a trumpet or a saxophone is one of the reasons I go there. ;-) But that doesn't change the fact that the sound of a jazz -like any other genre - album needs to be balanced. And these Mark Wilders remixes for instance sound far from natural; the horns have a thin and jarring sound. Or to give another example: the sound of the Blue Note CDs remastered by Ron McMaster. The sound of the horns is just a thin and jarring noise which has nothing to do with the natural sound of the real instrument. Aside from detail, transparancy 3 dimension etc. an audiophile CD needs to be balanced. If the high end is too harsh, you just cannot listen to it.
Just did some quick comparisons between the MFSL and Original Mono Box (OMB) for both Milestones and 'Round About Midnight. Your mileage, sound systems and ears will, of course, vary... Milestones -- playing the track "Milestones." The MFSL is a more open on the top-end. OMB is a little darker sounding as a result. MFSL has more detail in the cymbals and horns -- all around, not just in the top-end. Same results with the other tracks. There's nothing wrong with OMB version -- but there's just a cleaner, more detailed sound on the MFSL. The easy favorite for me. 'Round About Midnight -- With "Dear Old Stockholm" the OMB is a tad muddier with the fine details, on both the low- and high-end. On the MFSL the bass is more defined and "plump" and it stands out better from the mix. Plump in a good way! More round and 3-D. It sounds flatter (in a visual sense) on the OMB. On "All of You" Miles harmon-mute is also more 3-D. The high-end is just more delicately handled, with that MFSL sparkle/sizzle. I think there's some compression on the OMB versions. Again, the MFSL is the definite favorite. I'm not surprised, the Miles MFSLs are gorgeous, and I've been eager to grab each release. The OMB is a decent alternative -- but I absolutely love the MFSLs!
Kind of annoying, isn't it? The fact that the label that owns the tapes can't beat a smaller niche outfit.
Apologies for not sifting through 64 pages; if you or others have compared this new MFSL SACD to the Single-layer Stereo SACD version CS64935, I'd welcome your thoughts. This disc also has multi-channel, but I'm interested in the Stereo comparisons. Thank you.
I just got the Mofi "Filles de Killimanjaro" SACD and compared it to the 2002 JSACD (SIGP-13) The difference is much bigger than I expected.. The JSACD sounds tinny, veiled and distant in comparison.
Got my first MOFI in the mail today. Sounds sweet! If you're a fan of this album you NEED to hear the original mix! #274
But you haven't heard it. With all due respect, tlake seems particularly sensitive to remasters. He often expresses a preference for an earlier mastering, one that it seems he feels is warmer. It's what he likes, but one can debate which is more accurate.
For a long time I was in the same boat as you and held off on the Round About Midnight SACD because I had read a few people say it was too bright. I just had the standard Mark Wilder remaster which I thought was decent. Well I finally decided to get the Mobile Fidelity SACD and I'm glad I did. I think it is better than the Legacy remaster in every way and I do not think it is too bright at all. I recommend it.
If I wanted to put together the best versions of the albums that made up the mono box, would someone help me with a list of the best versions of those. I guess I should get the mono box and replace a few of them with mfsl sacds or perhaps it is the other way around.
