Of course there are going to be CDs that sound better than Hi-Res, SHM-SACD or not, if that Hi-Res was badly mastered, even if it is from the master tapes. Plenty of examples out there.
Agreed. Really the best thing to do is get a known well done SACD transfer (e.g. one of the 'outstanding' discs from Claus' SHM-SACD list that's a regular occurrence on one of the SHM-SACD threads) and hear the differences for yourself. For me, well done hi-rez is transcendant - like vinyl, you become completely involved in the performance rather than listening to the recording itself. Mike
I agree to some extent but when specifically discussing the SHM-SACD series, especially over the past year, there haven't been any titles that didn't best the redbook for quality. That also seems to be the general consensus here.
I can name a few. Both recent Asia SACD's were worse than the original redbooks. Opinion is divided on the new Steely Dan.
Not in my opinion, liked the three Asia titles better then the original, not by much but it was an improvement and certainly the Steely Dan was much better for my money.
If you mean "Alpha" and "Astra" by Asia I strongly disagree. Both SACDs were clearly better than the original releases. Not much better but better nonetheless. (I have only listened to the redbook-layer but I presume the SACD-layer used the same mastering and is therefore equal or better)
Then we'll have to agree to disagree, I believe the mastering of the original CD's is much closer to the way these albums are supposed to sound.
You have listened to the redbook layer on an SHM-SACD? I thought all SHM-SACDs were single layer SACDs. I do not have the Asia SACDs, but I have several other SHM-SACD titles, and all the ones I have are single layer SACDs.
My mistake. I have the SHM-CD. According to all reports the new SHM-CDs, SHM-platinum-CDs and SHM-SACDs are using the same master. That's what I meant. Sorry for the confusion.
Poor recordings of Asia means a not so good transfer, Alpha is still pretty bright on the Platinum cd, I wouldn't of bought it if I had heard a sample, my two cents
Honestly, it was at least 5-10 years ago when I last played that CD, using a completely different set of speakers and CD player than I use now, so I couldn't say. I like Tom Waits, but other than the One from the Heart soundtrack (Coming soon to SACD!), I don't play his stuff very much.
Yes, it is. Those who have listened to the actual SHM-SACD, say it's the best digital version. Those who have not heard the SHM-SACD (just looked at graphs or heard a sample of the SACD), say it is not the best version or even that is the worst version.
And also those who own the SHM SACD of Countdown and earlier versions have stated that it is on par with some of the earliest versions but not clearly better.
Steely Dan CtE is hands down the best digital version I have ever heard. It's that good. Stop looking at graphs and algorithms and listen to the SHM-SACD, it's a wonder what'll happen if you actually *listen* to the music!
Forum member Paul P. has listened to the SHM-SACD for Countdown and compared it to the original CD, and he prefers the original CD. He states the reason being is for the compression and smiley eq of the SHM-SACD. This is exactly what the graphs show.
I wonder if people might be influenced by the graphs... Anyway, there is so much differing opinions on this disc that I decided to ordered it to hear for myself.
IIRC, you also like the Yes SACD box set which also has smiley eq and lots of compression compared to other masterings.
I don't think they are comparable, the Yes SACDs had less than half the dynamic range of other releases, not 1 or 2dB less like CtE. Those Yes SACDs were an assault on the ears, the CtE samples are not IMO.
The SHM-SACDs of Aja and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road are not the best versions in my opinion. I prefer CDs of these titles. Although I do not own them, the SHM-SACDs of Synchronicity and Layla have the same mastering as the original SACDs released about 10 years ago. For these titles, I prefer CDs to the original SACDs.
I've got no horse in this race, but I will say that clearly there are as always different personal preferences for different tastes. So if a someone tends to enjoy their music with a little more compression and a little more treble versus more dynamics and bass it is important to know when seeking opinions. In the case of Countdown for Ecstasy SHM-SACD, mine arrived on Monday and although there is nothing to complain about, I didn't find it to be any great revelation compared to my LP or early 1980's CD version.
