ABBA Arrival Discomate – counterfeit?

I recently received this CD, a Discomate release of ABBA’s Arrival. I see, however, a couple details that make me suspicious. Specifically, the inner aluminum hub seems a little wider than photos I've seen, and the black band around the perimeter seems thinner. The matrix is etched, not stamped, and is a very clean CDP 104 M5E12.

Everything else (the booklet, for example) looks legit enough, and maybe there are variations I don't know about. I am certainly no expert on these Discomate CDs. They are rare enough that I wouldn't be surprised if there were fakes out there.

This page, for example, shows a CD with these differences. (The CD in the photo looks like it might be a JVC pressing; mine does not.)

Any opinions? If anyone has peak levels, I'd love to compare.

 

It looks legit to me but I'm not an expert. I have several CD's with the matrix etched, two of them are two early European DADC Austrian made and another one made in the US by JVC.

 

It's impossible to tell based on the picture you've attached. I'd need a picture of the matrix number and the inner hub on the label side to tell.

 

Fair enough! Does this help?

 

I love a good mystery-
Posting a link to an illegal warez/music site helped
I have no clue if that counterfeit used the same mastering, or if it's even different to the old Polygram. I'd say with that clean matrix you have a nice Russian replica
ABBA - Arrival

 

I'm afraid that it is a fake. The matrix number isn't stamped, the typeface is wrong and it's also in the wrong place. The inner aluminum hub is too wide and the label print shouldn't be fuzzy. I wonder if they used the authentic mastering though!

 

Funnily enough, the CD pictures on that site look legit.

 

I tried doing an in-depth peak level search (no luck) to try and figure out if the Japan is different or just used the old Polygram, would be interesting info!

 

The mastering for the Discomate discs is different to the European Polydors.

 

Hrmm. Yes, well I didn't have a good feeling about it, given the look of the matrix and those other things. Thanks for the comments.

The peak levels of this disc are: 70.9 / 78.6 / 61.7 / 84.1 / 87.0 / 97.8 / 80.8 / 80.9 / 72.8 / 57.6

If anyone can post peak levels from a confirmed legit copy, that would be excellent.

 

I thought it was a fake when I saw the first picture (the matrix band is too wide), but that comfirms it. As KennyG said, the font is wrong, and the last two digits, i.e., 12, should be hand etched.

 

The peak levels for the real Discomate edition are the same.

 

I have a few of the Abba Discomates and will check, but initial impression is that doesn't look good.

 

Should there be a comma after the 3rd "money"? It has one here.
And, shouldn't "Why Did It Have To Be Me" have a question mark? It doesn't have one here.

 

Was it probably this one ?

 

That's consoling I suppose.

My personal preference is not to bring the seller into this thread. I am going to assume good faith. Not everyone is crazy about the details the way we are here. I'm not even sure if it's worth returning, although I will inform the seller, at least.

Speaking of details: While the matrix on this one is obviously different from the photos I've seen, I was mostly curious if these were all pressed at the same plant (which I considered most likely). The photos look like JVC, is that right? Were all the ABBA Discomates JVC pressings?

 

The matrix is JVC old style. AFAIK all Discomate ABBA CD's were pressed at the Victor Music Industries CD plant in Yokohama

 

I once bought what I thought was Gemini's first album with is quite rare on CD - and it turned out to be a Russian counterfeit - when I contacted the Ebay seller "his first response was - well, what did you expect for 30 USD?" - he eventually agreed to pay me back my money when I threatened to give him bad feedback.

 

Yes, there are so many counterfeit pressings out there on CD...but what shall we do when the labels refuse to release the old masterings ??? I also bought some russian counterfeit CDs of old metal albums, especially Noise and Combat releases. Original CDs are impossible to find or much too expensive, but I want the old masterings (and, of course, the original designs of the booklets and discs), so I bought some counterfeit CDs for 5 Euro per CD...
Sure, it doesn't feel right to buy such releases, but I would pay the double price when I would have the chance to support the artists...it's a difficult situation...