Yes "CLOSE TO THE EDGE" and Rush "COUNTERPARTS" on SACD from Audio Fidelity!!!

Not as impressed with Counterparts as I thought I would be. Bass seems stronger but muddier. I'm hearing upper midrange distortion, and no not the natural distortion of the electric guitar. I can hear it on the vocals. I swear I hear wow and flutter I did not notice on the original CD. Hopefully its not my mind putting it there. Is this mastered from analog tape? There is less clarity in Neil's cymbals very apparent in the title first track. I have the very same Zildjian Custom A Ping Ride used in this recording and I know exactly how this unique ride sounds. The ping/shimmer/decay is not quite there in this remaster. It sounds less apparent and drowned out. I hear less separation of the instruments. If anything, this release is more in tune with Snakes and Arrows than its original release. I prefer the original Counterparts CD. First time I ever preferred a CD over a SACD.

Just to make sure its not my ears or my system, I played "Avalon" SACD (Roxy Music), AF release of the "Hounds of Love" LP (Kate Bush), and "Test For Echo" CD and they all sounded as marvelous as I last remembered them as did the original Counterparts CD.
My perception is the same with both layers.

 

I was actually considering this although it is not even close to being a favourite Rush album (but the price was right). Thanks for saving me some money.

 

Just to confirm... the HDTracks release for "Close To The Edge" is NOT the recent mastering done by Our Host. Just ordered my copy from Amazon after Our Host confirmed this info. Thanks Mr. Hoffman!

 

Wish we had separate threads for these two releases...

 

I agree 100%! Then seperate threads for discussions of the SQ of each title and one for shipping updates of each title .

Bill

 

Heck we need a thread just for the shipping statuses for EACH title!

 

I ordered CTTE on Nov 28 from Amazon.ca. I was vvvery careful to order Yes and not Rush…

Dec 13, 2012: Hello from Amazon.ca. We wanted to let you know there's a delay with one or more items in the order you placed on November 28, 2012 (Order# 702-….). Yes "Close to the Edge". Estimated ship date: January 15, 2013.

Dec 29, 2012: Hello from Amazon.ca…. Yes "Close to the Edge". Estimated ship date: January 22, 2013.

Jan 30, 2013: Hello from Amazon.ca. We're still trying to obtain the following item you ordered Yes "Counterparts"

Yes "Counterparts" ???! Okay, getting nervous...

Feb 27, 2013: Hello from Amazon.ca. We now have delivery date(s) for the order...Yes "Counterparts". Estimated arrival date: March 07, 2013 - March 08, 2013.

Anxiety level increasing...I like Rush, but I've been listening to CTTE almost daily for 2 months now...
Feb 28, 2013: Greetings from Amazon.ca! We thought you'd like to know we shipped your items, and this completes your order. The following iems were included in the shipment: Close to the Edge.

Sigh of relief!!! Yes, Close to the Edge - SHIPPED!!! Err,... really?... Amazon.c's site isn't showing stock...
Mar 1, 2013: Greetings from Amazon.ca. You saved....with ...Price Guarantee!...Close to the Edge.
Greater sense of releif...until I check stock again...

Mar 6, 2013. Guess what arrives in the mail....Rush Counterparts!!!
(Sound of grown man crying)

 

Not speaking for CraigVC but my unnumbered copy came from Amazon, received on March 4.

 

I started a new thread for Rush Counterparts reviews here-

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/rush-counterparts-audio-fidelity-sacd-reviews.311697/

 

Nice - They sent me Elton John - Rock of the Westies instead of CTTE. I am not pleased as have to send back from the UK and am now in the dark as regards the status of the CTTE order. To be fair it is the 1st time they have messed up with me and I normally get things on time with reasonable postage cost to the UK. But man I was so looking forward to hearing the Yes in all its glory, Aaaargh !!

 

Got my CTTE SACD last night. It sounds phenomenal! Great job, Steve!! This is how this album should sound!

 

Amazon.com.

 

Why is CTTE sacd so hard to be identified by retailers? They keep sending out Counterparts and Rock of the Westies instead of CTTE. Amazon shipped my order yesterday and the estimated delivery time is April 4th. So I hope it will be the REAL thing when I open the package ca. 3 weeks from now or I will be really grumpy.

 

As did I - thanks for the information that lead to an educated purchase decision!

 

This has probably already been answered somewhere in the 51 pages, but where can I find the best price for the Close To The Edge disk?

 

Just listened @work to CTTE on headphones, it's the sacd layer I ripped and converted to flac. I like Yes but always found listening sessions to get fatiguing after a while - especially on headphones. This version doesn't do that as I wished it didn't end. All voices and instruments work together without overpowering anything and it's super easy to pick out whatever you wish and just enjoy. This really is super audio.

 

AF CTTE is #74 in amazon Top 100 in Music. This puppy is selling.

 

I'm not going to buy an sacd player, as all of my music is now hard drive server-based. I debated whether to buy this at all, but given that apparently the redbook layer is 'the same' as the sacd layer aside from the higher resolution (if that is a reasonable way to say it), I've ordered it from Amazon. Maybe sometime in the future I can rip the higher res files from the sacd layer.

This does seem a big gap -- the increasing prevalence of hard drive-based servers for home use, and the move by AF to sacd's.

 

I really hope this will translate into MORE YES SACD AF ALBUMS

(at the top of my list are Yessongs, Going For The One and Tales From Topographic Oceans)

 

This is probably a thread crap, but it says more about how poorly music sells these days than anything else. That a 40-year-old album in limited release can crack the Top 100 is depressing IMO.

 

How does it sounds on the original CD? Do you know Neil Peart's mike set-up of the Counterparts recording?

 

I paid $22.16 for mine from Amazon. Free shipping because my order total was more than $25.

 

It is a thread crap.

My copy #624 arrived from amazon.

 

same here--hate to rub it in but I ordered CTTE only last week; it arrived on Tuesday. Sorry to hear about all the troubles some of you are having. I've never been much of an "early orderer" based on these kinds of horror stories. As someone once said, they'll make enough for everybody who wants one

 

You know, I was thinking similar thoughts while listening to my copy of AF Counterparts (SACD layer) for the first time last night - it didn't impress me. It directly followed my listen to the AF CTTE (SACD layer), so maybe that had something to do with it. But I kept thinking that the Counterparts sound was congested, and that the bass was muddy. I also remember thinking I heard a couple areas of upper mid distortion, although I don't remember which songs right now.

I have the original CD release of Counterparts, so I'll try doing a comparison over the next week or so when I get some time. Perhaps it's just the way this album sounds, and has always sounded.

I wasn't expecting a revelation, but was expecting more than I heard.