Sony/CBS 'Half Speed Masters' are a rip off!!!

I have two of these and I find them to be OK - actually I don't have anything bad to say about them. They are very listenable to my ears. The titles I have are:

Santana - Abraxas
Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom

I am not saying they are the best sounding versions of these albums, I am just saying I find them to be listenable.

I picked them up when they were brand spanking new at the record store I worked at. I can't remember the price at the time (maybe $14.99?? as opposed to $8.99??).

 

I sure hope this thread hadn't shown up before I sold my HSM copy of Discovery on ebay. Does anyone with a spare Jackson want to try this one?

 

See post #23.

 

In the event that anyone had any misconceptions that CBS was a technological industry leader as they once were long ago, well, CBS decided to deliberately try following MFSL's lead, just so that any lingering illusions were thoroughly dispelled.

 

I think what he was relating was that, contrary to all logic, the CBS half-speeds were made from a digital copy of the analog tape, created expressly for the half-speed LP. There was still an insert in one half-speed LP I had (might still have) which trumpeted the "advantages" of using a digital master, utterly ignoring the fact that it was of an analog source and would be converted again to analog for the cutting... goes to show, I guess, they didn't have a clue how to do better than their routine procedures at the time.

 

I just received a U.K. LP pressing of the Wall, and WYWH, and these put to shame the Sony 'HSM's of both these titles.

 

The only CBS Half-Speed LP I have is Willie Nelson's "Always On My Mind" because my mother's original vinyl pressing got scratched from playback on crummy equipment, etc. and the half-speed LP was very well taken care of by the previous owner.

 

I think of the standard issue of 'Leftoverture' sounds as good, if not better, as the HSM, but I think the HSM of 'Point Of Know Return' sounds better than the standard LP. I also think the standard LP of Dan Fogelberg Pheonix, sounds better than the HSM.

 

It was not Stan - it was one of the principals of Mobile Fidelity; the chief engineer, whose name escapes me. The story was on aurealm (the gold CD site for those who don't remember it or who never saw it) for a long time and has been read by many forum members.

 

No, I don't believe it was done that way for the first batch. The first 8 or so that MoFi thought they were going to do for CBS, including "Born To Run".

Maybe later, your insert may apply - compounding the error of course.

 

Aah thanks for the clarification. May be so. I wonder if it was done for marketing - believing folks will think "it says digital so it must be superior" - or if they (whomever at CBS that chose that method) bought the digital hype, as many did. Crazy idn't it.

 

Heart's Little Queen sounded great when i heard it. i haven't heard any others, though; the forum has saved me $$$ in that regard.

 

In my opinion,and from what I have read, the opinion of many other audiophiles, two titles that CBS Mastersound somehow got "right" are Pink Floyd's WYWH and Boston's first album. I have compared both to other pressings and both are top-notch. However, I must admit that I did not compare the WYWH to an original UK pressing. Tom Port, in the past, has also praised both of these half-speed pressings for their sound.

 

did the Boston half-speed mastered LP best a double Wally? i'd really like to know!

 

No it does not. It's barely better than the Mastersound Gold CD!!!

 

One of the better sounding Columbia Half-speed mastered vinyls I've heard was Chicago X (the chocolate album). Mine is a promotional copy.

 

I've had a few of these - I can't say I've kept any in preference to originals, though. (that goes for all MoFis, too, as befits my signature. I'm all in favor of audiophile discs, but have found exactly one reissue of a rock album on gold CD that remains in my collection.. but enough of that..)


-- they're all nicely cut and pressed; I think they're all made out of the same JVC 'super vinyl' that the same-time Quad discs were made of.

A couple I quite like; the Friday Night in San Francisco set comes to mind, but not to the extent of me paying a $50 premium over the $2 masterdisK original. It really does sound 'bigger' - like a different mix was used.

I've read, and re-read the story about the half-speed RIAA errors, and seriously don't believe those discs were actually issued in that form. If someone can do the calculations and work out the frequency response of such an error, we can all program it into our sound editors and try it out.

It can't be a subtle error, or even mo-fi's engineers wouldn't have noticed it on unfamiliar equipment.

They're only a rip-off if you pay top $$$ unheard; like Targets, I've had my share of completists collecting this series.. I no longer even look at these unless they're under $5.

 

I don't know if this is proper, but I would love to hear Kevin Gray's opinion on Half Speed Mastering, period, whether it be Sony, MOFI, Nautilus or who ever else.

While I was fortunate enough to go to the RTI studio last winter, Kevin was very passionate about 'HSM' when I asked him about it. And not for the better I might add.

 

Is it too late to reanimate a 9 year old thread? This was last commented on the year before vinyl saw its resurgence start....i switched to cd before i really had a chance to start collecting serious vinyl as a teen in the late 70's to early 80's....i was not knowledgeable or interested in hi fidelity until the early 90's. Over the last 3 years i have acquired 7 to 800 lp's, an ultrasonic and vpi rcm and am currently only buying non mass market vinyl such as nautilus, cbs hsm, mofi, a&m audiophile series lps....from what i read, i get conflicting opinions on the cbs hsm titles. I just received blow by blow today and i think it sounds pretty decent. Maybe a tad bright but im not hearing anything that sounds like there were errors in the process...now my journey infinity cbs hsm sounds like its being played out of a 7 dollar 1970's radio shack transistor radio....but my several others sound fine. Like many have said, not blow me away amazing, but good....I am more impressed with the nautilus and a & m audiophile series stuff than cbs hsm.