Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon - Best sounding CD (updated)

Yes, they are the same mastering. I like 20th Anniversary reissue the best of all my DSOTM CDs.

 

But, just to add a side note, the one in the Shine On boxset (available around the same time) is a different mastering apparently.
1992 = 20th anniversary = Doug Sax = Contour lines on label side of disc = White filled prism on front cover and multiple prisms on reverse (but some still had the older design packaging, as we have one of those!).

 

The Shine On boxset version of DSOTM indexes "Speak To Me" and "Breath" as two separate tracks unlike the versions I was referring to.

 

I recently picked up a Japanese version of this disc, matrix is CP35-3017 1A1 TO. My understand is that there are two versions, one without the TO, and one with. Isn't the only difference the pre-emphasis? Otherwise are they not the same mastering?

After listening to it for awhile, I think I prefer this version to the MFSL. One of the things someone told me to listen for to verify this is an authentic 'Black Triangle' disc is to listen for a background 'rumble' on the song "Money." This disc has it so I know it's not a fake.

Thanks.

 

Yes, but de-emphasis filters vary and won't perfectly recreate the non-pre-emphasized version.

 

So it's "almost" the same mastering, not exactly the same? Oh well, I still think it's the best sounding disc of this album I have, so worth $42 for me.

 

Not true. There are two distinct materings among the various "CP35-3017" CDs, they differ by much more than just pre-emphasis. The earlier mastering with pre-emphasis has EAC peak levels 39.9 / 43.3 / 70.1 / 55.2 / 72.3 / 44.5 / 53.9 / 54.6 / 61.2. The second mastering with "Ticket To Ride" at the end has EAC peak levels 87.8 / 94.7 / 100 / 97.2 / 100 / 99.1 / 100 / 96.1 / 100. I would guess that yours is the second mastering.

 

Track 1


Peak level 87.8 %
Extraction speed 1.8 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC 0266DEE8
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [83AB2A2B] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 2



Peak level 94.7 %
Extraction speed 2.0 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC B4C5519D
Accurately ripped (confidence 18) [1CFE34DC] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 3

Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 2.2 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC FC7FBBB2
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [3C997DEF] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 4


Peak level 97.2 %
Extraction speed 2.5 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC 27207B3F
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [9155AF12] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 5


Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 2.7 X
Track quality 99.9 %
Copy CRC F69FC1E5
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [D1D4E35F] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 6



Peak level 99.1 %
Extraction speed 3.0 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC A2ACE83B
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [C62283F4] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 7



Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 3.1 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC F9724AEE
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [2F85FEE8] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 8


Peak level 96.1 %
Extraction speed 3.3 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC F8648987
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [FC1CBA13] (AR v2)
Copy OK

Track 9


Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 3.3 X
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC 2E92D4DB
Accurately ripped (confidence 19) [230067B0] (AR v2)
Copy OK


Looks like I have the second one. Oh well, still sounds great to me.

 

There are some forum members who prefer this second mastering (by EMI) over the first mastering (by Sony), but most favor the earlier one which is smooth as butter.

 

First bought this album in 1990 on Vinyl (SHVL-804) and also;

1992 EMI Harvest CD
2011 Discovery Remaster CD
'Black Triangle' (FLAC)
MFSL (1988, Japan) CD

The vinyl is an unknown, as I never owned audiophile equipment back then. I still have it, but I was never a fan of vinyl. 2011 is quite good and would place it second. The 'black triangle' seems to be a bit shrill in places, specifically the clock chimes at the beginning of 'Time'. It also seems to lack the solid but warm, (not over-done) base sound of MFSL. For those who think the MFSL is too bass heavy, it was this release only that was sourced from the master tapes, as that is MFSL's selling point. So for me, its the MFSL.

Sound is very subjective, as all the comments on this thread show, its a matter of taste. Listening to the MFSL through the AKG 550's was intricately detailed, in a word - outstanding.

 

Please note that the 'Black Triangle' was mastered with pre-emphasis. If you want to listen to a FLAC version of that CD, you have to de-emphasize the audio, otherwise you are listening to a version with an insane treble boost. The de-emphasized version, as it was meant to be heard and as it would play on a CD player, sounds very smooth and warm.

 

Best I've heard is the Black Triangle, compared against the MFSL and SACD. Not easy to find cheaply though.

 

Yes Andreas, my bad. I had heard about this before, so of course not a fair comparison.

Lucidea; I read about detailed analysis by sound engineers, (it can get quite obsessive!) with many years experience preferring the 'black triangle' version. Incidentally, The SACD version is also made from the masters, (I stand corrected) Dave Gilmour mentions this in a documentary.

The so called 'holy grail', (1st press / 1st issue) is insanely expensive - around the £500 mark. The high price as you may be aware, is because of the low numbers that were pressed. You can pick up (as of late last year from a ebay seller in Japan) a 1st press / 3rd issue for around £35 although it was not mint condition.

 

So the Harvest blackface are
not "grails" ?

 

I always thought they shared the same mastering with the black triangles.

 

That's what I thought too. I thought they used the original EMI mastering.

 

Although I've always liked the 20th anniversary CD, I recently bought a UK Harvest 'silverface' - silver disc with black print and the CDP catalogue number. Would this be the same mastering as the UK 'blackface' CDP?.

 

No absolutes but in the case of Dark Side the Harvest's were pressed in the same plants at same time as the non CBS/SONY Triangles only getting a different silk screen. The non-TO Harvest is same as the non-TO Triangle, same goes for the 2 TO's. Of course there is "big" money to be made or an "investment" to protect on the Triangles thus an "agenda" by a tiny few here to keep the knowledge silent.

 

Same here. EAC levels are the same.

 

'Holy Grail' simply refers to the scarcity of the physical disc itself, (first *ever* release on CD - 1983) not the mastering, or subsequent releases.

The peak levels on EAC will be identicle for the very early releases, (see link) the 'black triangle' was produced between 1983 - 1989, levels get a little higher in later years.

I realise I have confused things a little by quoting "1st press / 1st issue" - these are words that the ebay seller used, and can be misleading.


http://pinkfloydarchives.com/Discog/Japan/DSCD1/JADS1.htm#_[1983_–_The

 

Between the MFSL UDCD 517 and the CP35-3017 1A1 TO, I think I still like the MFSL.

 

Just out of curiosity, is the Black Triangle sourced from the master tapes?

 

I'd be very surprised if it was. My guess would be the copy tapes EMI originally sent Japan for the lp's back in the day. Just a guess, though!

 

That means there's still room for improvement if ever an audiophile label picked up this album? The MFSL version is fine and I've also heard the Black Triangle. There's just something missing still. The MFSL sounds a little off, the Black Triangle sounds dull. With the recent string of great Platinum SHM-SACD releases (with some average ones too), and the Hoffman/Gray work, it's not out of the realm of possibility that this album might eventually get the treatment it deserves, is it?

 

When I watched the Blu Ray that came in my Immersion set, I recall David Gilmour saying that all of the releases up until the 2003 SACD, were sourced from third generation copies, and that the SACD and 2011 set were made from the original master tapes. I'm not sure about the MFSL, but I would think that came from the original master tape also.

I would definitely purchase this album again if it were reissued on hybrid SACD from Audio Fidelity, Analogue Productions or MFSL.

My favorite one is the Black Triangle disc that I have, followed closely by the MFSL. There is nothing wrong with the 2011 either.