SHM material warning

Ah, yes. Those early '90s U.K. PDO SHM-SACDs.

 

You're a brave man.

Seriously, thanks for being the guinea pig.

 

The intention of the OP was to simply give us a warning to be careful with these. I appreciate it.

I will be even more careful now, but it will not stop me buying the SHM-SACD's if they are well done.

I am more worried about the sound quality of these than the breakability...

 

Tull, I am sorry to hear about your SHM-SACD disc splitting into parts. If you still have the two pieces and can bare to examine them we might be able to apply a little science here. What we want to determine is if this was a fracture due to material brittleness or due to a crack initiation site (i.e. a flaw ). From your description of what happened the fracture surface should be very smooth (not a jagged as if it were sawed in half using a hack saw). Look along the fracture surface to see if the is a small spot where it looks like there was a bubble or a void of some type along the otherwise smooth surface (you may have to use a magnifying glass to see it). If there is a small flaw then it probably allowed the crack to start when you slightly flexed the disc. Please let us know what you find if you still have the disc.

It is best if in the future that discs are place on a sturdy flat surface for cleaning.

 

Correct. Tullman did not curse the format or claim it as fact that SHM produces an inferior product. SHM is a sensitive subject here and every discussion ends up going to extremes.

Like you, I am taking Tullman's post as fair warning. I have been selective in my purchasing of SHM-SACDs due to the cost and the fact that some titles use older masterings, and I will continue to be selective.

 

I applied very little pressure. Not as much as you flexing your disc, I would think. Man, you are very bold.
If you read all of my posts, you would have seen that I took one of the broken pieces and bent it almost end to end without breaking it. So, I am thinking there was some kind of breach in the disc around the spindle hole.

I wiped the disc because I felt like it. It hasn't been a problem with thousands of other discs only this on. I will certainly avoid wiping SHM SACDs in the future.

 

Speaking only for myself...I consider the OP's starting this thread as a favor. No matter what the circumstances were, I will now be more cautious when handling my Who's Next. Better safe than sorry at the price I paid. Thank you.

 

+1

 

Happy Ending

Cdjapan replaced the disc, but they did tell me not to expect this kind of service again, if I own the SACD for over 2 months. Basically, if it breaks right away they will replace it.

 

Good to hear, I think cdjapan is basically a good place and wants their customers to be happy with them.

 

Yes, I think they are good as well, if only the shipping would be quicker.

 

Good to know.

 

Great!! So it was a happy end !!

 

The exact same thing happened to me that happened to TULLMAN.

The SHM-SACD of The WHO - Singles broke in two as I was trying to remove a fingerprint. My middle finger was in the centre hole and the other fingers and thumb were holding the disc. I DID NOT PRESS HARD !!!

SO BEWARE, TAKE CARE OF THOSE PRECIOUS DISCS !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Super hard material!

 

Another reason to be glad I never even look at the playing side of a CD, just put it in and play it. Hold it by the edges, just as I have all my records since 1964.

 

If I do need to clean one of these I put a soft cotton towel on a flat table, place the disc playing side up on the towel and gently clean the dis while holding the edges to keep it from sliding around on the towel. It seems to work and protect the disc from breaking.

 

Right on...

 

almost worst than that my Genesis Selling england by the pound got stuck with another cd in my changer,the other cds is fine ,but the double(with dvd) Japanese SACD Mini has some marks,Thank God it Played

 

Just out of curiosity, as I've never owned any SACDs, what does a SHM SACD typically cost? I see SACDs go for $35 at a local record shop. Are the ones discussed in this thread a lot more than that?

 

I would have thought the same as you until I was trying to remove an OOP King Crimson Japanese CD from a "grip of death" hub. The CD snapped in two. Tossed the 2CD set out and fortunately found another one. The hubs often used in US made digipaks are in the same grip of death category - either the hubs shed teeth when you remove the CD (allowing the CDs to fall off the hubs) or the CD can snap.

 

$50-$60 range when bought from Japan. Higher here because it's an import.

 

What audiophile puts fingerprints on a SACD DVD etc

 

Who said anything about finger prints?

 

Brittle is the word.
Tullman, thanks for your words of advice.

I don't even know how my [Queen - A night at the opera - SHM-SACD Universal Japan] got broken.
It has a very clean break right down the middle.
I've never tried to clean it. I just pulled it out and it had snapped.