New SHM-SACDs last-word on packaging, sonics

See post #967. This is an easy way to tell the difference.

It appears that the SHM-SACD is reversed, but this is not a big deal to me. The disc still sounds very good.

 

It's kind of you to check this, so thanks. It look like your findings were right as KeithH verifies this. Not sure now whether the original vinyl version was right and the subsequent CD editions all wrong or the other way around!

 

Hi Keith….still waiting for mastering credits for Tears for Fears…..
The reason I ask is that if….let's see, if Fx Copyroom did this, I know exactly what kind of sound I will get.

 

Sorry for the delay. I hate going back into the packaging. The disc is already in a jewel case.

The mastering credits for the Songs From The Big Chair SHM-SACD read as follows:

"DSD flat transferred from UK original analogue master tapes by Richard Whittaker at FX Copyroom, London, in 2014.
Edited in DSD by Masaru Takagi (SIProject) at Sunrise Studio, Tokyo in 2014.
176.4kHz/24bit transferred from DSD by Yumetoki Suzuki at Universal Music Studios, Tokyo, in 2014."

Why the the transfer from DSD to PCM for the SHM-SACD? Does "Edited in DSD" mean mastered?

 

Oh, well, ordered it anyway. I won't get broke for this.

Expect unbiased report as soon as I get it from me, a normal guy with no golden ears. no elitist views, no bias, and who only trust his own ears. If it sounds good on my Oppo 105D+Graham Slee Solo SRG+Denon AH-D7000, I'll say so.

 

I have the platinum edition of Songs From The Big Chair on the way. Should be here sometime this week. It's kind of weird that the original CD release (UK and US), remaster, deluxe edition remaster and SACD all have the reversed channels and the only two that don't appear to be reversed is the MFSL gold and vinyl. For the SACD/Platinum release it supposed to more or less be a mirror image of the master tape. hmmmmm

 

The "DSD to PCM" line is because the Platinum SHM cd's and sacd's use the same inserts. If you look at the catalog number on the inserts, it probably lists the SHM-SACD and the SHM-CD numbers.

 

I only noticed the SHM-SACD catalog number in the booklet, but I may have missed the other catalog number.

For the Platinum SHM-CD, they transferred DSD to 24/176.4 and then converted from 24/176.4 to 16/44.1?

 

I'm very impressed by the Brothers in Arms SHM-SACD! This is no doubt the best sounding version of this album I own; crisp, full and dynamic and Mark Knopfler's guitar absolutely shines. It smokes both the MoFi SACD (a little muddy and some weird EQ going on) and the original CD (thin sounding) and I didn't even bother to compare to the horrid 20th Anniversary SACD .

I do wonder why the SHM-SACD uses the shorter lp-versions of a couple of songs. The liner notes say "DSD flat transferred from UK original analogue master tapes by Mick McKenna and Richard Whittaker (...)". Everybody knows BIA was a digital recording. So why the reference to analogue master tapes? Is this just a mistake or did they perhaps use an EQ "cutting master" for LP's? That would certainly explain the shorter LP versions and the fact that the SHM-SACD sounds so different from the MoFi. Of course I'm just speculating and whatever they did the results are excellent and in the end that's what counts.

 

While I don't like speculating, it is fairly evident the SHM-SACDs play fast and loose with what they characterize as "analogue master tapes." It seems to be a catch-all term used to describe almost any tape source used for the SHM-SACDs.

 

That's the way it's done, most commonly, I believe. I don't know if technology has been implemented to go from a DSD file to a cd master, so to speak. Or if it offers any advantage over transferring to a high res PCM file first.

 

Sound quality differences aside, I guess there's no reason one couldn't transfer from DSD to 44.1/16 bit, instead of high resolution.

But that would bypass the HR cutting that the record label in Japan is adverting. Ideally that requires a high resolution source, that they can make a cd master from.

 

Just listened to Songs From The Big Chair 3 times and did a comparison to the 1999 remastered CD. The SACD does lose a lot of bass and overall oomph on first listen compared to the CD, but isn't a recessed bass common for most of the SHM-SACD's? The vocals are also slightly recessed compared to the CD. OTOH, I heard things with the synths I never heard before. Even when I put my headphones on they were lost on the CD. The highs were also more detailed but occasionally got too bright. Not as bad as the CD which was bright a lot.

I like the SHM-SACD a lot, but it's not my go to disc. It does what most of the newer SHM-SACD's do. Details the mids and treble to a degree but it's definitely a mixed bag. The SHM process seems to make more of a difference on albums that don't sound great like the Stones stuff and BIA. SFTBC isn't a bad sounding album to begin with so it's not that obvious.

 

Thanks everyone for your listening reports. Wow, after reading Quark1134's impressions, I was in dread of what was coming next. Seems like things are evening out at this point, and tilting in favor of the SHM-SACD being likeable or even a success. Your opinions are really helpful. Has anyone done a direct comparison yet between the Atomic, MFSL and the SHM-SACD version of SFtBC?

 

You hit the nail on the head. The reason the bass isn't there, is because it isn't there! It is not that this particular disc mastering has had the bass turned down and the treble turned up! This was a favoured production style in the 80s for whatever reason. Most of the SHM-SACDs have focused on the 70s. There are not that many into the 80s and those that are have not yet been of the "pop" genre. As I assume the material from the 70s is now being exhausted and we get more of the 80s discs, we are going to see more people rediscover the bass light mixes that were the trend of that era. This disc is not harsh like you said, and there is an incredible level of detail and texture particularly in the synths. It is, what it is

 

The 1999 remastering pushed the bass. It isn't there on the 1985 version. Since SHM-SACDs generally go for a flat mix, your findings are in line with what I would have expected.

 

Thanks for these reports - again, very helpful!

 

Good point about the '85 version. The '99 is one of the few remasters that I strongly preferred over the original redbook. The bass boost brings it up closer to the vinyl. Lots of the newer flat SHM transfers are definitely subdued in bass- at least the ones I've heard. How many master tapes are there out there that are that bass deficient?

 

This seems to be the case with Steve Winwood's Arc of a Diver SHM-SACD. At least compared to the MOFI version which has better bass. After years of hearing that one the SHM seems lacking in punch but the keys have more resolution as you and Jonstatt say. A real trade off.

 

Rain Dogs is sublime. Definitive. Period. Everyone who loves music (broad tastes) and sound quality and who can find a budget for it must buy it.

I really, really, really hope that this Waits classic (five star album) isn't the last to be remastered like this. Maybe Swordfishtrombones next? That's the prior album which is also on Island. I do wonder if the they can go back into the Asylum catalog though. That would be amazing.

 

Got this from CDJapan...bummer:

"I'm sending you this email to let you know that we just received an update from the Universal Music Japan informing us that the release of the item below will be cancelled, unfortunately.

The Singles 1974-1978 [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)][SHM-SACD] [Limited Release] Carpenters Release Date: 2014/06/25 Catalog Number: UIGY-9563

No details about the reason for cancellation has been provided.

At this time, there is no indication to show whether or not it might be released at a later time in the future.

Therefore, it needed to be cancelled from your order 10106464991.

We are sorry for the inconvenience."

 

That is going to make many people very unhappy.

 

Damn... I was looking forward to this one.
Really starting to resent Universal Japan for their random cancellations.