Queen "....at the Opera" DCC vs MFSL: Your thoughts??

This isn't really a thread about which one is better than the other.......of course if you want to say which one you prefer that is fine.....but I mainly just wanted to start a discussion about the differences between the two releases. I was comparing them last night and without mentioning what I observed, I am curious to see what others perceive.

 

I briefly compared them a couple of weeks ago. I remember not finding any obvious differences between the DCC and the MFSL, but both absolutely smoked the Hollywood Remaster.

I'd love to hear some opinions as to what differences there are between both versions. From what I've heard, midrange is a lot better on the DCC, though I couldn't hear a lot of difference.

The DTS DVD-A is in a class of its own, though. Once you hear Bohemian Rhapsody in 5.1 there's simply no turning back.

 

I've compared these in the past...and just did so again.

IMO the DCC has too much treble emphasis, maybe in the 3k range...or perhaps there's a hole in the lower midrange. Either way, it's most noticeable in the tonality of the vocals, particularly tracks like "Seaside Rendezvous".

The MFSL has a "rounder", less harsh sound, which becomes more apparent at very loud volumes. The beginning of "Good Company" sounds thinner on the DCC than the MFSL. At times, the MFSL can sound a bit "thick", as on portions of "Sweet Lady"...even so, I still (slightly)preferred the MFSL version of that track. The deep bass on the DCC is excellent, as full as the MFSL and tighter, more controlled...but the MFSL is almost as good and certainly nothing to complain about.

All in all, I have a pretty strong preference for the MFSL.

 

I only have the Hollywood remaster, the DCC and the DVD-A.

The Hollywood remaster sucks. Too much top end EQ makes it harsh and unpleasant to listen to. Lots of squeeze which makes it sound somewhat smaller than other versions.

The DVD-A (stereo mixes) are good.

The DCC is big, powerful and full. The low end is enormous. The top end isn't EQ'd to make it sparkle which actually makes the extreme top end shine more than the other versions.

Never heard the MFSL.