[Moderator note: Continued from http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/new-shm-sacds-last-word-on-packaging-sonics.335763/page-40 I am happy we got the Carpenters we did, if the other comes out great.
I recently received the new SHM SACD, which I compared to the other versions I own: the original West German CD, the 20th anniversary SACD, the MOFI SACD. To my surprise, the winner was the 20th anniversary SACD despite its dynamic-range compression. I find that details are more precise on the 20th anniversary SACD. I find the SHM SACD nice, but a bit laid back, and the MOFI SACD far too laid back, too "euphonic." The original CD (which I bought for the price of a daily newspaper in a used-CD bin...) is very good in my opinion with lots of dynamic range yet very crisp sound. So my personal ranking is: 1. 20th anniversary SACD (despite dynamic compression) 2. West-German CD (a close second) 3. SHM SACD (very good but with a bit less definition than the West German CD perhaps because it seems to have been mastered from an analogue tape meant for LP cutting rather than the original digital master) 4. MOFI SACD (As Sander, I found it to sound a bit muddy)
Continuing from Part One: By "SHM process", I'm not sure if mean the SHM material or the mastering process applied to these SHM discs. The latter should be the focus, in my opinion. As noted earlier in Part One, the SHM-SACD was mastered flat. And as others pointed out there, the 1999 CD is boosted. It is easily the worst version I own. Perhaps the SHM-SACD could have benefited from some careful EQ adjustments, but the '99 CD is an example of overdoing it.
I wonder what's going on with "Crime of the Century", it's listed on Elusive Disc's website but they don't have a release date.
For the record, all "flat" transfers aren't equal. The mastering work on many of these SHM-SACDs is very, very good and should not be dismissed. Maybe we could get a list of the engineers involved. They should be appreciated just as Steve or Kevin Gray, or Yoshida, etc.
Not yet. I only listened to the SHM-SACD on its own over the weekend. My next chance to listen will be this weekend, as I am traveling this week.
It was listed for November the last time I checked. That is probably optimistic given how fast Breakfast was yanked.
Got a random query here and wondered if anyone on this thread may be able to help. Is there an address to write to where future SHM-SACDs can be suggested? Am I better off writing to the label of each artist concerned? Thanks for any help on this.
I listen with tubes so the '99 never bothered me that much. Lots of the extremes are "warmed" out. OTOH, the '85 was dead compared to my vinyl copy. You're 100% right about the mastering process. I only have the Stones and a couple of other older SHM-SACD's so I'm not familiar with a large sample. Is the bass normally subdued or is that just on the newer deluxe boxes? I remember someone mentioning they were mastered for the Japanese market where people live in smaller apartments. So on the whole, the SHM's are bass shy. That's what I meant by SHM process.
The idea that SHM discs are "bass shy" because Japanese people live in smaller apartments just can't be true. Lower urinals in public bathrooms, maybe, but bass shy discs, I'm not so sure about. Sounds like an urban legend! I have at least couple dozen of these discs, and really wouldn't characterize any as bass shy. In fact, they have some of the bass tonality I've heard. The only ones that are a little lacking, which I owe to the source and/or mastering are the T.Rex and maybe the Velvet Underground Shm-Sacds.
Keen to hear of your listening impressions. I dont own any TW but was listening to samples of this earlier, sounds quite interesting.
Rain Dogs is an album I only play once in a while, but every time I do, I ask myself 'why don't you listen to this all the time?' So, I'm not intimately familiar with it, and can't claim to possess golden ears - I'm not as sensitive to compression and brick-walling as lots of you. That said, I played the SACD last night and really enjoyed the experience. Bouncing, visceral marimba anchoring an oddly cluttered soundstage. I'll A/B it against the redbook, which I remember sounding pretty fine, in the next day or two.
This is quite interesting. I may need to snag a 20th Anniversary SACD before they disappear to conduct a shoot out. Thank you for posting this information.
I think the new Dire Straits BIA SGM SACD is fantastic. Its easily my preferred digital version, I love the analogue feel this version brings. Its like listening to a nice record mastering minus the noisefloor which really lifts many of the songs in the quiter passages. I feel the same for the Love over Gold SACd which agai benefits from the black background. Its a winner!
Never heard the "bass shy" theory but a few years back when the Japanese were issuing so many brickwalled/compressed CD's there was the theory that they were for the Japanese market and the "small apartment/listening room" target audience. Maybe it was a legend told by one and not a hundred for all I can recall, but I found the "justification" odd enough that I remembered it when I saw this "bass shy" thing.
Today I got the Dire Straits Brothers in Arms Japanese SHM-SACD. Whoa. Beautiful sounding - like it better than my BIA 20th anniversary SACD. Don't have the MOFI. This is more open, smooth, depth. NICE !!
I'm also keen for a review. My general sense is that Waits is pretty well served, digitally speaking, by the early CD-era redbook discs. If the SHM-SACD offers a clear improvement, though, it may be worth it.
I agree. I believe that I have every major release of this album, and this is the best digital release to my aging ears. Personally I'd skip the Mofi SACD, unless you actually disliked the original (because it was too bright for your ears).
Kinda off topic but curious. Japanese discs always come in these plastic bags. Do all of you keep your SHM-SACDs in their bags? I may just not be coordinated enough, but I spend ages putting the darn things back in their bags! I don't know if it affects resale value or not.
