Solved the problem and will be getting back the US SIT and SS reissues (since I don't own the 80s pressings of those). POM's unbalanced channel problem turned me to seeking an 80s US pressing, undecided on Powerslave but leaning towards the 80s US press. Now I have a big issue with LAD: I've had two copies which SKIP at the intro to the Trooper, and all have an audible, yet almost invisible scratch on Wrathchild. The very first one I got had the skip, don't recall it having the scratch on Side 4 but I returned it and got the 2nd copy. This one didn't skip but it had the scratch which was the first time I noticed it, but it was too late to check as I returned the first copy. Now the THIRD copy has the skip on the Trooper, AND has the scratch on Wrathchild. Can't be serious with this, hope Amazon doesn't have a limit on returns. Anyone else have this problem on the US LAD reissue?
OK...I found cheap originals of "TNOTB" (German) & "SSOASS" (Dutch) today and since they were in fantastic condition I took both. But left "SIT" (German). After playing "Number" I finally know what you guys meant because...yeah....the 1982 pressing is definitely more in your face than the 2014 UK remaster. I think I like it better. Haven't played "SS" yet but the original's cover alone was worth buying it. Plus it has hilarious groove notations: "Very Direct Metal", "If You Don't Like It: Bollocks" Bottom line: I still like the UK remasters but from now on I'm going to grab every original that is in good condition and cheap to back 'em up
Hello! I was away for a short time and I read in the last postings more and more about UK 2014 Remaster, have we now got three different kinds to choose from? I always thought there are the US ones and the ones by Optimal - which are the UK ones? All the best, 1973_2fk4
There are no UK ones. 3 differnt pressings on vinyl in 2014. US Pressing QRP or RTI (don't know exactly) German Pressing Optimal and Euro Pressing gzvinyl.
Sorry Sorry, Sorry, I was in the complete wrong Thread. All above said is meant to be postet in the KISS Thread. For IM of course there is optimal only.....
I ask a big favor: it is unfortunately impossible for me to read a thread having about 1200 messages... I have some old Italian first pressings of the first 7 Maiden albums, and I'm thinking if it is worth to replace them with these new 180 grams black vinyl reissues: have these new reissues a good sound in general? are they mastered from the original tapes? have they a good dynamic or a compressed sound? Really many thanks to everyone who will made for me a summary of the whole thread!
Here's a brief rundown of MY impressions of these reissues. I have all the Optimal/UK reissues. ST - Amazing. My go-to pressing now. Dynamics are incredible. Soundstage is wider than OP. Killers - Decent. My OP is bit more 'in your face' and this one suffers from a bit of 'blanket over your speakers' effect. TNOTB - Pretty good. Volume is low, so you'll have to turn it up a bit louder than an OP. It's a decent replacement. I'd go for it. POM - Amazing. My go-to pressing now. Dynamics are incredible. Soundstage is wider than OP. Powerslave - Amazing. My go-to pressing now. Dynamics are incredible. Soundstage is wider than OP. LAD - Amazing. My go-to pressing now. Dynamics are incredible. Soundstage is wider than OP. SIT - Amazing. My go-to pressing now. Dynamics are incredible. Soundstage is wider than OP. SSOASS - Amazing. My go-to pressing now. Dynamics are incredible. Soundstage is wider than OP. As you can tell, I'm extremely pleased with these reissues and I think they are great and affordable brand NEW replacements for OPs that you either want to preserve or are banged up a bit. People say the best TNOTB edition is the JPN OP (which also has Total Eclipse on it). The only other comment is that my POM suffers from one channel being significantly louder than the other the entire way through the record. I adjust the balance a bit to fix this, but nevertheless, it's a tad annoying. The sound quality of the pressing makes up for it. So, I say go for it. Get the reissues! Overall, they're incredible!
Very subjective though. Many others would say the OPs are better. If you're satisfied with what you have already, don't need it. If you need a replacement or don't have em at all, go for it.
I agree, very subjective. Part of my subjectivity is related to my desire to maintain the integrity of my OPs instead of play the **** out of them. That's why I say most of these are my go-to copies now. HOWEVER, I do prefer the wider (perceived) soundstage in these reissues. All of them except Killers and possibly TNOTB preserve the dynamics, at least according to my ears, that my OPs have.
Puuuuhhh - for a second I thought I have to buy more vinyl, this time GZ Vinyl to have a set to compare. GZ Vinyl isn't that bad as many think, sometime they are really bad and sometime really really good. Anyway, I am happy there are "just" two different to choose from.. 1973_2fk4
Purchased the US pressing of the "Piece Of Mind". It is perfectly flat, quite as a mouse, no noise that I could hear whatsoever. It sounds fantastic on my most modest of systems, and I am pleased even more by the fact that my wife enjoyed it as well. I had no issues with it, and hope my next purchases result in the same type of review.
I'm surprised you didn't notice that awful channel imbalance on Piece of Mind like everyone else has which is on both the US and European pressing as far as I can tell.
I heard it on the right channel. When IQ'd though a computer, the right channel was beefier than the left one.
I finally found an original pressing of Killers at a record show that wasn't crazy expensive and not in terrible condition so I bought it to compare to the reissue everyone is complaining about. It is a US pressing and I am comparing it to a new EU pressing. I have to say the biggest difference I picked up on was an EQ difference and that was really it. The new one actually has more top end (I would say 8k or 10k and up) and a little more bass but other than that they have the same characteristics in terms of quality of sound. So unless the original UK pressings sound drastically different than the original US pressing I don't see the need to hunt down and pay lots of money for one.
I just got EU pressings of debut, Killers, and Number. Number and Killers so far are going back. Scuffs near the outer edge that are noisy, and a loud pop on side 2 of Number. I'm disappointed, to say the least - not the standards of Optimal that I've seen in the past. In comparison my US Somewhere in Time is much better. Edit: debut going back, too - what a ****ing waste
Debut going back because of bad quality control or sound quality? I thought the debut sounded amazing, and mine was luckily defect free.
So, off topic, but get this. I had a package containing 3 records, 2 of which are now sold out, that was STOLEN after it got delivered right after Christmas. I thought the delivery was just taking forever, but I just found out that, according to the US Postal Service, the package WAS delivered. So, some coward now has 3 records that he or she probably has no idea what to do with. Also, I now have to pay 2.5-3x the price to buy the now sold out records from a 3rd party. Needless to say, I'm pretty pissed off.
Sorry to hear that man I've been hearing a lot about people stealing packages. Luckily hasn't happened to me but if it ever does oh boy...
Oh fok! But but but...can't you hold someone responsible? Because IF it was delivered but to the wrong person the postal service made a massive mistake. Or did they simply leave it on your doorstep? Shouldn't records always be send registered? I certainly would raise hell until I have my money back.