ABBA Japanese CD POCP Pressings?

Hi. I recently got the entire ABBA CD discography on Japanese Polydor pressings with catalogue numbers beginning with POCP. These sound pretty good to me, but despite a search I can't discover which masterings these are. Any experts know?

 

Congratulations to the entire Japan ABBA discography on CD - you are really a lucky guy !!!
To my knowledge as a big fan, the POCP series must be clones of the P33 series, made in the middle of the 80s. The only changes are slightly differences in the layout and, of course, the catalogue number.
Compared to the Polydor CDs, the Japan CDs should also be LP cutting tapes, transfered to CD format. Most of the tapes, especially the ones for ARRIVAL or VOULEZ-VOUS were in much better condition than the Polydor tapes when they first became digitalized for CD. The Japan CDs have less drop outs and sound more brilliant and clear in some places.
If you find another full POCP ABBA discography for sale, feel free to inform me

 

Check this link for more information (you have to scroll down):

http://abbaoncd.wordpress.com/japanese-cds/polydor-p33p-series-1986/

 

I sort of figured as much

Guess I'll be selling my W. German CD pressings soon.

 

Yes, especially ARRIVAL, VOULEZ-VOUS and SUPER TROUPER are the best on early Japan CDs.
I also bought the 1992 US Polydors. I like the layout much more than on the West German Polydors with the too big-sized logos and titles etc. Sound is exactly the same, except the SUPER TROUPER album, which was clearly sourced from a different mastertape than the West German Polydor...it lacks the annoying dropout, included on the last refrain of the title track.

 

Tried to attach a photo of all of them but nothing happened. Oh well; I'm psyched!

 

No problem - I know how they look

 

Hi! I recently tracked down some of the original European Polydor ABBA CD's, but am wondering whether I should have gotten some of the Japanese POCP releases instead. I have a chance to get "Arrival", "The Album" and "The Visitors" on POCP, but wondering how they compare to the European Polydors. My European Polydor "Arrival" sounds ok, but is actually kind of harsh, and I'm wondering whether the POCP is better. Is it that much better? How do the others that I mention stack up?

Thanks for your help!

 

All of the POCP ones sounded better to me than the Euro Polydors, but that said, the Polydors were a solid number 2.

 

The POCP series were definitely taken from much superior master tapes than the german / french polydor pressings...i really love the early japan pressings, but as you said, the polydors are also a good choice for less money !!!

 

I only have a few of the Japanese discs and, to be honest, I found the European equivalents better.

 

really ???

 

So - is the Japanese mastering unique? (apart from Man In The Middle which is an alternater version that somehow slipped out).

 

Japanese mastering is unique, but not really better than the european ones.

 

So you went from "Definitely taken from superior master tapes" to "not really better". Maybe some sort of comparison would be good. I only have a few of the Japanese CDs myself but I haven't A-B'd them.

 

As the Polydor CDs sound really good, the Japan CDs sound sometimes better, so my statement is true. I think "The Album" has less hiss on the Side B tracks and some others sound a bit brighter and more clear than the european versions.